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PokerTek Appoints Chris Halligan as New CEOMATTHEWS, N.C. --(Business Wire)-- Today PokerTek, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTEK) announced the appointment of Chris Halligan as the company's second CEO, succeeding Lou White, who co-founded the company and will now serve as Vice Chairman of the Board. The new positions for Mr. Halligan and Mr. White will be effective on September 24, 2007. "As our company has grown, it has become clear that we need to add accomplished professional managers to lead our company," said Mr. White. "Chris Halligan fits that description perfectly." Under Mr. White's tenure as CEO, PokerTek went from ground floor startup to gaming industry pioneer, growing from one employee to more than seventy, increasing the install base to over 130 casino tables, and introducing a new product into the amusements category. "Lou has done a tremendous job in forming and launching PokerTek," said Lyle Berman, the company's Chairman. "Having Chris as PokerTek's new leader is an important step in our growth. His experience and achievements make him the right man for the next phase of our development." "I'm honored and excited about this opportunity," said Mr. Halligan, who joined the company as Vice President of Sales and Planning in September 2006. "PokerTek has a tremendous product offering, strong strategic relationships and great people. Our products are the future of poker." Mr. Halligan began his professional career at Dell Computer Corporation in 1989. During his approximately 11-year tenure at Dell, he held managerial positions spanning sales, marketing and business development. Highlights of his time at Dell include management and strategic direction of Dell's then $9B Relationship Online business team, direct management responsibility for a $2B annual quota and a team of 150 sales professionals for the Large Corporate Accounts Division, management of Dell's $50M annual corporate advertising programs and management of Dell's product marketing team for corporate products, including OptiPlex desktops and PowerEdge servers. Mr. Halligan was twice recognized for outstanding leadership at Dell, was Dell's Corporate Salesman of the Year in 1991 and was profiled in Fortune Magazine in 1998. In 1999, Mr. Halligan left Dell to join webMethods, Inc. (now part of Software AG) as Vice President for North American Operations. During his time with webMethods, the company went public in one of the most successful software IPOs in NASDAQ history. In 2001, Mr. Halligan left webMethods to pursue several outside interests, including consulting opportunities in the software and marketing industry, and later with Kieden Corporation (now part of Salesforce.com, Inc.), a San Francisco startup that went from product concept to strategic sale in approximately six months. Mr. Halligan is a significant shareholder and member of the board of directors of Mascot Books, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-area publisher of children's content Mr. Halligan is a 1989 graduate of the University of Arizona and he and his family reside in Weddington, North Carolina. About PokerTek, Inc. PokerTek(TM), Inc. (NASDAQ: PTEK), headquartered in Matthews, NC, develops and markets PokerPro and PokerPro Heads-Up(TM), automated poker tables and related software applications developed to increase casino revenue, reduce expenses and attract new players into poker rooms. PokerTek entered the amusement space by introducing Heads-Up Challenge(TM), a heads-up poker table for bars and restaurants that targets adults who play for amusement only. PokerPro tables are located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Philippines, Australia, South Africa and several major cruise lines. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.pokertek.com or contact Tracy Egan at 704.849.0860 x106. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are made in accordance with the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements herein include, but are not limited to, the expected adoption of the PokerPro systems by casinos and other customers, and the expected acceptance of the PokerPro systems by players. Our actual results may differ materially from those implied in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including, but not limited to, overall industry environment, customer acceptance of our products, delay in the introduction of new products, further approvals of regulatory authorities, adverse court rulings, production and/or quality control problems, the denial, suspension or revocation of permits or licenses by regulatory or governmental authorities, termination or non-renewal of customer contracts, competitive pressures and general economic conditions, and our financial condition. These and other risks and uncertainties are described in more detail in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to update or revise such statements to reflect new circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur, except as required by applicable laws, and you are urged to review and consider disclosures that we make in the reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission that discuss other factors germane to our business. |
