HipCricket Inc. Continues To Build Out Its Executive Team

June 12, 2007 - BELLEVUE, WA
HipCricket Inc., a pioneering mobile marketing company that creates measurable, real-time, one-to-one relationships between advertisers and their customers and prospects, has continued to build out its executive team with the naming of Jeff Hasen as Chief Marketing Officer and Tom Virgin as Chief Financial Officer.
The senior hires come a week after HipCricket announced it closed Series B funding of $6 million that will allow the company to support strategic expansion of its leading position with the broadcast community and top brands. Over the past two years, HipCricket has raised a total of more than $10 million from angel investors, Broadmark Capital and a European investment group.
Hasen will oversee marketing, advertising and public relations. Virgin's seasoned executive level and CFO experience in fast-growing, technology-based businesses will be leveraged as HipCricket builds on its 250 percent year-over-year client growth.
"Delivering a product with the best technology and the best people is how HipCricket has been able to design and implement thousands of successful campaigns for radio stations, television station and brands," said Ivan Braiker, CEO of HipCricket. "Adding the talents of Jeff and Tom will take us to the next level."
Hasen joins HipCricket from InfoSpace, where he headed global strategic communications. In that role, he drove a repositioning of InfoSpace from one percent share player in online search to a leadership position in mobile media and to number 20 on the prestigious Wired 40 list of most innovative companies on Earth. Prior, he led results-driven programs for Nestle, the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and Symantec.
Virgin brings 28 years of financial expertise to HipCricket. He has served as senior vice president and controller for Seafirst Bank (now Bank of America), senior vice president and CFO for T&W Financial Corp, interim CFO for two software companies, and vice president of finance and administration and CFO of WizKids, Inc. Most recently, Virgin was executive vice president and CFO for Talyst Inc., a software and equipment solutions company.
The readers of Fast Company magazine named Talyst to the magazine's "Fast 50 Reader Favorites" list, recognizing 50 of the most innovative, progressive "profit-driven solutions for what ails the planet." In addition, the Puget Sound Business Journal named Virgin the 2007 "CFO of the Year" in the small private company category.
"In a time of tremendous hype around mobile marketing - with a big emphasis on the future - I've joined a thriving company that creates revenue for clients today," Hasen said. "I'm excited to tell HipCricket's story of driving increased listenership, viewership and loyalty with technology that taps into the behaviors and interests of the more than 136 million Americans who use text messaging on a regular basis."
"HipCricket's focus on generating revenue for broadcasters and brands is working - our client list is growing to include big wins like Clear Channel, Staples and NBC," said Virgin. "I'm looking forward to being a part of HipCricket's continued expansion and helping to drive growth for us and our clients."
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