09/08/04

techcenter@UMBC Presents
'Managing Success in a Post-9/11 World'

BALTIMORE , MD ( September 8, 2004 ) - With political, economic, cultural and legal changes in a post-9/11 world, companies are forced to modify their international approaches to ensure global success. In response to this, techcenter@UMBC, Whiteford, Taylor , & Preston LLP, and M 2 Limited Enterprises present a two-part seminar entitled Managing Success in a Post-9/11 World . The first session, Planning Global Expansion , is on September 23 at 8 a.m. on the UMBC's South Campus.

“Over the past two decades, business development has increasingly become more globally focused for many industries. Therefore, a new strategic leadership is required to compete effectively and profitably – one that requires a broader knowledge and understanding of varied business cultures,” says Patricia Rippin, techcenter@UMBC's director of business advisory services.

The Managing Success in a Post-9/11 World seminar includes the insights and best practices from a panel of experts for future global growth that focus on the unique aspects of developing, implementing, and managing international expansion in any industry. The featured panelists for Session 1 include:

• Aris Melissaratos , Secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, directs the work of DBED in its mission to stimulate and strengthen Maryland 's economy, and promote Maryland as a prime location for tourism, film production and advancement of the arts. His priorities include technology, manufacturing, and minority business development.

Melissaratos is a former Westinghouse Electronics Systems Executive. He capped his 25 years at the Baltimore Electronics Systems Group (now Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems) as the Vice President and General Manager of the Design Engineering and Manufacturing Operations Divisions. Melissaratos was responsible for facilities in the United States , Puerto Rico , Mexico and Barbados , with a total of 16,000 employees and $3.2 billion in annual revenues.

“In today's increasingly global marketplace businesses can locate almost anywhere,” said Melissaratos.  “Maryland's outstanding business climate, world-class workforce, excellent quality of life and proximity to the greatest concentration of federal laboratories in the country all play critical roles in helping Maryland businesses, particularly technology businesses, remain competitive and successful.”

• Andre Pellet , President of M 2 Limited Enterprises , a globalization, localization and translation solutions firm with over 25 years of experience creating global strategy methods for several different industries, including BioTech and Medical. As a University of Maryland Engineering graduate with a specialty in computer science, he is a recognized authority in the application of information technology to the globalization and localization of software, documentation, multimedia, web applications and emerging technologies.

“While companies need to move globally to step out of their saturated local markets, they need to first adjust to the changing tides of global business. To be successful, emerging companies need to take specific steps now to position and prepare themselves for future global expansion.” says Pellet.

• S. Keith Moulsdale , Partner in the Technology and Intellectual Property practice at Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP, areas include Technology Access and Transfer, Electronic Commerce and International Intellectual Property Protection, and his clients have included wireless telecommunications carriers, application service providers, managed service providers, mobile switching center developers, distance learning providers, application developers (including open source software developers), writers and various Internet-based businesses.

The Managing Success in a Post-9/11 World seminar is free and a continental breakfast will be provided, courtesy of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP. Interested parties should RSVP to techcenter@umbc.edu. Session two, Executing the Global Plan will be held November 9, 2004 . For more information, visit us at www.umbc.edu/techcenter or call 410-455-5900.

About techcenter@UMBC: UMBC's technology incubator, founded in 1989, was expanded in 1996 when UMBC purchased the 30-acre five-building Lockheed Martin Research Lab facility site and renamed it techcenter@UMBC.

Phase II is bwtech@UMBC, a 41-acre research and technology community being developed by the international commercial real estate firm Grosvenor in collaboration with UMBC. bwtech@UMBC has a total development capacity of up to 330,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. The park will ultimately comprise five new state-of-the-art buildings occupied by research and technology firms.

For more information about techcenter@UMBC, including a list of current companies and graduates, see www.umbc.edu/techcenter.