Chicago, – Veteran industry leader Ron Fried-man has joined Compart as Chief Operating Officer.The announcement was made this week at Graph Expo in Chicago.

A recognized leader in the high technology software industry, Ron Fried-man brings more than 30 years of direct sales, sales training, sales management and general management expertise. His most recent corporate position was as President and Chief Operating Officer of Group 1 Software. During his 17-year tenure with Group 1, Mr. Friedman oversaw the firm's initial public offering (NASDAQ – GSOF), negotiated and implemented key acquisitions, directed international expansion and grew annual revenues to over $100M. Under his leadership, Group 1 achieved stature as one of the top 100 software companies in the world, earning numerous industry and financial sector awards and employing over 500 associates worldwide. In 2003, the company was sold to Pitney Bowes for in excess of $450 million. Prior to joining Compart, Friedman had founded Customized Selling Solutions International, a firm specializing in sales training and management consulting.

In his new role with Compart, Friedman is responsible for direct and indirect sales worldwide. He is located in Compart headquarters in Böblingen,Germany. "I am excited to join the Compart team and help the company bring more business solutions to more customers around the world. The company has a respected product offering and a talented group of people,and from this solid foundation, we will continue to grow in strategic directions," said Friedman.