Jinfonet Software announced that the company has hired Fred Richards as vice president of marketing. With more than ten years in the software industry and nine years working specifically in the business intelligence (BI) market, Mr. Richards will provide significant marketing expertise as Jinfonet works to further expand into commercial and public sector markets, said the company.

At Jinfonet, Mr. Richards will manage all global marketing efforts for the growing software company. He will be responsible for further increasing awareness of the company’s flagship product, JReport. JReport is an embedded reporting solution that offers intuitive and sophisticated reporting from within Java-based applications.

Prior to joining Jinfonet Software, Mr. Richards was senior director of global marketing programs at MicroStrategy where he oversaw the business intelligence company’s domestic and international marketing efforts. During his 6-year tenure at MicroStrategy, he held a number of product management and marketing roles, leading to his promotion to head all marketing communication efforts. Prior to MicroStrategy, Mr. Richards worked for ORBCOMM Global, LP, Thermo Electron Corporation and Westinghouse Electric Corporation, holding various business development, technology commercialization, consulting and manufacturing positions. He has also held associate positions at a number of law firms.

"Jinfonet needed someone heading marketing who not only understands the fundamentals of marketing, but someone who is vested in the software market and appreciates the specific needs of our customers. That’s a unique combination of skills," said Dr. Bing Yao, president and CEO of Jinfonet. "Fred Richards’ marketing experience and his deep understanding of the BI market will help Jinfonet continue on its significant growth trajectory."

"Jinfonet presents a great career opportunity. The company already has more than 850 well-known customers, a strong management team and the product line continues to lead the market," said Fred Richards. "I look forward to putting my skills to use on behalf of an innovative and forward looking company. The potential for Jinfonet is limitless, and it’s great to be part of the team."

Mr. Richards received a J.D. from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, an M.S. in engineering and policy from Sever Institute of Technology at Washington University in St. Louis, and received his B.E. in mechanical engineering and materials science from Vanderbilt University. He is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia Bars.