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From your 1997-98 OCLC Users' Council Delegates: Benard Strong Marcia Talley [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] ph: 202-287-9463 ph: 410-293-6905 > DATE: April 20, 1998 > > TO: OCLC Staff > > FROM: Sharon Rogers, Chair, OCLC Board of Trustees > > SUBJECT: New President and CEO of OCLC > > > > I am pleased to announce that the OCLC Board of Trustees has > named Jay Jordan as the fourth President and Chief Executive Officer > of OCLC. He will join OCLC on May 11, 1998. > The news release below contains biographical information about > Mr. Jordan. > On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to both thank > and commend you for your patience and cooperation during this > transition period. All of you, together, have accomplished much > during Dr. K. Wayne Smith's tenure. The Board and the OCLC membership > are extremely grateful to Wayne and to you for your dedicated > commitment to OCLC and for your achievements in the last nine and > one-half years. The legacy of your work is a strong and vibrant > organization poised for continued growth and success. > Now, as we move forward under new leadership, I ask you to please join > me and the Board in welcoming Jay Jordan to OCLC. Working together, > we can extend and create new opportunities for libraries as OCLC > pursues its unique mission in the library world. > Text of News Release > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > FOR MORE INFORMATION: > Nita Dean +1-614-761-5002 > [log in to unmask] > JAY JORDAN NAMED PRESIDENT AND CEO of OCLC > DUBLIN, Ohio, April 20, 1998-The Board of Trustees of OCLC Online > Computer Library Center has named Robert L. "Jay" Jordan as president > and chief executive officer. > Mr. Jordan, 55, a business executive, will become the fourth > president in OCLC's 31-year history in May 1998, succeeding K. Wayne > Smith, who is stepping down after nearly 10 years. Mr. Jordan is > currently president, new business development, Information Handling > Services Group, Englewood, Colorado. > In announcing Mr. Jordan's appointment, Sharon J. Rogers, chair > of the OCLC Board of Trustees, stated: "In Jay Jordan, the OCLC Board > of Trustees has identified a worthy successor to K. Wayne Smith, whose > stewardship of OCLC over nearly a decade has been exemplary. Mr. > Jordan brings to OCLC an international perspective and a record of > imaginative leadership. We believe he will take OCLC to a new level > as it pursues its public purposes of furthering access to the world's > information and reducing information costs." > "I am honored to have been selected by the OCLC Board of > Trustees to assume the role of president and CEO," said Mr. Jordan. > "OCLC has consistently delivered value to its worldwide members, and I > look forward to continuing OCLC's tradition of leadership in providing > new services to libraries and their users." > Mr. Jordan graduated with a B.A. in English literature from Colgate > University in 1966. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army from > 1966 to 1969. From 1969 to 1974, he was in sales with Minnesota > Mining & Manufacturing in Germany and in Washington, D.C. > In 1974, he joined his present company, Information Handling > Services Group. IHS Group <http://www.ihsgroup.com> is a leading > international publisher of electronic information databases, with > projected 1998 sales of $440 million. Its individual operating > companies all serve the vital information needs of customers across > the world's technical, business and professional sectors. IHS Group > employs 1,400 at its Colorado headquarters and over 3,000 worldwide. > Mr. Jordan has held several key positions during his 23-year > career with IHS Group. From 1996 to 1998, he was president, new > business development and president, software, standards and print > products, where he managed multiple operating companies in diverse > markets. From 1989 to 1996, he was president, IHS Engineering, where > he was responsible for the rapid migration of the IHS customer base > from microfilm services to virtually all electronic products as well > as the development of many new electronic products. He joined IHS in > 1974 and was vice president, U.S. sales from 1979 to 1980; vice > president, sales, 1980 to 1981; senior vice president, sales and > marketing worldwide, 1981 to 1984; and executive vice president, sales > and marketing worldwide, 1984 to 1989. > Mr. Jordan was based in Europe from 1976 to 1978 during IHS's > initial expansion into international markets. At IHS he has also had > an ongoing leadership role with standards development organizations > worldwide. > Mr. Jordan has served as a director of the Association for > Information and Image Management and is currently a director of the > Information Technology Industry Council, the Information Industry > Association and the Colorado Center for the Book. He has also been > active with the Standards Engineering Society, the Standards > Publishing Advisory Board and the 1991 White House Conference on > Libraries and Information Services. > Mr. Jordan and his wife, Mary, will reside in Delaware, Ohio. > Mr. Jordan has two adult children. > OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Dublin, Ohio, is a > nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research > organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to > the world's information and reducing information costs. Libraries of > all types use OCLC systems and software to help manage their > collections and provide reference services. OCLC's computer network > and services link more 26,000 libraries in 64 countries and > territories. More information is available at the OCLC Web site > <http://www.oclc.org>. > -0- >