Newsmaker: Concur Takes Brown
<B> Newsmaker: Concur Takes Brown</B>
By Mary Ann McNulty
Switching coasts, companies and cultures, former MasterCard International executive Alan Brown has joined Concur Technologies Inc., Redmond, Wash., as its first executive vice president of global marketing. Brown is charged with guiding Concur's marketing strategy for both the client-server and new Web-based versions of EmployeeDesktop, common interfaces to expense, purchasing and most recently human resources applications.
As it has evolved from a vendor of shrink-wrapped expense software to client-server expense supplier to a publicly traded provider of an entire suite of Web-based corporate applications, Concur's message has changed, Brown said. His charge is to define and deliver the new message about the bundled offerings to the Global 2000. As it moves into the online world, Concur also has developed different messages for the large market it traditionally has served, and the middle market and the small market that it will be able to cost-effectively serve with self-service applications.
Brown also is charged with business development and managing strategic partnerships that include technology companies like Microsoft, business partners like American Express and other corporate cards and travel agencies, and business consultants/implementors.
"Concur is experiencing tremendous growth, and it's critical that we bring on skilled executives to manage and lead that growth," said Steve Singh, Concur president and CEO. "Alan's experience and outstanding track record in setting and executing global marketing strategies will further fuel Concur's growth around the world."
Brown just last year was promoted to vice president of global corporate products and marketing programs at Purchase, N.Y.-based MasterCard International, charged with managing the $35 billion corporate payment portfolio and global marketing programs supporting the $300 billion consumer portfolio. Brown also oversaw the expansion of MasterCard's corporate line, which resulted in a 100 percent growth in gross dollar volume in three years' time.
Before MasterCard, Brown was vice president of marketing and product development for First Bank Corporate Payment Systems, now U.S. Bank, Minneapolis, where he was responsible for the strategic direction of all marketing, product development and business development programs for a $6 billion portfolio of commercial payment products.
Since its founding in 1993, Concur has lost more than $43.3 million, according to its most recent Securities & Exchange Commission filings. Venture capitalists financed the company until it filed its initial public offering in December and raised more than $40 million. A secondary offering in April garnered more than $80 million more for the company.