Former Hyperion Sales Executive to Lead Global Sales Organization

WASHINGTON, DC, Jun 06, 2005 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) today announced the appointment of David Sample as its senior vice president for sales and the promotion of Todd Gibby to executive vice president for operations.

"We are very pleased to add someone of David's caliber to the company's talent base. He is a proven and successful leader with considerable experience in managing high-growth sales organizations from a client-success perspective," said Michael Chasen, Blackboard's Chief Executive Officer. "We particularly look forward to his contribution to Blackboard's global market expansion strategy. He has an outstanding record in profitably growing software companies in a variety of industries and verticals and will be an excellent addition to our senior leadership team."

Sample comes to Blackboard with more than 25 years of sales and executive management experience at a variety of different enterprise software companies. He spent the bulk of his career at Hyperion Solutions Corporation, where he served as senior vice president for sales, leading both North American sales and international operations. During his tenure at Hyperion, annual revenue grew from $1 million to more than $250 million, and he built one of the premier sales forces in the software industry. After leaving Hyperion, Sample served as president and chief operating officer of ABT Corporation where he focused on transforming the sales team from a point solution provider to an enterprise solution focused company prior to its sale to Niku Corporation. Most recently, Sample served as executive vice president for global sales at Princeton Softech, a leading database archiving company. Sample also has roots in education -- early in his career, he served for 7 years as a high school teacher, coach and administrator. He currently sits on the Board of Trustees for Trinity Pawling School and the Board of Fellows for Trinity College.

Gibby Promoted to Executive Vice President of Operations

"I've come to rely heavily on Todd Gibby's judgment and capabilities over the years and believe that his intimate knowledge of the education industry and broad management will be a tremendous asset to Blackboard in this new role. Todd's full time focus on operations adds critical expertise as we continue to scale the business for future growth," Chasen commented.

Gibby has spent nearly three years successfully shaping and managing the Blackboard global sales team and building it into one of the most successful sales organizations in the education industry. Prior to leading the sales team, he served as General Manager for the company's Blackboard Learning System(TM) and Blackboard Community System(TM) product lines. Under his leadership, Blackboard completed two acquisitions and organically grew to become a leading provider of course management systems in the U.S. postsecondary education market. Prior to joining Blackboard, Gibby held positions at the Dole Food Company, Lehman Brothers and Viking Graham.

About Blackboard Inc.

Blackboard is a leading provider of enterprise software applications and related services to the education industry. The Company's product line consists of five software applications bundled in two suites, the Blackboard Academic Suite(TM) and Blackboard Commerce Suite(TM). Blackboard's clients include colleges, universities, schools and other education providers, as well as textbook publishers and student-focused merchants that serve education providers and their students. Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices and staff in North America, Europe and Asia.

Corporate and Investor Contact:
Michael J. Stanton
Blackboard Inc.
+1 (202) 463-4860 ext. 2305

SOURCE: Blackboard Inc. 

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