SANFORD FITCH ELECTED TO IRIDEX BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – April 7, 2004 – IRIDEX Corporation (NASDAQ/NMS:IRIX) today announced that its board of directors has elected Sanford “Sandy” Fitch (age 63) to the Company's board, where he will serve as the Chair of the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee.
Mr. Fitch has more than 35 years of experience in corporate finance and he currently serves as a director of Ozone International, Inc. a privately held company with patented technology solutions used by food processing companies to sanitize their processing plants. Recently Mr. Fitch also served as the Chief Financial Officer of Alvesta Corporation, a fiber optic component manufacturer.
“We are delighted to welcome Sandy to our newly expanded board,” said Theodore A. Boutacoff, President and Chief Executive Officer of IRIDEX. “Sandy has three decades of experience as a senior corporate finance officer, including several years of experience at public companies. We believe that he will bring a unique perspective to our board and we look forward to his contributions.”
Prior to his experience at Alvesta, Mr. Fitch served as the Chief Financial Officer of Cruel World, Inc. a leading internet-based recruiting company which was successfully sold to Spencer Stuart under his leadership. Mr. Fitch has also served as the Chief Financial Officer of several other companies including Conceptus Inc., a medical device company, where he also served as a director and the Chair of the Audit Committee; Sandisk Corporation, a flash memory company; and Komag Corporation, a supplier of components to the disk drive industry. Mr. Fitch began his career in finance at Raychem Corporation, an electronics manufacturing and engineering company that was recently acquired by Tyco Electronics.
Mr. Fitch has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry as well as an MBA from Stanford University.
About IRIDEX
IRIDEX Corporation is a leading worldwide provider of semiconductor-based laser systems for the ophthalmology and dermatology markets. IRIDEX products are sold in the United States through a direct sales force and internationally through a network of independent distributors into more than 100 countries. For further information, visit the Company's website at www.iridex.com.
Mr. Fitch has more than 35 years of experience in corporate finance and he currently serves as a director of Ozone International, Inc. a privately held company with patented technology solutions used by food processing companies to sanitize their processing plants. Recently Mr. Fitch also served as the Chief Financial Officer of Alvesta Corporation, a fiber optic component manufacturer.
“We are delighted to welcome Sandy to our newly expanded board,” said Theodore A. Boutacoff, President and Chief Executive Officer of IRIDEX. “Sandy has three decades of experience as a senior corporate finance officer, including several years of experience at public companies. We believe that he will bring a unique perspective to our board and we look forward to his contributions.”
Prior to his experience at Alvesta, Mr. Fitch served as the Chief Financial Officer of Cruel World, Inc. a leading internet-based recruiting company which was successfully sold to Spencer Stuart under his leadership. Mr. Fitch has also served as the Chief Financial Officer of several other companies including Conceptus Inc., a medical device company, where he also served as a director and the Chair of the Audit Committee; Sandisk Corporation, a flash memory company; and Komag Corporation, a supplier of components to the disk drive industry. Mr. Fitch began his career in finance at Raychem Corporation, an electronics manufacturing and engineering company that was recently acquired by Tyco Electronics.
Mr. Fitch has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry as well as an MBA from Stanford University.
About IRIDEX
IRIDEX Corporation is a leading worldwide provider of semiconductor-based laser systems for the ophthalmology and dermatology markets. IRIDEX products are sold in the United States through a direct sales force and internationally through a network of independent distributors into more than 100 countries. For further information, visit the Company's website at www.iridex.com.
