WAYNE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE: SFE), a holding company that builds value in growth-stage life sciences and technology companies, today announced that it appointed Dr. Keith B. Jarrett to its board of directors. Dr. Jarrett has more than 25 years of experience in venture capital, private equity and finance technology, driving value for customers, shareholders, investors and employees. Dr. Jarrett’s appointment increases Safeguard’s board of directors to nine members.
“We are pleased to welcome Keith to our board of directors,” said Peter J. Boni, President and Chief Executive Officer of Safeguard. “Safeguard, our partner companies and our shareholders will benefit from Keith’s proven expertise in financial technology, venture capital and private equity. His extensive experiences with multi-stage technology firms, capital management processes and strategic M&A are invaluable assets for Safeguard’s growth strategy going forward. I look forward to working with Keith to execute against our game plan and pursue our platform expansion initiatives.”
Since 2002, Dr. Jarrett has served as a private investor and active board representative to venture stage and other private growth equity organizations, as well as a corporate advisor providing strategic, organizational development and capital market advisory for selected organizations and private equity firms, with a focus in the financial and medical information technology sectors. Dr. Jarrett is a principal of Rockport Funding, LLC, a specialty finance start-up company incubator and private equity investment boutique which he co-founded in 2003, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Raymond James Financial Eagle Funds.
From 1986-2001, Keith was a founding executive of Thomson Financial, a leading vendor of information and technology solutions to the global financial community. During this time, Keith served as the CEO of Thomson Financial International for seven years, founded and directed Thomson Financial’s Corporate Venture Capital Group, and founded and developed many of the products and services for Thomson Financial’s Straight Through Processing (“STP”) initiatives, including the Thomson Electronic Settlement Group (now “Omgeo”) and AutEx TradeRoute. Keith joined Thomson Financial in 1986, with the acquisition of First Call/Technical Data Corporation, where he was a Principal and Chief Economist.
Keith has an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Ph.D. in Financial Economics from Harvard Business School. He worked as a Research Associate at the Harvard Business School and as a Professor at Simmons College Graduate Management Program. Previously, Keith served as a Captain in the U.S. Army after graduating with honors from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
About Safeguard Scientifics
Founded in 1953 and based in Wayne, PA, Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE: SFE) provides growth capital for entrepreneurial and innovative life sciences and technology companies. Safeguard targets life sciences companies in Molecular and Point-of-Care Diagnostics, Medical Devices, Regenerative Medicine, Specialty Pharmaceuticals and selected healthcare services, and technology companies in Internet / New Media, Financial Services IT, Healthcare IT and selected business services with capital requirements of up to $25 million. Safeguard participates in expansion financings, corporate spin-outs, management buyouts, recapitalizations, industry consolidations and early-stage financings. For more information, please visit our website at www.safeguard.com, our blog at blog.safeguard.com, download our web app at app.safeguard.com, or you can follow us on Twitter (twitter.safeguard.com), StockTwits (stocktwits.safeguard.com), SlideShare (slideshare.safeguard.com), LinkedIn (linkedin.safeguard.com), and YouTube (youtube.safeguard.com).
Forward-looking Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, managing rapidly changing technologies, limited access to capital, competition, the ability to attract and retain qualified employees, the ability to execute our strategy, the uncertainty of the future performance of our companies, acquisitions and dispositions of companies, the inability to manage growth, compliance with government regulations and legal liabilities, additional financing requirements, the effect of economic conditions in the business sectors in which our companies operate, and other uncertainties described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to predict or control. As a result of these and other factors, our past financial performance should not be relied on as an indication of future performance. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or other information contained in this news release.