Bio

Mr. Assies is a Principal of Blackbird. Prior to joining Blackbird, Mr. Assies was the Managing Director of SecurityWorks, a complete security systems integrator that provides security solutions and services for the retail market throughout Europe with a specific focus on the leading EU brands like Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, Media Markt, Samsung, Belgacom, McGregor, McDonald's, and many more. SecurityWorks is a division of TKH Group (http://www.tkhgroup.com), a large, publicly listed Dutch Security Conglomerate. Prior to this role, Mr. Assies founded as a start up, SecurityWorks which quickly became the retail security solutions provider of choice throughout the BeNeLux by developing, producing and marketing unique, state of the art and patented retail security systems that allowed mobile phones, digital cameras and camcorders, and similar electronic devices to be displayed in a live yet secure way so that retailers could provide their customers with a realistic and actual ownership experience. This means of retail display at the point of sales proved to increase sales by over 40% over those retailers that used 'dummy' phones and other electronic products to prevent theft which historically was the leading cost driver for all retail outlets especially phone stores. Mr. Assies founded his company in 2004 and it was acquired by TKH Group in late 2007, providing Mr. Assies and his investors with a greater than 8 times return. Prior to founding SecurityWorks, Mr. Assies spent four years with Assa Abloy (www.assaabloy.com), a world leading lock group that provided both mechanical and electrical mechanical locking and security devices. Mr. Assies began with Assa Abloy as an Account Manager for their Industrial Locking Products Division and within two years was charged with total P/L responsibility for their Industrial Locking Market Group. In this role, Mr. Assies drove dynamic top and bottom line growth through a combination of new product introduction and by entering new geographical and product markets. Before joining Assa Abloy, Mr. Assies began his post university career with Nedpack NL (http://www.nedpack.nl), a leading supplier of material handling equipment including vertical conveyors, product elevators, box elevators, case elevators, case lift, vertical lowerators and similar solutions. Mr. Assies started with Nedpack NL as an Engineer which required both machine and electrical architectural development and qualification. Mr. Assies earned his Bachelors Degree in International Marketing from Saxion Hogeschool in the Netherlands. Mr. Assies has been married for 14 years and has three children. Mr. Assies and his family currently reside in the Netherlands, about one hour from Amsterdam. Mr. Assies has been engaged with Blackbird since 2010.