Technology >> CEO Interviews >> April 3, 2000
GRAHAM WYLIE is the Chief Executive Officer of Xaar Plc. He joined Xaar
in March 1991 as the Finance Director and took over as CEO in early
1993. Before joining Xaar he had similar experience of listing a start-
up venture with IBS plc, which was a pioneer in the portable and hand
held computer business. IBS was in the first wave of companies to list
on the USM (roughly the UK equivalent of US OTC market) following its
formation in 1981. Eventually IBS was sold to a US Fortune 100 company
and Graham was asked to continue running IBS as a subsidiary. However,
the challenge of building a company from virtually nothing was always
the key target for Graham and the opportunity offered by Xaar was enough
to persuade him to leave a comfortable existence and throw himself once
more into the turbulent world of hi tech development. The attractions
offered by small companies are many, not least of which is the challenge
of matching the needs of a technology development company against the
inevitable scarcity of funds and the need to prove real commercial as
well as technical progress to the venture capital backers. In addition,
obviously the camaraderie of a small company and the sharing of each
success (and failure) with a close group of colleagues are important to
him personally. Xaar is just beginning to realise the potential which
Graham recognised at the start. Profile
then describe the business and company of today.
Mr. Wylie: XAAR is an ink-jet technology company. Technology is the
focus
