appointed David Wenning to the position of Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing to further strengthen Parrot's presence in the U.S.

Wenning joins Parrot after two years leading U.S. operations for GPS solutions marketer TomTom where he developed a 15-person sales team. Under his leadership, TomTom's sales increased significantly to $400 million in 2007 with market share jumping to 25 percent from only 5 percent.

Prior to TomTom, Wenning served as commercial vice president in charge of distribution channels at Palm and spent 12 years with Apple where he was responsible for sales to national retailers such as Sears, Staples and Circuit City.

"Recruiting David Wenning to lead our U.S. operations illustrates my commitment to accelerate our expansion in North America," said Henri Seydoux, Parrot's chairman, chief executive officer and founder. "I am pleased we've been able to add an executive with David's experience to our U.S. team to help make the most of the American market's strong potential."

In 2007, Parrot generated 10 percent of its revenues in the U.S., representing nearly $33 million, up 235% over 2006. Notable growth factors included the opening of a dedicated office in Detroit in January 2007 for the Parrot's OEM activities as well as the addition of the two leading consumer electronics retailers in the U.S. -- Best Buy and Circuit City. In November 2007, Parrot acquired its exclusive distributor in California, Waveblue, to further strengthen its strategic presence in that state which will require drivers to use a hands-free device when phoning as of July 1, 2008.

"In 2008, Parrot's Bluetooth® hands-free kits will help consumers in the U.S. and Canada meet the requirements of the hands-free laws on the books or being considered in a growing number of states and provinces which should strengthen our sales," said Seydoux. "But our multimedia products also represent a good source of growth; we expect them to be tied to the increasing sales of cell phones being sold that are equipped with Bluetooth, cameras and music players."

Information Source:    PRNewswire