REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 10, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Versant Corporation (Nasdaq:VSNT), an industry leader in high performance data management software, announced that Jochen Witte has resigned as the Company's Chief Executive Officer, President and managing director of the Versant GmbH subsidiary. In conjunction with Mr. Witte's resignation, Bernhard Woebker, a Versant board member since 2005 and former employee in various executive roles with the Company from 1994 to 2001, has been named interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. Woebker is well versed in the object-oriented database industry as well as an experienced executive in the information technology sector.
"I would like to voice my appreciation for Jochen's valuable contributions to the Company since taking over the reins at Versant in 2005 during difficult times. Under his vision and leadership, Versant's financial position has stabilized, and the Company is well positioned to continue to prosper on a going forward basis as a result of his efforts. Jochen will continue to work with the Company through June 2011 to assist with the operational transition process, and as Versant conducts a search for our next CEO. He will also continue to serve on Versant's Board of Directors in the immediate future," said Mr. Woebker.
Mr. Witte commented, "Out of my eighteen years in the object-oriented database arena, without question, the last five years have been very exciting and rewarding. I take great pride in the strides that the Company has made in those years. However, the toll of these responsibilities combined with travel schedules has been extremely demanding. I am therefore looking forward to taking some time off with the family and catching up with personal matters, with the understanding that Versant is well positioned to face the challenges ahead."
About Versant
Versant Corporation (Nasdaq:VSNT) is an industry leader in database management software, helping software developers to create unique applications handling complex information and high performance / high availability requirements. Versant customers cut hardware costs, speed and simplify development, and significantly reduce administration costs. Versant's solutions are deployed in a wide array of industries, including telecommunications, financial services, transportation, manufacturing, and defense. With over 150,000 installations, Versant has been a highly reliable partner for Global 2000 companies such as Ericsson, Verizon, Siemens and Financial Times, as well as the US Government. For more information, call 650-232-2400 or visit www.versant.com.