Press Releases
General John Handy, USAF (Ret.) Named to the Board of Directors of SkyBitz
Former USTRANSCOM Commander to advise on defense and commercial supply chain logistics technology strategies
STERLING, Va. –October 3, 2011 -- SkyBitz®, the leader in remote asset tracking and information management solutions, today announced General John W. Handy, USAF (retired) has joined its Board of Directors, intended to further the company’s position in the government arena. General Handy was the Commander of the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) and Air Mobility Command from 2001 to 2005. USTRANSCOM is the single largest logistics provider for air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense (DOD).
Since becoming DOD's Distribution Process Owner in September 2003, USTRANSCOM is the single entity to direct and supervise the execution of the strategic distribution system. The command also manages the supply chain related Information Technology systems and has the authority to establish a contracting activity for procurement of commercial transportation services. Combining his 39 years of experience and expertise in defense and commercial, transportation, logistics, and global supply chains, General Handy is in a unique position to significantly improve strategy and government customer focus at SkyBitz.
“If I had known about the capabilities available from SkyBitz while I was at USTRANSCOM, I believe we would have been able to provide an even greater level of supply chain visibility, control and security throughout our theaters of operation,” said General Handy. “I am excited to put my knowledge of the defense and commercial supply chain operations towards helping SkyBitz create even greater applications, solutions and value to the defense industry and the companies that support it.”
“General Handy brings a new expertise to SkyBitz’s Board of Directors and will help us with our government strategy. We are especially excited to learn from General Handy’s insights in the defense market and to leverage our best-in-class commercial solutions to better serve and support our government customers,” said Homaira Akbari, SkyBitz President and CEO. “This is a critical step for SkyBitz in furthering our commitment to the public sector.”
SkyBitz formally launched its Government Solutions Group last year and received GSA contract approval in December 2010. The company provides remote asset management solutions based on advanced technology built from grants from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). These solutions are ideal for government organizations with requirements for In-Transit Visibility (ITV) with high security and container intrusion detection. SkyBitz’s Global Locating System (GLS) technology coupled with global coverage of the new Galaxy series can track, monitor and manage assets such as heavy equipment, shipping containers and cargos, and other remote unpowered assets.
General Handy is also the Vice Chairman of the management committees of American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier, LLC and American Auto Logistics, LP. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of AAL’s General Partner, American Shipping and Logistics Group, Inc.
General Handy is a graduate of Methodist College of Fayetteville, N.C., earned his Master's degree in systems management from the University of Southern California, and attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He received an honorary Doctor of Humanities from Methodist College in 1992.
About SkyBitz
SkyBitz is a leader in global remote asset management solutions, providing real-time information on the location and status of assets. More than 700 enterprises rely on SkyBitz technology to achieve total asset visibility, improved security, lower operating and capital expenses, and enhanced customer service. SkyBitz delivers its solution via SkyBitz Insight, a secure web-based application that is fully customizable and requires no software downloads. SkyBitz is a privately held company backed by Garvin Hill Capital Partners LLC, Highstar Capital, Inverness Graham Investments, Motorola Ventures and ITV, a fund of Cordova Ventures. For additional information, visit www.skybitz.com or the company blog at www.skybitz.com/blog.