OLPC, Back in Business with New Executive Team

Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child charity project has just got a new president and chief operating officer. The move is part of the restructuring and reshaping policy announced in mid-March, a policy that forced many of the executives involved in the project to pack their bags to brighter ideals.

According to the company, the new executive is Charles Kane, former CFO at the OLPC. Negroponte will remain the Chairman of the board and will focus on raising donations and promoting the OLPC philosophy especially in the government sector. As part of his new position, Kane will supervise all the foundation's operations, including negotiation of new agreements with the interested parties.

"From the moment I got involved with OLPC, I've been passionate about the mission and impressed by the team's ability to break through numerous challenges to develop and deliver the XO laptop", said Kane in a statement. "I greatly look forward to working with the team and our partners to helping make OLPC even more effective in achieving its objectives", he continued.

The new appointment is expected to put an end to the series of resignations across the company's board that left the OLPC organization without some key executives. The first to depart from the charity boat was the former Chief Technology Officer Mary Lou Jepsen, followed by the ex-Director of Security Architecture Ivan Krstic and Walter Bender, the ex-President of Software and Content.

"Charles Kane will move from the part-time role as chief financial officer to oversee the organization's operational matters and distribution of the XO laptop on a day-to-day basis", said the organization's founder Nicholas Negroponte. "Kane will provide OLPC the leadership needed to deliver on its commitments to partners and governments", he added.

Kane has previously worked in the enterprise software company Corechange, as well as at Stratus Computer, Prime Computer, and Deloitte and Touche, where he took care of the financial management part.