Senior Management Team

  Authentium's senior management team includes executives with several   decades of collective experience in digital security and threat analysis,   software development, telecommunications, and content delivery industries.

Michael Nugent, CEO (Asia Pacific)

Mr. Nugent has over 20 years of global experience in the incubation, evolution, strategic development and market positioning of new business ventures, products and services. For the past 14 years he has worked exclusively in the high technology environments of internet/e-business, media, entertainment, telecommunications, wireless and broadband technologies in a broad range of industries.

Beginning his career in marketing with Shell Australia, he has been responsible for the start-up, strategic positioning and turnaround of a number of new business ventures, with exceptional negotiation skills, he has a consistent record of increased revenue and sales contributions.

Since 1997 he has been Managing Partner of Privilege – a strategic, virtual consultancy, focused on the incubation and positioning of companies operating in the digital market space of the Internet/e-business, Telecommunications, Banking & Finance, Media and Entertainment, Biotechnology and Digital Distribution Channels.

Prior to Privilege, Michael worked with C&W Optus Communications as Market Development Manager for the Business Division. Mr. Nugent was responsible for the establishment and overall strategic direction of new product and service creation within the five-year horizon. During his years with C&W Optus, he managed the national sales force restructuring, development and implementation of national distribution strategies, and the national roll out of Optus’s Australia wide franchise - Optus World.

Before joining Optus, Mr. Nugent was Director of Information Technologies - Asia Pacific, for BIS Shrapnel. In this role, Mr. Nugent was responsible for revenue and human resources management, new enterprise development and the integration of major off shore technology projects on behalf of forty global clients based in the USA, Europe and Japan.

As National Marketing Manager New Products for Telstra Mobile Communications Services (1990-1994) Michael played a pivotal role in the strategic marketing of future PCS (Personal Communications Services) in the Asia Pacific Region and gained extensive experience in start-up business planning, implementation and execution, market alignment, product development, market distribution and sales integration. Michael also has a strong mix of both operational and strategic marketing and sales management across a broad range of businesses.

Throughout his career, his innovative marketing skills and business forecasting expertise have been recognised by many leading International and Australian companies and he has been a guest lecturer and outside consultant for a number of organisations including Swinburne University, Ernst and Young Centre for Innovation and Technology, IBC Technical Services, Telstra, Motorola, Ericsson, Nortel, NEC, AT&T, Brisbane City Council, BHP, CPM, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, CSC Australia, St. George Bank, E-Mitch Ltd, Optecom Ltd and many others.

Michael is a Foundation Director of the International Institute of Innovation and Enterprise. He is also a Foundation Fellow of the Company Directors Association of Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, and consistent with his commitment to be at the leading edge of new venture marketing, Mr. Nugent has a Masters Degree in Enterprise Innovation, specialising in the commercialisation and market positioning of new business enterprises. Currently Michael is completing his Doctorate in Business Administration with his thesis focused on Digital Business Models and their impact on traditional Business Models.

John C Sharp, Chairman & CEO

Authentium’s co-founder, Chairman & CEO is John Sharp, 42, former Managing Director for Asia of WorldSpace Corp, a satellite broadcaster based in Washington DC. Prior to working with WorldSpace, Mr. Sharp was CEO of Content and Systems, Singapore, a consultancy firm specializing in international regulatory negotiations and project management on behalf of Asian cable and satellite broadcasters. Since co-founding Authentium in 1999 with two partners in San Diego, CA, Mr. Sharp has raised more than $11 million in private equity investment, and has, within three years, successfully established Authentium as a leading developer of integrated security products and trust-based software management technologies.

Dyan Dyer, Vice-Chairman

Prior to leading the team that developed Authentium’s flagship antivirus product, Command Antivirus, Ms. Dyer was founder and general manager of an accounting business in Canada, which specialized in preparing documentation for public offerings on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Through strategic investments, she acquired technology which led to the formation of Command Software Systems Australia, which merged with Authentium in 2002. She has extensive experience with both public and private companies and has built the Company to its current position of industry technology leadership.

Phil Braden, President

The Company’s co-founder and President, Philip Braden, 42, was formerly CEO of Mindport USA, Vice President of Asian satellite television company STAR TV, and Executive Vice President of Middle Eastern satellite broadcaster Orbit Communications, based in Rome. Mr. Braden oversaw the entry of Mindport Broadband into the United States and engineered the acquisition of Ideal Systems, one of Asia’s leading system integrators, and several multimillion dollar sales contracts Australialuding a major contract with TVB, based in Hong Kong. Mr. Braden is a recognized expert in digital distribution strategies and took the top award for digital system design and system architecture at the International Broadcasting Convention in 1995.

Peter Nielsen, COO & VP Trusted Platforms

Authentium's acting Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Trusted Antivirus, Peter Nielsen, 49, is an Authentium co-founder. With an Engineering background, Mr. Nielsen's career has focused on entrepreneurial leadership of high technology teams and companies. He was a Managing Director at VeriSign's Business Incubator, SVP Multimedia Services at WorldSpace Corporation, and he led several international development initiatives at GTE Spacenet. He was recognized at GTE (now Verizon) with the highest corporate award for technical excellence and innovation. Mr. Nielsen was the founding Chairman and CTO for one of East Africa's first privately-funded independent ISP/telecommunications companies. His background also includes development of secure and non-secure systems for the Naval Air Systems Command and NASA.

Michiel de Bruijn, CTO

Educated at the University of Amsterdam, Michiel has been involved in the design and deployment of Internet solutions since 1991. He has twice received a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award. After joining the MIH Group in 1996, Mr. De Bruijn assisted in the development of the first major digital TV platform in Europe Australialuding one of the first systems designed to address IP control data. Prior to joining Authentium as CTO, Mr. De Bruijn handled several high-tech implementation and business development projects within Mindport, the technology arm of the MIH Group. In addition to being a regular contributor to several magazines in the field of software development Mr. De Bruijn is a member of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE).

Helmuth Freericks, CEO Global RISC & VP Research & Development

As head of Research and Development for Authentium, and previously for Command Software Systems, Mr. Freericks has worked at the leading edge of network security innovation and threat analysis for more than ten years. Mr. Freericks is an experienced software programmer with over twenty years experience in the software sector. Prior to his appointment with Authentium, Mr. Freericks was Director of Research and Development (Networking) at Peerless Systems, and Manager of System Software at Quotron Systems Australia./Citicorp. Mr. Freericks holds a Bachelor of Science equivalent degree from the Technical University of Eindhoven (Holland), where he studied computer programming languages, computer design, integrated circuit design, economics, business administration, mathematics, and physics.

Ann Olsen, Financial Controller, Worldwide Operations