BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - Dec 13, 2012) - Launched just one month ago, RallyPoint today announced two new members to its corporate board of advisors, General Norton A. Schwartz -- formerly the highest ranking officer in the U.S. Air Force -- and Admiral John C. Harvey, the 54th Chief of Naval Personnel, and 31st Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
Heralded as "LinkedIn for the military," RallyPoint is a rapidly growing gated professional network that empowers U.S. service members to take greater control over their own military careers. RallyPoint CEO Yinon Weiss explained, "Adding these very senior leaders from the Air Force and Navy is extremely important to us, and supports our belief that the military is prepared for a cultural shift towards greater individual career empowerment." Weiss continued, "Our new advisors are also excited to work with our current group of (retired) Army advisors, including 36th Army Chief of Staff General George Casey."
Schwartz and Harvey each earned undergraduate degrees from U.S. service academies in 1973. Schwartz graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, Harvey from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Both men, with distinguished military careers, also earned advanced degrees -- Harvey an MPA from Harvard University, and Schwartz an MBA from Central Michigan University.
Military personnel rotate through positions every couple of years, and it can be difficult, both logistically and culturally, for individual members to play an active role in charting their own careers. After signing up for free at www.RallyPoint.com, a currently serving member of the armed forces can create his/her individual profile, grow their professional network of relationships across the military, and see via RallyPoint's graphical maps of the military's organization how their own connections can help them discover and pursue the best positions around the armed services.
Moreover, in 2013, RallyPoint members will also be able to discover the best career and educational opportunities outside the military -- more efficiently than has ever been possible. RallyPoint is partnering with trusted employers, academic institutions, and brands to connect them more precisely and cost effectively with the right service members at the right time. This is an especially important consideration given the estimated 1 million military members who will enter the civilian workforce over the next five years.
Said Harvey, "RallyPoint is not just about connecting with a peer group, but connecting with a purpose in a manner that enables both extraordinary individual initiative and extremely flexible self-organization based on shared locations, common challenges or interests, rank structure, affinity groups, mission sets and much more. The RallyPoint team is made up of those who have served and understand the unique challenges that a 21st century military presents to our service members and their families. I'm very proud to be joining RallyPoint's ranks."
Said Schwartz, "The RallyPoint effort has the potential to reinforce the sense of community and common experience of all members of the Armed Forces and their families. It is for that reason that I have signed-on to assist with the fielding of this promising capability."
Schwartz, who retired from the Air Force Oct. 1, 2012 and Harvey, who retired from the Navy Sept. 14, 2012, add further military service insight to a RallyPoint Corporate Advisors Board already with three individuals with distinguished Army careers:
- General (Ret) George Casey retired in April 2011 after most recently serving for four years as the 36th Army Chief of Staff, the most senior ranking member of the U.S. Army. During his 41 years on active duty, his other notable assignments included: Commanding General of Multi-National Force - Iraq (the commander of all military forces in Iraq), 30th Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, Director of Strategic Plans and Policy (J-5) on the Joint Staff, Director of the Joint Staff, and Commanding General of 1st Armored Division.
- Lieutenant General (Ret) Ben Freakley is the Special Adviser to the President for Leadership Initiatives at Arizona State University. During his 36 years on active duty in the U.S. Army, Ben's most notable assignments included: Commanding General of U.S. Army Accessions Command, Commanding General of 10th Mountain Division, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Infantry Center and Commandant at the U.S. Army Infantry School, and Assistant Division Commander of the 101st Airborne Division.
- Brigadier General (Ret) Craig Nixon is a Partner and Managing Director at McChrystal Group and a key architect for their Leadership Development Programs. During his 29 years on active duty in the U.S. Army, Craig's most notable assignments included: Deputy Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division (North) in Iraq, Director of Operations for U.S. Special Operations Command, and Commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The other RallyPoint Advisor Board members include:
- Jeffrey Beir, formerly a general partner with North Bridge Venture Partners, and prior to his venture experience, an EVP of Products for Documentum, a division of EMC. Beir was the co-founder and CEO of eRoom Technology which was acquired by Documentum in December 2002. In 2003, Beir was recognized by Ernst & Young as Entrepreneur of the Year in New England for his efforts at eRoom.
- Alan Osman, who has held executive and leadership positions at Krush, Propel Consulting, eRoom, Convoq, WorldStreet and Thomson Reuters and has contributed significantly to over 50 software applications projects.
- Gil Arie, a corporate and business partner at Foley Hoag, which advises startup founders and investors on entity formation, and corporate governance and management.
About RallyPoint
Founded by Yinon Weiss and Aaron Kletzing -- two Iraq War veterans who met first on the battlefield and reunited at Harvard Business School -- RallyPoint is designed to help service members take control over their careers. Widely heralded as "LinkedIn for the Military," RallyPoint is a free, military-only professional community for active service members. Headquartered in Boston, RallyPoint was selected from over 1,200 new ventures as the 2012 winner of MassChallenge, the world's largest start-up competition. Service members with an active U.S. military e-mail address can register and begin taking control of their own career at www.RallyPoint.com.