OCTANe Elects James McCluney as New Chairman of the Board

ALISO VIEJO, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 10, 2014) - OCTANe, the Orange County startup accelerator dedicated to connecting people and ideas with capital and resources to fuel technology growth and create jobs, today announced the appointment of James McCluney as non-executive chairman of the board for the organization.

As chairman of the board, McCluney will help guide OCTANe's vision to provide technology business leaders with a forum to make a lasting impact on the future of the technology and life science industries in Orange County.

"Jim is an absolute delight to have as our chairman," said Matthew Jenusaitis, president and CEO of OCTANe. "His combination of unparalleled accomplishment, personal commitment, and approachable authority make him a natural leader in the high technology space in Orange County. OCTANe is proud of the depth and strength of its entire board of directors, and Jim is the perfect leader for the group."

McCluney leads OCTANe after serving in various leadership roles at Emulex Corporation, including Chief Executive Officer until July of 2013. McCluney was an instrumental player in Emulex's growth, and is credited with entering the company into high growth markets. He has received many accolades during his time at Emulex including being named "CEO of the Year" by the Technology Council of Southern California and "Outstanding Public Company CEO" from the trade group AeA of Orange County in 2008. He recently won the National Human Relations Award from the Orange County chapter of the AJA. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in business and administration from Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland.

McCluney also has extensive experience in non-profit organizations, including being heavily involved with Project Tomorrow, a business and education non-profit collaborative dedicated to enhancing K-12 science education in Orange County schools. He is also serves on the board of the Mind Research Institute, a non-profit focused on improving K-12 math education in America.

McCluney replaces Robert E. Grant, who served as chairman since January of 2011.

About OCTANe

OCTANe connects people and ideas with capital and resources to fuel technology growth in Orange County. Its members represent Orange County technology executive leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists, academicians, and strategic advisors, all working together to fuel innovation in the OC. The organization has helped more than 800 companies via the LaunchPad™ SBDC accelerator. LaunchPad™ companies have received more than $420 million in investment and equity exits. OCTANe annually welcomes more than 7,000 people to its programs and events. More than 2,000 business leaders throughout the Orange County region are OCTANe members. For more information, visit www.octaneoc.org.