PHOENIX, Aug. 20, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Viastar Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB:VISH) announces its management team following the recent merger of Level X Media Corporation in late July. Moving on their commitment to build a media powerhouse in film, music and publishing, the Arizona-based company has named the following:
John D. Aquilino -- President and Director
Mr. Aquilino brings twenty years of direct music industry experience that includes performance, production, engineering, and technology development. Mr. Aquilino has been a featured speaker, lecturer, and key round-table member at music industry functions around the world with regard to digital content security and standards in recording quality. He is considered one of the leading authorities on CD audio copy protection, and is a popular guest on business and technology television & cable news shows and online industry-related functions. Mr. Aquilino has enjoyed a variety of positions within the music industry including Artists Production and Development for Capitol Records, EMI Records, Atlantic Records.
Most recently, Mr. Aquilino was a founding partner of SunnComm, Inc. a publicly traded technology company (Other OTC:STEH) -- one of the top developers of digital security technologies -- and served as Chairman and Chief Technology Officer where he designed, developed, and deployed all of the company's key digital security products including its flagship "MediaCloQ", "CD3" and "SAS" authentication systems.
Gennaro Buonocor -- Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board and Director
Mr. Buonocore has a long history in the structuring and distribution of capital market products. Firstly, as the Manager of the Italian Securities Department of Liberty Eurobrokers, in the United Kingdom, then as Director in charge of fixed income sales to Europe at Smith Barney Shearson. He subsequently obtained Directorships at Yamaichi International (Europe) Limited , Dresdner Kleinwort Benson as Head of Italian institutional distribution, and at IBJ International (Industrial Bank of Japan), where he was responsible for global markets distribution to Southern Europe. Mr. Buonocore's last experience in banking was as a Partner in Bracken Partners, a private equity firm based in London that has invested in approximately twenty-seven companies. He has a BA Hons. from the European Business School in London and an MA in Finance from Webster University.
George J. Malasek -- Chief Financial Officer and Director
George Malasek, served as Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board from July 2001-July 2003. In addition, Mr. Malasek is a founder and Managing Director of Pacific Crest Equity Partners, Inc., an international merchant banking firm. Through this company and its predecessor, Mr. Malasek has been providing consulting services to numerous public companies, investment banks and private funds, since 1995. He is a seasoned financial professional, raised in Munich, Germany and educated in the United States and holds a degree in International Business. During his extensive career, Mr. Malasek has concentrated on corporate finance, capital markets, mergers & acquisitions and international trade and finance; and has served as a senior member of a corporate finance buyout, corporate valuation and financing.
Richard L. Brooks -- General Counsel and Director
Mr. Brooks brings to Viastar more than twenty-five years of legal experience, acquired largely in the representation of private and public corporations in both state and federal trial and appellate courts. Mr. Brooks graduated cum laude from Franklin & Marshall College, and from Villanova University School of Law where he served as an Editor of the Law Review. He subsequently served as a trial attorney with the National Labor Relations Board in the Eastern District of New York; as both a trial and appellate attorney with the Office of the Board's General Counsel in Washington, D.C.; and as a law clerk to a distinguished U.S. District Court Judge in Houston, Texas. Mr. Brooks subsequently spent several years representing corporations, including Safeway, Inc., Standard Brands, Sears Roebuck, and United Parcel Service, with a distinguished Dallas, Texas law firm. Mr. Brooks, thereafter, represented public and private corporations through law firms in Chicago and Minneapolis. Mr. Brooks has also served as a Judge Pro Tempore on the Arizona Court of Appeals; the management member of the Phoenix Employment Relations Board; a Director of the Arizona branch of the National Conference of Christians and Jews; and a Director and General Counsel of the Greater Phoenix Urban League.
Matthew Earl Jones -- Senior Vice President -- Motion Picture Group
Son of actor Robert Earl Jones and brother of actor James Earl Jones, Mr. Jones was born into the motion picture industry. In the mid 1990's Mr. Jones set out on his own and formed Blacktop Films where he engaged in film, television and commercial productions for major corporations, including: McDonald's, Nissan, Honda and Home Depot, to name a few, US Air and Panasonic. His film and television credits include: Married with Children, A Different World, Earth Girls are Easy, Crimes of Violence. Mr. Jones has had featured roles in over ten music videos, and two billboards for Disney.
Prior to his extensive work in the entertainment industry, Mr. Jones had enjoyed a successful career in marketing and sales after graduating from Dartmouth College. Mr. Jones returned to his native New York, and began his professional career in advertising, working for the account management team at BBD&O, NY, and shortly thereafter, was recruited by the president of LifeSavers, Inc., as the first member of their sale and management team. In 1981 Mr. Jones went to work for American Home Products, Inc., as a Sales Planning and Development Manager in charge of seven national and regional brands and later Senior Product Manager.
Rick McCartney -- Senior Vice President -- Publishing Group
Mr. McCartney has been in publishing and advertising in Phoenix for the past seven years. Most recently, he worked as Custom Publishing Group General Manager at The Arizona Republic, a Gannett company, where he published all custom single-client magazines and weekly, monthly and annual publications.
After attending film school at New York University, he began producing motion pictures at the age of twenty-one. His first film, ICEHOUSE, took him to the Cannes Film Festival in 1989. Upon acquiring a degree in Government and Economics from Fordham University in New York City, McCartney joined the New York office of Entertainment Tonight where he worked as a segment producer for a number of months awaiting a move to Los Angeles.
In 1990, McCartney did return to Los Angeles where he joined the highly respected William Morris Agency. After a two-year stint with William Morris, McCartney then joined Hollywood Pictures, a motion picture arm of the Walt Disney Company, where he worked to develop feature films for the newly formed studio.
Gardner Cole -- Senior Vice President-Music Group
A twenty-year veteran of the music industry, Mr. Cole has written over 150 songs, selling more than 35 million albums worldwide (including 17 charting toping singles). As a Producer, he's recorded over 125 songs (including 11 charting singles) for Major labels such as Sony, CBS, A&M, MCA, Chrysalis, Virgin, Interscope, Dreamworks, Capitol, E.M.I., Warner Brothers, Polygram and Motown. Gardner was signed to Warner-Chappell Music from 1984 until mid 1997 as a Writer, and as a Recording Artist to Warner Brothers Records where he self-produced two solo albums. Gardner Cole was also the #2 songwriter in 1988 according to Billboard with 6 Billboard charting singles.
About Viastar Corporation:
Viastar Corp is engaged development, production and distribution of entertainment related media for film, television, music and publishing interests. The company's portfolio currently includes ownership of Electric Kingdom Distribution, A.V.O. Studios, Moving Pictures International, Black Top Films, Black Top Pictures, Quadra Records, All-4 Entertainment, Inc., and Picture Perfect Releasing, Inc.
Except for historical matter contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties, which may affect the Company's business and prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements.