HMS Networks AB's Board of Directors has appointed Staffan Dahlstrom as the new CEO, succeeding Nicolas Hassbjer who has chosen to step down as CEO and who will become vice Chairman of HMS. Staffan Dahlstrom has been Sales & Marketing Director of HMS for the past ten years. He will take over as CEO on April 2, 2009. The chairman of the board Urban Jansson has been responsible for reviewing the CEO's position."I have been on the Board of Directors of HMS since 1999 and have seen both Nicolas and Staffan grow in their leadership positions throughout HMS' expansion. The Board of Directors has concluded that Staffan Dahlstrom has the background, qualifications and experience to manage HMS as it advances. The change is nothing dramatic and it is very positive that Nicolas will continue to be on the board to underpin the continuity of the business," says Urban Jansson. Staffan Dahlstrom has wide-ranging experience from all aspects of HMS' business activities, he has strong leadership skills and is a part of the HMS corporate culture."I have a strong commitment to HMS and a long-term view of the company. HMS has seen an extraordinary development over the past 20 years and there is still much to do. HMS' business model is unique and we are well prepared for continued growth. I am looking forward to further developing HMS through an even stronger customer focus and expanding our product portfolio to adjacent markets. With our unique knowledge in industrial network technology, our strong corporate culture and our committed employees, we have all the criteria to continue to be successful," he states. Staffan Dahlström has worked for HMS since 1989 with development and manufacturing and has been responsible for Sales & Marketing since 1998. In that role he has built HMS' sales force with subsidiaries in Japan, China, Germany, the USA, France and Italy. He has been a member of the board since 1989. Nicolas Hassbjer will be engaged as a non-executive director of HMS and other growth companies. In addition he will be available to support specific projects at HMS."Since I founded HMS in 1988 I have been committed as an entrepreneur to lead the company through the different growth phases. After 21 years as CEO it is time for a change and I look forward to a less executive role and spending some more time with my family. As a major shareholder and vice Chairman, I will have a continued commitment to HMS," he explains. For more information please contact: Nicolas Hassbjer, Chief Executive Officer, HMS, phone: +46 35 17 29 02 Staffan Dahlström, incoming Chief Executive Officer, HMS, phone: +46 35 17 29 01 Urban Jansson, Chairman of the Board, HMS, phone: +46 705 90 80 91 Press pictures and background information for editorial use can be downloaded under "Press" at http://investors.hms.se. HMS Networks AB (publ) is a world-leading supplier of communication technology for industrial automation. Sales for 2008 totalled SEK 317 million. Over 90% of these sales were to customers located outside Sweden. All development and the major portion of manufacturing is carried out at the head office in Halmstad. Sales offices are located in Japan, China, Germany, the USA, Italy and France. HMS has 160 employees and produces network interface cards and products to interconnect different networks under the trademark Anybus®. The network interface cards are embedded in automation equipment such as inverter drives, robots, control systems and sensors. This allows subcomponents in machines to communicate with one another and with different networks in order to build more efficient and flexible automation systems with reduced energy consumption. In 2008 HMS was presented with Sweden's "Best export company" award by the King of Sweden and HMS has had an average growth of 30% year-on-year over the past ten years. HMS is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic Exchange in Stockholm in the Small Cap, Information Technology sector.