Nicolaas Vlok
President and Chief Executive Officer

Nicolaas Vlok's entrepreneurial career began at age 14 when he started selling computer hardware part-time. At the age of 21, while studying engineering at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, he and two partners launched TST, a computer hardware and network integration company. TST thrived off Nicolaas's unique mix of business acumen and technical skills. His knowledge and passion for business and technology were the building blocks of his visionary thinking. In 1998, Nicolaas rebranded the business IDION and took it public on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The Financial Mail rated IDION as the best technology IPO of 1998 on the JSE. At age 25, Nicolaas was the youngest CEO of a public company in South Africa.

As IDION continued to grow, Nicolaas focused on turning the company into an international software developer that would meet the growing need for information availability through world-class software and services. Following four strategic acquisitions, Nicolaas guided IDION into the international arena, a strategy that culminated in the acquisition of U.S.-based Vision Solutions and the divestiture of its other businesses.

Under Nicolaas's leadership, Vision Solutions was named a Deloitte Fast 50 Technology company and was also named as a finalist in the Software Company of the Year Awards by the Software Council. Nicolaas was also a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Awards and Software Council - Software CEO of the year.

In October 2006, Thoma Cressey Bravo (TCB), in partnership with Management, acquired Vision Solutions from IDION. Nicolaas continues to lead Vision Solutions and the business has grown significantly through both organic growth and its merger with iTera in late 2006 and the acquisition of Lakeview Technology in 2007.

When not at work, Nicolaas can be found enjoying mountain biking, playing golf, listening to music, reading, and most importantly, spending time with his family.