Melissa Mulholland succeeds founder Peter ter Maaten at HSO. IT service provider HSO has appointed Melissa Mulholland as its new chief executive officer effective 1 November 2026. She succeeds founder Peter ter Maaten. With this appointment, the international Microsoft partner completes a carefully planned generational change at the top of the organization. Peter ter Maaten founded HSO in 1987 with the aim of improving customers' business performance through the use of technology. Under his leadership, the organization grew into one of the world's leading Microsoft Dynamics 365 partners, with approximately 3,000 employees spread across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Ter Maaten remains involved with the company as a major shareholder and member of the supervisory board, in which he will continue to support Mulholland, the management team and the strategic collaboration with Microsoft. Experience in the Microsoft ecosystem. Mulholland brings extensive experience in the international IT sector. She most recently served as co-CEO at SoftwareOne. Before that, she was CEO at Crayon, where revenue and profitability more than doubled under her leadership. Earlier in her career, she worked for more than ten years at Microsoft on the development of the global partner ecosystem. At HSO, she will focus on supporting midsized companies in converting AI applications into concrete business results, with Microsoft technology as the foundation. Focus on AI transformation. "I am very excited to lead HSO's excellent global team in this next growth phase. AI enables us to build on HSO's strengths and deliver even better results for our customers," says Melissa Mulholland about her appointment. Christophe Jacobs van Merlen, partner at investor Bain Capital, also responds with pleasure to the appointment: "Peter has built an exceptional company, and we are pleased that he remains closely involved. We also look forward to working with Melissa, who will further position HSO as the partner for AI transformations." About Witold Kepinski. Witold Kepinski (1969) is a board member, editor-in-chief and director of content at Dutch IT Channel and Dutch IT Leaders. Witold Kepinski has been active in the IT media and tech business sector for 25 years. With a specialized team of editors, bloggers and video makers, Witold Kepinski provides insight into tech business trends and applications with which IT decision-makers and channel partners make an impact.

A new chapter begins: focused growth through strategic stewardship. smrtradmin September 24, 2026 Solen Software is pleased to announce the purchase of SHEA Global from HSO. SHEA Global is an Elite Solutions Syspro Software service provider and this transaction marks an exciting new chapter for clients, partners, and team members. This strategic transition ensures the business will continue to grow with a long-term ownership and vision of Solen/Smrtr. The carved-out division will operate as part of Solen Software Group's portfolio and continue its mission through smrtr Solutions, delivering purpose-built automation and compliance solutions to regulated, asset-intensive industries. "This transition gives smrtr the focus and long-term backing to accelerate innovation for our customers, while staying true to the practical, compliance-driven solutions they rely on every day," said Susanne Moore, CEO of smrtr Solutions. A vertical software acquisition that strengthens end-to-end customer capability. Founded by Jeffrey Hunt, CPA, CA, SHEA Global has built a long-standing reputation for deep ERP expertise and hands-on customer partnership across manufacturing, supply chain, distribution, and food processing industries. As part of HSO, SHEA Global has operated as a dedicated Syspro practice serving customers across North America from offices in Toronto and Vancouver. The company's implementation and support capabilities span Syspro, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, and Microsoft Azure, providing customers with the tools and guidance to modernize and manage their core operational systems over the long term. The transaction represents a strategic carve-out from HSO, ensuring continuity for SHEA's customers and employees while allowing HSO to sharpen its focus on its core Microsoft strategic priorities. The Syspro team and customer portfolio are moving to an organization fully focused on that platform, providing a strong long-term home for the practice within smrtr. The combination of SHEA Global and smrtr brings together two organizations with complementary capabilities and a shared focus on operational transformation for manufacturing and distribution customers. smrtr's business process automation platform, which includes accounts payable automation, compliance management, and document management solutions, pairs naturally with SHEA Global's ERP implementation and support expertise. Together, the two businesses offer customers a more complete path from ERP modernization through to workflow automation, compliance, and ongoing operational optimization. Building a stronger customer experience through the combination. "The partnership between SHEA, smrtr and Solen provides a solid foundation to continue offering high quality services, develop outstanding talent, and grow operations globally," said Jeffrey Hunt, CPA, CA, Founder of SHEA Global. "The combination of smrtr and SHEA represents more than an acquisition. It is the bringing together of two organizations that share a common belief: that technology alone is not enough. Our clients need strategy, expertise, and a partner who develops deep relationships and delivers. Together, we can deliver exactly that," said Susanne Moore, CEO of smrtr, Inc. HSO selected Solen as the buyer based on strategic alignment, long-term commitment to the business, and a shared focus on customer success. With Solen's permanent capital model and smrtr's industry-focused platform, the SHEA team and its customers will be supported by an organization purpose-built to grow and steward the Syspro practice over the long term. Solen's approach to SaaS acquisition and vertical market growth. "SHEA Global brings exactly the kind of deep vertical software expertise and long-term customer orientation that strengthens a portfolio," said Alexander Spencer, Founder and CEO of Solen Software Group. "Paired with smrtr's business process automation capabilities, this combination gives manufacturing and distribution customers a partner that can support them across ERP implementation, workflow automation, and compliance management. We are proud to welcome Jeffrey and the SHEA team into the Solen family and into smrtr's growing platform, and we thank HSO for entrusting us with the next chapter of this business." SHEA Global will continue serving its customers with the same team and level of support, now backed by Solen's long-term ownership model and smrtr's complementary platform and resources. About Solen Software Group Solen Software Group is a permanent capital group and vertical market software acquirer that acquires and grows enduring mission-critical vertical software businesses. Unlike traditional software private equity, Solen partners with founders and teams for the long term, with a decentralized operating model and a focus on reinvesting in people, product, and customer outcomes. Solen's approach to SaaS acquisition centers on permanence, stewardship, and compounding growth over decades. For additional information about Solen Software Group, please visit www.solensoftwaregroup.com. About smrtr, Inc. smrtr provides business process automation and compliance management software for the manufacturing, distribution, and food and beverage industries. The company's platform includes accounts payable automation, compliance management, and document management solutions that streamline operations, reduce manual tasks, and improve data visibility across complex supply chain environments. smrtr's solutions are designed to integrate with major ERP systems, ensuring consistent data and uninterrupted workflows for its customers. smrtr is a portfolio company of Solen Software Group. Learn more at www.smrtrsolutions.com. HSO is a leading global business and AI transformation partner with deep industry and Microsoft technology expertise. As the largest independent Microsoft Dynamics partner globally, HSO delivers enterprise-grade services across ERP, CRM, Power Platform, Azure, Data, and AI. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, HSO supports more than 1,400 customers in over 30 countries and employs more than 3,000 people. The company is a member of Microsoft's elite Inner Circle and operates across North America, Europe, and APAC. Learn more at www.hso.com.