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Executive Team 




TASER brings a wealth of management talent and experience to its leadership team.


 
Rick Smith  CEO, Director and Cofounder 
Mr. Smith has served as Chief Executive Officer and as a director of the Company since 1993.  He is also cofounder of the Company. After graduating from Harvard cum laude in just three years (class of 1991), Mr. Smith entered directly into the Master of Business Administration Program at the University of Chicago, the youngest person accepted into his class that year.  In two years, he completed both a master's degree in international finance from the University of Leuven in Leuven, Belgium, and an M.B.A. with honors at the University of Chicago (normally a two-year program in itself), graduating in the top 5% of his class.  After completing graduate school in the summer of 1993, he cofounded TASER International with his brother on September 7, 1993.
 
Thomas P. Smith  Chairman of the Board and Cofounder 
Mr. Smith previously served as President of the Company from April 1994 until October 2006. Mr. Smith is currently the Chairman of the Board and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 1993.  Mr. Smith and his brother founded the Company in September 1993.  Mr. Smith had primary responsibility for establishing the operations and logistics of the Company in the beginning while his brother focused on research, development and marketing.  From 1994 through 1996, Mr. Smith was responsible for accounting, finance, and operations. In 1996, Mr. Smith had responsibility for moving the manufacturing operations from the U.S. to Mexico.  He ran the manufacturing and operations areas in the U.S. and Mexico through 2001 and the final relocation from Mexico back to Scottsdale. Starting in 1997, Mr. Smith began his involvement in the export sales activities in addition to his manufacturing and operations responsibilities.

After the Company's IPO in May 2001, Mr. Smith moved full-time into the Company's sales area as President of the Company until October 2006.  Today, his primary responsibility as Chairman is investor relations and public affairs. Mr. Smith also oversees the highly sensitive area of aircraft security and has spent several years assisting with lobbying efforts in Washington, DC and multiple states.  He holds a B.S. degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Arizona and an M.B.A. degree from Northern Arizona University.
 
Kathy Hanrahan  President 
Ms. Hanrahan has served as the Company's President since October 2006 and as the Company's Chief Operating Officer from November 2002 to October 2006.  Ms. Hanrahan first joined the Company in January 1996 as an internal controls consultant and served as its controller from March 1996 to November 2000.  She also served as the Company's Chief Financial Officer from November 2000 through May 2004.  Prior to working for TASER International, Ms. Hanrahan was employed by Kachina Testing Services, a non-destructive testing facility serving the Aerospace industry.  She began as the Business Manager/Controller in 1989 and was promoted to the Director of Administrative Services, expanding her management oversight to the production support divisions, including, but not limited to Quality Assurance, Environment Services, Plant Maintenance and Safety programs.
 
Douglas E. Klint  Vice President and General Counsel 
Mr. Klint has served as Vice President and General Counsel of the Company since December 2002.  Prior to joining TASER International, Mr. Klint was Vice President and General Counsel for Aspec Technology in Sunnyvale, California and its successor company, Ingenuus Corporation.  Mr. Klint was promoted to President and CEO of Aspec Technology in 1999.  Previously, Mr. Klint was Vice President and General Counsel for Gatefield Corporation and Zycad Corporation, as well as, a partner in the law firm of Talle, Klint, and Trimble.  Mr. Klint holds a B.A. degree from Gustavus Adolphus College and a J.D. degree with honors from William Mitchell Law School.
 
Daniel M. Behrendt  Chief Financial Officer 
Mr. Behrendt has served as Chief Financial Officer of the Company since May, 2004.  From 1998 through 2004, Mr. Behrendt served in a number of financial management positions for the Imperial Home Décor Group, including Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, Vice President and Corporate Controller and finally Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.  From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Behrendt served as the Manager of Business Planning and Analysis for Teledyne Fluid Systems, a division of Allegheny Teledyne.  From 1991 to 1995, Mr. Behrendt served as Manager, Business Planning and Analysis for PCC Airfoils, Inc.  From 1998 to 1991, Mr. Behrendt served as a Financial Analyst for the Power Generation Group of Babcock and Wilcox, and from 1986 to 1988, Mr. Behrendt worked as an auditor for Arthur Andersen and Co. in their Cleveland, Ohio office.

Mr. Behrendt holds a B.S. degree in Accounting cum laude from Mount Union College and a Masters of Business Administration degree from The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.
Last Updated: 7/31/2008 10:01 PM