GetSwift Limited, a leading provider of SaaS logistics technology, announced the formation of a new advisory board and the appointment of former Vermont Governor Howard Dean and General (Ret.) Mark Bowman as co-chairs.

The new advisory board, which will proactively assist management in identifying and cultivating new public and private sector business verticals, comes as the company secured a significant equity facility totaling up to US$45 million from a private alternative investment group based in the United States.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have found such impressive leaders to share their global experience and can-do approach with our team,” says CEO Bane Hunter. “Governor Dean is known far and wide as a thought leader, coalition builder, and problem solver at the highest levels of government and business. General Bowman built his career leading Army initiatives in digital transformation all the way to the staff of the Joint Chiefs. We look forward to their ideas and vision as we help our customers grow their business with superior delivery management and digital logistics systems.”

Governor Dean is a distinguished former governor and presidential candidate who is known for his bipartisan democracy-building initiatives around the globe. General Bowman is a decorated Army general with a career focused on digital technology advancements in the command, control, communications and computers arenas, including the emergence of cyber as a growing element of the global economy and global security.

Governor Dean is a former Democratic National Committee Chairman, presidential candidate, six-term governor and physician, and currently works as an independent consultant focusing on policy, health care, early childhood development, alternative energy, and the expansion of grassroots politics around the world. He is a frequent on-air commentator with CNN and MSNBC and is a strategic consultant for the global law firm Dentons, whose footprint spans six continents. Governor Dean is also the founder of Democracy for America and a board member of the National Democratic Institute, a non-partisan, non-profit institution supporting democracy in nations around the globe.

“GetSwift is tackling one of the universal needs for organizations of all sizes around the globe: tracking the delivery of goods and services, and communicating vital information to those in need,” says Governor Dean. “I’m excited to join with General Bowman in advising Bane and his leadership team as they continue to guide GetSwift along this exciting journey.”

Governor Dean has extensive experience in Southeastern Europe, including in Ukraine, Moldova, and the Balkans, and brings to bear an extensive knowledge of Iraqi and Iranian affairs and has spent time in China and Myanmar. He has been active in combatting human trafficking in Asia and in the United States. He lectures frequently in Europe and is currently teaching a course on the Politics of American Foreign Policy at the Jackson Institute at Yale University.

Respected on both sides of the political aisle, Governor Dean was chairman of the National Governors’ Association, the Democratic Governors’ Association, and the New England Governors’ Conference while he served as Governor of Vermont. He left office in Vermont to run for president in 2003 where he implemented innovative fundraising strategies, including use of the Internet. Governor Dean graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in political science in 1971 and received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City in 1978.

Using extraordinary leadership and team-building skills, Lieutenant General Bowman refused to just manage the status quo. Instead, he pioneered the introduction of new technologies and drove positive change throughout his nearly 38-year Army career, culminating with significant positions including CIO/J6, US Central Command, Director of Architecture Networks Operations and Space, Department of the Army, and finally as CIO/J6, Joint Chiefs of Staff. In these positions, he was the driving force behind the moves to Thin/Zero Client, Enterprise Email, Reliable Secure Mobile VoIP Phones, Push-to-Talk Satellite Phones, Effective End-Point Management, and many other efforts. Bowman’s efforts saved millions and increased security while providing better service and increased capabilities to the user.

“The convergence of logistics and enabling software brings both challenges and opportunities for governments and businesses around the globe,” adds General Bowman. “I look forward to bringing my personal perspectives and experience to GetSwift as well as my support for the executive team at this exciting time.”

Since retiring from the Army, General Bowman serves on several boards and as a consultant. On the boards, he helps companies develop, meet, and exceed their goals. General Bowman also serves for the US Army as a Highly Qualified Expert – Senior Mentor (HQE-SM) focused on Communications and Cyber. Finally, he is an accomplished speaker who presents frequently on the subjects of Leadership, IT Innovation, IT Security, and Cyber.

General Bowman has a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Norwich University, VT, where he received his commission. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University, PA.