AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) today announced the promotion of leaders in sales and R&D to continue to drive company growth and execute on short- and long-term strategies.

NI promoted Francis Griffiths to the newly created position of Senior Vice President of Regional Sales and Marketing to continue to drive global sales alignment and growth. He will report to Eric Starkloff, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing.

Due to the untimely passing of Phil Hester in September 2013, NI also promoted Scott Rust to Senior Vice President of Research and Development. Scott will be responsible for driving product execution, leading the team of R&D vice presidents and their worldwide organizations and working with the Chief Platform Officer, Duncan Hudson, to guide the evolution of the company's product platforms and lead the R&D fellows.

"Providing engineers and scientists with tools to accelerate innovation, productivity and discovery is NI's primary goal, and these leadership changes support driving growth and innovation to support this goal," said Dr. James Truchard, NI President, CEO and Cofounder. "The contributions of these experienced NI leaders have been instrumental in helping propel innovation and drive company growth, and I look forward to their continued leadership."

About National Instruments
Since 1976, National Instruments (www.ni.com) has equipped engineers and scientists with tools that accelerate productivity, innovation and discovery. NI's graphical system design approach to engineering provides an integrated software and hardware platform that speeds the development of any system needing measurement and control. The company's long-term vision and focus on improving society through its technology supports the success of its customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders.

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Contact: beth.williams@ni.com, (512) 683-6394

SOURCE National Instruments