Cool Person of the Day

Computer programmers are essential to the tech sector, which is why many tech companies try to recruit talented programmers right out of college and many tech companies provide their programmers with uncommon perks (the legendary Google cafeteria, for example).  The life of a software programmer can be a series of odd contradictions: long solitary hours of working alone on coding paired with massive collaborative efforts where a single programmer’s work is buried, without credit, within a larger project.  Most programmers seem to accept that as the reality of the job, joining large firms for the job stability and regular paycheck, content with the tradeoff that their names are unlikely ever to be recognized, even in the software programming community.  That, however, is not the path that Thomas Tempelmann took! Read more »

One does not have to look very hard at the managers of tech companies, small and large, to find a company that is run exclusively by men at the highest levels.  Apple Computers, the most profitable company on Earth, has only one woman on its Board of Directors and none of the executives at the Senior Vice President level or above are female!  In many ways, the tech sector remains a “boy’s club.”  Working very hard to change that is Shaherose Charania. Read more »

Today’s software companies face a number of challenges that software companies did not have, or were not as extreme, thirty years ago.  Now, in addition to increased competition, software companies face licensing issues, increased piracy, and more intense marketing campaigns to remain commercially successful.  That is why software companies need corporate leadership from an individual who truly understands the complexities of international economics.  Software manufacturer Avanquest has Roger Bloxberg! Read more »

California is the home to so many tech sector jobs that it is almost hard to believe that anywhere else in the country would have any tech jobs that needed filling!  Part of the reason so many start-ups and enduring tech sector businesses take root in California is because of the colleges.  Some of the world’s most renowned universities for science and technology are located in California: UCLA, Stanford, and the University of California at Berkeley, to name a few.  Many businesses work to recruit ambitious, technical-minded employees right out of college.  That is what happened with Alicia Chen. Read more »

Outside protecting business interests, there are remarkably few executives in the tech sector who make bold or frequent political statements.  In fact, the marketing gurus in the tech sector work very hard to make technology apolitical; the market should be everyone.  So, it is a rare thing when one’s personal politics overtly guide their corporate policy within the tech sector.  The fact that his loud dedication to free access to information clearly guides Wikipedia makes Jimmy Wales an exception to the status quo in the tech sector! Read more »

In the tech sector, the ability to get goods to market is exceptionally important.  Equally important is having a reliable supply chain that provides raw materials and manufactured components to your manufacturing and assembling plants.  For that, the tech sector relies upon the shipping industry.  But the best industrial shipping organizations in the world are surprisingly high-tech businesses of their own.  One of the world leaders, Panalpina, is a major support for companies throughout the tech sector.  Leading Panalpina through its own IT revolution is Monika Ribar. Read more »

In the tech sector, big is often considered better, at least when it comes to the size of the company.  Gadgets and computing devices may continue to get smaller and lighter, but success is often measured by one’s position in a large, well-known, technology company.  Despite that overwhelming pressure to conform, some people still strike out on their own and find success with their own small operation in the tech sector.  One person who has managed to build and sustain his own company for the past twelve years is Nicolas Vesin! Read more »

The tech sector, with its IPOs, patent disputes, and extensive research and development operations, can be a real legal minefield.  Most major companies in the tech sector find themselves, at one point or another, needing expert legal advice.  The companies that frequently avail themselves of their full legal options for managing conflicts, or who find themselves on the defensive from legal challenges raised by competitors, often retain an executive-level lawyer, the General Counsel.  For LSI, the top lawyer for the company is Jean F. Rankin. Read more »

When an executive leaves a company, or is forced out of their position at the top, it is always interesting to see what type of position they take afterward.  In the tech sector, there are an uncommon number of executives who – after running multi-million dollar operations with thousands of workers – start their own, very small, companies or take over the management of a tiny start-up.  When Jeff Lee left DViCO, that is exactly what he did! Read more »

In the rapidly-changing corporate world, corporate loyalty is an exceptionally valuable commodity.  As a matter of basic business practices, loyalty is what a major company buys when they contract a worker.  The contract is, in part, a covenant not to use your talents for a competitor while you are being compensated by the contracting company.  Some people, however, do not need the contractual binding to illustrate real loyalty to a company.  One such individual who has proven herself time and time again to Hewlett-Packard is Ann M. Livermore. Read more »