Global Board of Advisors

Gordon Bell, Principal Researcher, Microsoft

Gordon Bell is a principal researcher with the Microsoft eSciences Research Group, San Francisco (1995-) working on tools to capture everything in a person’s life and Visiting Professor, Macquarie University’s Institute for Innovation. His career includes: vice president of R & D, Digital Equipment Corp. (1960-1983); Professor of Computer Science and electrical engineering, Carnegie-Mellon University (1966-72); founding Assistant Director of the National Science Foundation's Computing and Information Sciences and Engineering (CISE) Directorate (1986-1988); National Research and Education Network (NREN) panel chair (1987-1988) for creating the internet; advisor/investor in 90+ start-up companies; and a founding trustee of the Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA. He is a Diamond Exchange Fellow, on TTI Vanguard’s Advisory Board, and the Dept. of Energy’s Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee.

Since 1987 he has sponsored the ACM’s Gordon Bell Prizes for parallelism awarded annually at Supercomputing. He has BS and MS degrees from MIT (1956-57), University of New South Wales Fulbright Scholar (1957-58) an honorary D. Eng. from WPI (1993), and is a member of the AAAS, ACM, IEEE, and National Academy of Engineering. Awards include: ACM-IEEE Eckert-Mauchley Award, the IEEE’s Computer Pioneer and McDowell Awards, and the IEEE Von Neumann Medal, Fellow of the Computer History Museum, the AEA Inventor Award for the economic contribution to New England, the IEEE 2001 Karapetoff Eminent Member's Award of Eta Kappa Nu, and The 1991 National Medal of Technology "for his continuing intellectual and industrial achievements in the field of computer design; and for his leading role in establishing ... computers that serve as a significant tool for engineering, science, and industry."

Specifically, he was the architect of various mini- and time-sharing computers (DEC PDP-6) and led the development of DEC's VAX and the VAX Computing Environment. Bell has been involved in or responsible for, the design of many products at Digital and a score of other companies. Bell has authored books and papers about computers and start-up companies including Computer Structures with Allen Newell (1971) and Dan Siewiorek and Allen Newell (1982). High Tech Ventures: The Guide to Entrepreneurial Success (1991), describes the Bell-Mason Model and Diagnostic, for analyzing new ventures. Bell’s Law describes how semiconductor and communication technology evolves to create new computer classes and industries.

Ali Eghtessadi, CIO, Babcock & Brown

Mr. Eghtessadi is Chief Information Officer at the investment banking firm of Babcock & Brown. Mr. Eghtessadi has provided leadership in Babcock’s pioneering use of technology for over twenty-two years. He is an expert in global telecommunications and has consistently demonstrated resourcefulness as a highly respected early adopter in applying key Internet technologies to support the rapid and broad growth of Babcock’s business units. For example, Mr. Eghtessadi worked closely with Cisco during their emergent years to achieve competitive advantage for Babcock & Brown. In recent years, he has pioneered adoption of VOIP technologies to bring competitive advantage to his firm. Prior to joining B&B, he worked at Systems Applications, Inc. as a programmer and previously as an independent computer consultant.

Mr. Eghtessadi holds an MS degree in Telecommunications Management from Golden Gate University and B.S. degree in Computer Science and a B.S. degree in Electronic Engineering from Northrop University.

Rosemary Kuropat, Managing Partner, slover [AND] company

Rosemary Kuropat is managing partner of slover [AND] company, lower Manhattan’s hot graphic design, brand development and marketing firm (www.sloverandco.com). She joined Slover and Company in 1995 and has been a partner since 1998. She led the creation of the firm’s account management function and is the firm’s lead marketing strategist.

Ms. Kuropat has served in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors in a range of marketing and executive roles, including The Chase Manhattan Bank and chief of staff to the New York City deputy mayor for finance and economic development, where she both established the city’s international business attraction program and directed a sector reorganization that saved the city more than $20 million with no cuts in service.

Ms. Kuropat graduated from Smith College. She is an avid reader and has become a “chronicler of culture,” using the power of digital photography to make permanent, artful ephemera from around the world (www.kronicler.com).

Deirdre Mason, former Director of Corporate Affairs, Telstra

Ms. Mason has had a high profile career in public and corporate life wedded to a long-standing commitment to education and community affairs. She was formerly Director of Corporate Affairs for Telstra, with responsibility for all corporate communications, including media relations and internal communications. In 1993, as Group Manager Corporate Communications, Deirdre was responsible for Telstra's participation in the telephone ballots as it evolved from a Federal Government statutory body into a fully customer-focused commercial company. Subsequently she served as Director of Corporate Marketing with responsibility for Telstra's domestic and overseas marketing operations.

Jennifer Neary, Management Consultant

Ms. Neary is currently a management consultant to a diverse range of businesses following more than 20 years experience in senior executive roles. She served as Managing Director of Horwath (a large mid-tier accounting firm) from 2000 to 2002, and has worked extensively with clients in the financial services sector. At PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1998 to 2000 she was a Director in the Global Risk Management practice and has held senior executive positions in several general insurance companies operating in Australia and New Zealand.

Ms. Neary has served as a Director of a number of companies and government business enterprises, and currently sits on the NSW Board of Studies and the Board of the NSW Institute of Teachers. She was a founding Trustee of the National Breast Cancer Foundation and chaired the Foundation for two years. She is now active on the Steering Committee establishing a national cell bank (CellBank Australia) at the Children’s Medical Research Institute at Westmead and she is Treasurer of the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, a charitable foundation supporting people living with HIV/AIDS.

Stephen Shannon, EVP/GM Product Development, TV Guide

Mr. Shannon is Executive Vice President and General Manager Product Development at TV Guide and has a long history and demonstrated track record of developing, launching and managing innovative, leading-edge products. He joins Gemstar-TV Guide from Akimbo Systems, Inc., a company he founded as an Internet-delivered video-on-demand service designed for viewing on televisions. Mr. Shannon was the co-founder of Replay TV, which introduced the world's first digital video recorder; and, at Macromedia, Inc., he conceived of and developed Dreamweaver, a highly-successful professional web authoring tool. He has an extensive background in software development and has held a variety of positions at such companies as Paramount Pictures, Coopers & Lybrand, MGM/UA, and Capitol Records.

Susan Slover, Creative Director, slover [AND] company

Susan Slover is partner and creative director of slover [AND] company, lower Manhattan’s hot graphic design, brand development and marketing firm (www.sloverandco.com).

Ms. Slover began her marketing career at Neiman-Marcus in Dallas under the tutelage of Stanley Marcus. She moved to New York City to create the original catalog for the Rockefeller Collection at Kykuit. Her creative work has been recognized through numerous awards and her artwork resides in the permanent collection of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum/Smithsonian Institution. Ms. Slover holds a B.F.A. in graphic design from Auburn University.

Brendan Thomas, Managing Partner, Finance Focus

Mr. Thomas brings over nineteen years of financial and accounting experience with Internet and technology growth companies. He currently acts as interim CFO for a number of Silicon Valley venture backed startups through his firm, Finance Focus. Mr. Thomas spent seven years at DigitalThink, a leading provider of Custom eLearning Solutions to Fortune 500 companies, where he held several finance positions including Director of Financial Planning and Analysis. Prior to DigitalThink, Thomas held finance positions at Mosiax Inc., a leading provider of call center software applications, Levi Strauss & Co. and Kindle Banking Systems, a provider of Banking Systems to emerging nations. Mr. Thomas also spent five years at Deloitte & Touche in Ireland.

Mr. Thomas holds a BA in Accounting and Finance from Dublin City University, a BSc in Financial Information Systems from Trinity College Dublin, and he is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

Todd Wade, SVP Marketing & Sales, Softagon

Mr. Wade is responsible for marketing and sales at Softagon, an innovative technology consulting firm based in San Francisco. Prior to joining Softagon, Todd was co-founder and CEO of eSubscriber, an ecommerce software and distribution company for the satellite and wireless market. At Disney Interactive, Todd defined and implemented licensing relationships with major corporate partners in the digital imaging market, including HP and Avery Dennison, and active partnerships with Kodak, Intel and Compaq. In two rapidly expanding companies prior to Disney, Todd led marketing efforts to expand the CD-ROM market through retail sales and licensing arrangements with Microsoft, NEC, Apple, Thompson and Pioneer. Todd has an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA.

Michael Christiansen

Mr. Christiansen previously served as a consultant with Retirement Capital Group in the firm’s executive benefits practice. From 2002 through 2005, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Vizional Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of RFID-enabled enterprise supply chain solutions, where his key leadership initiatives included the strategic repositioning of the company and management of more than $25 million in equity and debt financing.

Mr. Christiansen has more than ten years of investment banking experience, most recently with Prudential Securities from 1997 to 2001, and with Seidler Amdec Securities and Laffer Associates from 1986 to 1992. His investment banking experience includes public and private equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic advisory engagements with clients in consumer, retailing, software and technology industries. As a senior investment banker, he has advised clients on more than $1 billion in aggregate closed transactions.

Mr. Christiansen received an MBA from the University of Southern California and a B.S. degree in corporate finance and economics from Utah State University.