Jerry Held is executive chairman of Vertica and CEO of the Held Consulting Group, a firm that provides strategic consulting to CEOs and senior executives of technology firms ranging from startups to very large organizations and private equity firms. Prior to his current position, Held was a senior executive at both Oracle Corp. and Tandem Computers. He holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Purdue and an M.S. in systems engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley, where he led the development of INGRES. Held attended the Stanford Business School's Executive Program.

Watch Jerry's speech on Harvey Mudd College's YouTube channel.

Thursday, March 10, 2011
Bridges Auditorium, Pomona College

Bill Gates is founder and former CEO of Microsoft. A tech visionary and business entrepreneur, Gates' leadership -- fueled by his long-held dream that millions might realize their potential through software -- made Microsoft a personal computing powerhouse and household name.

In summer of 2008, Gates left his day-to-day role with Microsoft to focus on philanthropy. Maintaining that all lives have equal value no matter where they're being lived, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donate to expand opportunity to the world’s most disadvantaged people. Collaborating with grantees and partners, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is focused on programs in global health and education, HIV/AIDS, libraries, and agriculture research.

Gates has also become an avid student and investor in new energy approaches, fueled by his interest in global development and innovation.

He is also a member of the board of directors of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Watch Bill's speech on Harvey Mudd College's YouTube channel.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Green Room, Platt Campus Center

As president of the Entertainment & Devices (E&D) Division at Microsoft Corp., Robbie Bach (now retired) drove the company's multi-screen entertainment vision. Bach's responsibilities included guiding software, services and hardware innovation throughout Microsoft's entertainment and mobility platforms, and bringing those solutions to market with retailers and partners. Bach also managed Microsoft's worldwide retail relationships as well as media and entertainment partner relationships.

His experience at Microsoft included a period in Europe as the manager of Business Operations from 1990 to 1992. He also led the marketing effort for Microsoft Office from 1992 to 1997. Before the formation of the E&D Division in 2005, Bach managed the global launches of Xbox and Xbox 360 in his dual role as chief Xbox officer and head of the Home and Entertainment Group—a global division that was responsible for Xbox, Games for Windows, the Microsoft TV platform, and consumer hardware and software products.

Bach serves as chairman of the National Board of Governors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where he has been a driving force for the organization's efforts to bring technology skills to every Club member, while making online safety a top priority. Bach also serves on the board of the Entertainment Software Association Foundation, following a one-year term as chairman from 2007 to 2008.

Before joining Microsoft, Bach worked as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley & Co. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Stanford University.

Watch Robbie Bach's talk on Harvey Mudd College's YouTube channel.

Julie Shimer is president and chief executive officer of Welch Allyn, a leading manufacturer of frontline medical products and solutions. Shimer was formerly president and CEO of Vocera Communications, Inc., a leading wireless communications company based in Cupertino, Calif. She has been a member of Welch Allyn's board of directors since 2002.

Shimer previously served as president and CEO of Vocera Communications, which provides wireless communications systems enabling instant voice communication among mobile workers for companies, including hospitals requiring enhanced customer service and productivity. Shimer has also held executive positions at 3Com Corporation, Motorola, AT&T Bell Laboratories and Bethlehem Steel Company.

Watch Julie's speech on Harvey Mudd College's YouTube channel.