Speakers
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Robbie Bach
President, Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft Corporation -
As president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, Robbie Bach drives the company's Connected Entertainment vision, offering consumers new and compelling, branded entertainment experiences across music, gaming, video, and mobile communications. As such, Bach's responsibilities include guiding software, services, and hardware innovation throughout Microsoft's entertainment and mobility platforms, and bringing those solutions to market with retailers and partners. Consequently, he manages Microsoft's worldwide retail relationships as well as media and entertainment partner relationships.
The Entertainment and Devices Division is a global division comprising five main businesses: Interactive Entertainment Business, home to the Xbox and Games for Windows-based gaming platforms; Mobile Communications Business, which develops and markets Windows Mobile software, services, and applications; Music Business, developers of the Zune portable entertainment devices and services; Video Business, which includes Microsoft TV and eHome groups; and the Specialized Devices and Applications Business, which includes PC Hardware, Microsoft Surface, Mac Office, Microsoft Auto, and Windows Embedded software.
Since joining Microsoft in 1988, Bach has worked on a variety of Microsoft products in a career marked by increasingly senior management positions. His experience includes working 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 Entertainment and Devices 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 groupa global division then responsible for Xbox, Windows games, the Microsoft TV platform, and consumer hardware and software products.
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. Bach sits on the Board of Governors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where he leads the BGCA Marketing Committee, and currently serves as chairman of the Entertainment Software Association. He is married with three children. The Entertainment and Devices Division is a global division comprising five main businesses: Interactive Entertainment Business, home to the Xbox and Games for Windows-based gaming platforms; Mobile Communications Business, which develops and markets Windows Mobile software, services, and applications; Music Business, developers of the Zune portable entertainment devices and services; Video Business, which includes Microsoft TV and eHome groups; and the Specialized Devices and Applications Business, which includes PC Hardware, Microsoft Surface, Mac Office, Microsoft Auto, and Windows Embedded software.
Since joining Microsoft in 1988, Bach has worked on a variety of Microsoft products in a career marked by increasingly senior management positions. His experience includes working 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 Entertainment and Devices 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 groupa global division then responsible for Xbox, Windows games, the Microsoft TV platform, and consumer hardware and software products.
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. Bach sits on the Board of Governors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where he leads the BGCA Marketing Committee, and currently serves as chairman of the Entertainment Software Association. He is married with three children.
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James Cameron
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lightstorm Entertainment, Inc. -
Born in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada, James Cameron grew up near Niagara Falls. In 1971, he moved to Brea, California, where he studied physics at Fullerton College while working as a machinist and truck driver. Setting his sights on a career in film, Cameron quit his trucking job in 1978 and acquired funding to produce a 35mm short film.
Cameron's effects-laden short film led to work on Roger Corman's BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS (1980), on which he served as production designer, matte artist, and visual effects DP, and a stint as second unit director on GALAXY OF TERROR (1981). In 1983, Cameron wrote three scripts: RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART 2, ALIENS, and THE TERMINATOR. In 1984, he directed THE TERMINATOR, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which became an unexpected box office and critical success.
Cameron subsequently directed ALIENS (1986) and wrote and directed THE ABYSS (1989). Following that he wrote, produced, and directed TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991), TRUE LIES (1994), and TITANIC (1997). He also co-wrote and produced POINT BREAK (1991) and STRANGE DAYS (1994), and produced SOLARIS (2003). In 1999, Cameron co-created the hit television series DARK ANGEL, now famous for launching a new star, Jessica Alba.
His films have blazed new trails in technology, visual effects, and box office performance. TITANIC currently holds both domestic and international box office records, having grossed over $1.8 billion worldwide. Cameron's films have also earned numerous honors, culminating in TITANIC's 11 Academy Awards, including Cameron's three Oscars for Best Picture, Best Direction, and Best Editing.
An avid scuba diver, Cameron has logged over 3,000 hours underwater. His attraction to deep oceans and shipwrecks ultimately drew him to the Everest of wrecks: Titanic. Having developed unprecedented filming, lighting, and robotic equipment, Cameron made 12 manned-submersible dives to the Titanic in preparation for his feature film. The technical success of that expedition, and the profound effect of the experience on Cameron, fueled his desire to bring the wonder of deep ocean exploration to audiences around the world in new and exciting ways. He turned to documentary filmmaking and formed Earthship Productions to develop films about ocean exploration and conservation, and set to work on a digital 3-D camera system, which he developed with partner Vince Pace of Pace Technologies, using Sony and Fujinon HD technologies. Utilizing revolutionary fiber-spooling mini-ROV's, Cameron made a historic return to the Titanic wreck in 2001 for the 3-D Imax film, GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS. In 2002, Cameron explored the wreck of Bismarck, resulting in groundbreaking discoveries about the sinking of the legendary German battleship and the Discovery Channel documentary JAMES CAMERON'S EXPEDITION: BISMARCK. Cameron's team then made three expeditions to deep hydrothermal vent sites in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Sea of Cortez, which became the subject of ALIENS OF THE DEEP, also released in 3-D Imax. Most recently, Cameron returned to the Titanic to complete his exploration of the ship, showcased in Discovery Channel's LAST MYSTERIES OF THE TITANIC.
Equally committed to the exploration of outer space, Cameron has worked for years with space scientists and engineers, developing viable architectures for the human exploration of Mars and a number of robotic space exploration projects. He served on the NASA advisory council for three years and is currently a coinvestigator on the Mars Science Lander (MSL) Mastcam, which will be the first 3-D motion imaging camera to operate on another planet, beginning in 2009.
Cameron is currently at work on a groundbreaking 3-D feature film, AVATAR, a science fiction epic set in the virgin ecosystem of a distant planet, and is developing a number of ocean projects and other environmentally themed documentaries.
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Philippe Dauman
President and Chief Executive Officer, Viacom Inc. -
Philippe Dauman was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Viacom Inc. in September 2006 and has served on the Company's Board of Directors since 1987.
Viacom, consisting of BET Networks, MTV Networks, and Paramount Pictures, is the world's leading entertainment content company. It engages audiences on television, motion picture, and digital platforms through many of the world's best known entertainment brands, including MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Noggin, Nick at Nite, AddictingGames, Comedy Central, Spike TV, TV Land, AtomFilms, Gametrailers, BET, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, and Paramount Vantage. Viacom's global reach includes approximately 150 channels and 300 online properties in 160 countries and territories.
Previously, Dauman was Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DND Capital Partners, L.L.C., a private equity firm specializing in media and telecommunications investments, from May 2000 until September 2006.
Prior to cofounding DND Capital Partners, Dauman served in several positions at Viacom, including as a Deputy Chairman and Executive Vice President of Viacom Inc.
Dauman is a director of National Amusements, Inc., and Lafarge S.A., a world leader in building materials. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for The Paley Center for Media and the Dean's Council of Columbia University Law School.
He earned his bachelor's degree from Yale College in 1974 and his law degree from Columbia University Law School in 1978.
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Laura Desmond
Chief Executive Officer, Starcom MediaVest Group, The Americas -
A champion of new media and digital innovation, Laura Desmond continues to capture the attention of industry observers and clients alike. As one of the youngest CEOs in the world to lead a marketing services company, she manages nearly 2,000 professionals, extending across the United States, Canada, and Latin America. Her responsibilities include Starcom, MediaVest, GM Planworks, Spark, and Halogen.
Among Desmond's recent successes are the launching of both SMG Multicultural and 42 Degrees at MediaVest. Driving a network-wide digital embrace for SMG, she helped land prestigious assignments from Wal-Mart, Heineken, and other high-profile clients. And by infusing SMG Search with strategic resources and talent, she has helped make the network's Search offering one of the largest in the world.
Prior to running the Americas, Desmond served as CEO of MediaVest from 2003 to 2007, overseeing a period of enormous growth for the agency. Under her watch, MediaVest won a host of new business assignments from Coca-Cola, Comcast, Masterfoods, Mattel, P&G, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Wal-Mart, and Wendy's and was named Advertising Age's Digital Media Agency of 2006. While still an employee at Leo Burnett, Desmond was named interim Media Services Director for General Motors. She was also the International Media Director based in London on leading brands, including Kellogg and Coca-Cola.
Beginning her career in 1987 at Starcom (formerly the media department of Leo Burnett), Desmond's accolades include a profile in The Wall Street Journal's Creative Leadership Series (2007) and "Women to Watch" issue (2006), an Advertising Age Media Maven honor (2005), and induction into the American Advertising Federation's Advertising Hall of Achievement (2005). In 2004, she was named Executive of the Year by Mediaweek and was profiled as Business 2.0's Dream Team of Young Executives.
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Michael Eisner
Chairman and CEO, Walt Disney Company (1984-2005)
Owner and non-Executive Chairman, The Topps Company, Inc.
Owner, Vuguru, a multimedia production studio -
Michael D. Eisner joined The Walt Disney Company as Chairman and CEO in 1984. In 21 years at its helm, he revitalized and reinvented Disney into a full spectrum entertainment enterprise. Under his leadership, the company began implementation of a continuing series of creative growth strategies that resulted in its annual revenues rising from $1.7 billion to more than $30 billion. Eisner continues to be an Entertainment Innovator. His investment company Tornante launched Vuguru, a studio producing original programming for the Internet, portable media devices, and cell phones.
During his stewardship, Disney animation experienced a renaissance with hits including THE LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LION KING, TOY STORY, FINDING NEMO, and THE INCREDIBLES. Disney also became a leader in live-action films with pictures such as DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS, THREE MEN AND A BABY, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?, PRETTY WOMAN, SIXTH SENSE, PEARL HARBOR, SIGNS, and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN; produced such hit TV shows as Golden Girls, Home Improvement, Lost, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and Desperate Housewives; opened Disneyland Paris, Tokyo DisneySea, and Hong Kong Disneyland; expanded the existing Disney theme parks with The Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Disney Studios at Disneyland Paris, and Disney's California Adventure at The Disneyland Resort; opened first-class hotels designed by the world's leading architects at all Disney resort sites; acquired Capital Cities/ABC, which included the ABC television network, ESPN cable networks, and equity ownership in The History Channel, Lifetime, A&E, and E!; launched the SoapNET and Toon Disney cable networks, Radio Disney, and ESPN Radio; developed such leading Internet sites as Disney.com, ESPN.com, ABC.com, and Family.com; acquired Miramax Pictures, which produced films that won 53 Academy Awards, including best pictures for CHICAGO, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, and THE ENGLISH PATIENT; created Walt Disney Theatrical, which produced the hits BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, AIDA, THE LION KING, and MARY POPPINS; developed the Disney Cruise Line; and acquired the Fox Family Channel (now ABC Family); Baby Einstein; and The Muppets.
Eisner has been a leader in the entertainment industry for nearly 40 years, helping to shape this key area of the American economy. He began his career at ABC, where he ran Daytime and Children's Programs, putting on the air All My Children, One Life to Live, the ABC Afterschool Specials, and the Scholastic's Schoolhouse Rock series. He rose to Senior Vice President of prime time production and development, taking the network from number three to number one with such landmark shows as Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Welcome Back Kotter, Barney Miller, Starsky and Hutch, and Mod Squad, and co-created the concept of original movies for television (The Movie of the Week) and the novel and mini-series form (Rich Man, Poor Man and Roots).
In 1977, Eisner became President of Paramount Pictures, leading the studio to number one in box office and profitability with such films as RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, GREASE, STAR TREK, REDS, HEAVEN CAN WAIT, ORDINARY PEOPLE, FLASHDANCE, FOOTLOOSE, and TERMS OF ENDEARMENT.
Eisner is the author of two books, Work in Progress, which he coauthored with Tony Schwartz, about his involvement in the entertainment industry, and Camp about the life lessons that come from leading a canoe expedition or sitting around a campfire. Eisner graduated from the Lawrenceville School in 1960 and Denison University in 1964 with a bachelor of arts in English literature and theater. He serves on the boards of the California Institute of the Arts, Denison University, the American Hospital of Paris Foundation, the Aspen Institute, and the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. He is also a member of both the Business Council and the Yale University School of Architecture Deans Council. He has established and funded the Eisner Foundation, a philanthropic organization headed by his wife of 40 years, Jane. He lives with Jane in Los Angeles and they have three sons, Breck, Eric, and Anders. Breck, a director, helmed his first major movie in 2005, SAHARA.
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Tony Fernandes
Group Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia -
Tony Fernandes and his three partners bought AirAsia in 2001 with the vision to make air travel more affordable to Malaysians. Under Fernandes' leadership, the fledging airline became a blooming, thriving business and has been in a profitable position from the first day of operation. Within six years, AirAsia has grown from a modest two aircrafts to presently 65, operating over 400 domestic and international daily flights from hubs in Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Thailand, and Indonesia.
The multi-award winning airline is the recipient of the Airline of the Year 2007 and Asia Pacific Low Cost Airline of the Year 2004 by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), and the Market Leadership Award by Air Transport World magazine. In addition, AirAsia also clinched the prestigious Euromoney award for Asia's Best Managed Company in the Airlines and Aviation Sector.
Fernandes is a member of the prestigious Young Global Leaders organization. He joins the ranks of 237 of the world's elite leaders and individuals who have committed their knowledge and expertise to engage in major global undertakings to shape the future.
Fernandes is the recipient of the International Herald Tribune award for the Visionaries and Leadership Series, for his outstanding work in AirAsia. He has also been named the Malaysian Chief Executive Officer of the Year 2003 by American Express and Business Times, the Emerging Entrepreneur of the YearMalaysia 2003 by Ernst & Young, and the Asia Pacific Aviation Executive of the Year 2004 by CAPA.
Fernandes was also recently awarded with the "Minister's Special Award" by the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment of Sabah (Malaysia) in recognition of being a true renaissance man in transforming the airline and travel industry.
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Bill Gates
Chairman, Microsoft Corporation -
William (Bill) H. Gates is chairman of Microsoft Corporation, the worldwide leader in software, services, and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft had revenues of US$51.12 billion for the fiscal year ending June 2007 and employs more than 78,000 people in 105 countries and regions. On June 15, 2006, Microsoft announced that effective July 2008 Gates will transition out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. After July 2008, Gates will continue to serve as Microsoft's chairman and an advisor on key development projects. The two-year transition process is to ensure that there is a smooth and orderly transfer of Gates' daily responsibilities. Effective June 2006, Ray Ozzie has assumed Gates' previous title as chief software architect and is working side by side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities at Microsoft. Craig Mundie has assumed the new title of chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft and is working closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company's research and incubation efforts.
Born on October 28, 1955, Gates grew up in Seattle with his two sisters. Their father, William H. Gates II, is a Seattle attorney. Their late mother, Mary Gates, was a schoolteacher, University of Washington regent, and chairwoman of United Way International. Gates attended public elementary school and the private Lakeside School. There, he discovered his interest in software and began programming computers at age 13.
In 1973, Gates entered Harvard University as a freshman, where he lived down the hall from Steve Ballmer, now Microsoft's chief executive officer. While at Harvard, Gates developed a version of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer-the MITS Altair.
In his junior year, Gates left Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had begun in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers. Gates' foresight and his vision for personal computing have been central to the success of Microsoft and the software industry.
Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers. The company is committed to a long-term view, reflected in its investment of approximately $7.1 billion on research and development in the 2007 fiscal year.
In 1999, Gates wrote Business @ the Speed of Thought, a book that shows how computer technology can solve business problems in fundamentally new ways. The book was published in 25 languages and is available in more than 60 countries. Business @ the Speed of Thought has received wide critical acclaim and was listed on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Amazon.com. Gates' previous book, The Road Ahead, published in 1995, held the No. 1 spot on The New York Times' bestseller list for seven weeks. Gates has donated the proceeds of both books to nonprofit organizations that support the use of technology in education and skills development.
In addition to his love of computers and software, Gates founded Corbis, which is developing one of the world's largest resources of visual information-a comprehensive digital archive of art and photography from public and private collections around the globe. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which invests in companies engaged in diverse business activities.
Philanthropy is also important to Gates. He and his wife, Melinda, have endowed a foundation with more than $28.8 billion (as of January 2005) to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning with the hope that in the twenty-first century, advances in these critical areas will be available for all people. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed more than $3.6 billion to organizations working in global health; more than $2 billion to improve learning opportunities, including the Gates Library Initiative to bring computers, Internet access, and training to public libraries in low-income communities in the United States and Canada; more than $477 million to community projects in the Pacific Northwest; and more than $488 million to special projects and annual giving campaigns.
Gates was married on January 1, 1994, to Melinda French Gates. They have three children. Gates is an avid reader and enjoys playing golf and bridge.
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Quentin George
Digital Media & Strategic Innovation, Universal McCann -
A digital marketing pioneer, Quentin George currently leads the digital competency for Universal McCann (UM) as its Global Director of Digital Media and Strategic Innovation. He has overall responsibilities for driving UM's digital strategy and client development globally.
Prior to his role at UM, he served as Chief of Corporate Development and Managing Director for Organic Inc., where he grew the business substantially since joining in October 2004. During his tenure at Organic, he led assignments for clients such as Sprint, 20th Century Fox, Janus, and GeekSquad.
Earlier George was SVP of Client Services at Avenue A | Razorfish, where he was responsible for driving Internet initiatives for clients such as Sun Microsystems, Disney, Mercury, Veritas, and Genentech. Back in 1994, he cofounded Electric Ocean, an internationally renowned interactive marketing agency based in Cape Town, South Africa, where he won one of the first Clios ever awarded for digital work.
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Nancy Hill
President and Chief Executive Officer, American Association of Advertising Agencies -
Nancy Hill was named president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Advertising Agencies on February 1, 2008. Previously, she served as chief executive officer at Lowe New York, where she led an agency reorganization to more closely align services with the demands of clients in the twenty-first century. A veteran of AAAA member agencies on both east and west coasts, Hill oversaw clients such as XM Satellite Radio, Girl Scouts of the USA, and, most recently, Regent Hotels & Cruises.
Previously, Hill was executive vice president and managing director at BBDO New York. There, she oversaw several of the agency's largest accounts, including Motorola, HBO, Visa, and AOL. For AOL, she helped spearhead the launch of the "Life Needs" and "Want a better Internet?" campaigns and worked closely with @tmosphere BBDO to create fully integrated programs to support them.
Hill joined BBDO from Hill | Holliday, where she was first president of its San Francisco office, and later served as executive vice president and managing director for New York. In San Francisco, she was named one of the "75 Most Influential Women in Business" in both 2001 and 2002 by San Francisco Business Times. Her background is steeped in technology experience from clients such as Cisco, Microsoft, LucasArts, Sybase, Sony, and Verizon.
Hill began her career in the recording industry. Later, she spent 11 years at Doner in Baltimore on a broad range of businesses, including frozen desserts, real estate, rental cars, financial services, and various industry associations. From Doner, she joined TBWA\ Chiat\Day before moving to San Francisco to lead Goldberg Moser O'Neill, which became Hill Holliday in 2001.
Hill has served on the Board of Directors of the Miami Ad School and led the launch of its New York campus. In addition to many teaching engagements throughout the country, she is actively involved in a community and education program in Ecuador where she has a home.
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Scott Howe
Vice President of Global Services and Business Development, Advertiser & Publisher Solutions Group -
Scott Howe is responsible for driving deep focus, special expertise and global consistency for products and functions to help ensure that advertiser and publisher needs are met. His areas of responsibility include Specialist Sales, Client Services Operations, Trade Marketing, Advertising Display Product Marketing, Yield Management and Sales Enablement.
Scott is a seasoned veteran in the online advertising space. Immediately prior to accepting his new role, he served as the senior executive in charge of aQuantive, inc.'s DRIVEpm and Atlas Sales and Service globally. He launched DRIVEpm in 2003, and under his leadership, DRIVEpm quickly established itself as one of the largest networks in the online space. The combination of DRIVEpm's sophisticated targeting capabilities and premier partners have created spectacular results for DRIVEpm's current base of 500+ advertisers and publishers. Prior to his involvement in DRIVEpm, Scott spent more than four years as the vice president, general manager of Avenue A | Razorfish.
Prior to that, he spent six years with the Boston Consulting Group and two years in investment banking with Kidder, Peabody and Co. Scott holds an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business and an AB from Princeton University in Economics.
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Arianna Huffington
Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post -
Arianna Huffington is the cofounder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of 11 books. She is also cohost of Left, Right & Center, public radio's popular political roundtable program.
In May 2005, she launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely read, linked to, and frequently cited media brands on the Internet.
In 2006, she was named to the Time 100, Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people.
Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an MA in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.
Huffington is a prolific author:
- In Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe, Huffington tackles the issues crucial to the 2008 presidential election and overall fate of the country.
- On Becoming Fearless... in Love, Work and Life is Huffington's most personal book to date, offering a road map for achieving fearlessness in every aspect of life, a straight-to-the-point manifesto on how to be bold, how to say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done in order to find the freedom to love, lead, and succeed.
- Fanatics and Fools: The Game Plan for Winning Back America offers a scathing portrait of our contemporary political landscape with a bold, inspiring, and practical approach to restoring America to the promise envisioned by our greatest leaders. It was published in 2004.
- Pigs at the Trough: How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America, a New York Times bestseller, was published in 2003.
- How to Overthrow the Government, on the corruption of our political system and the need for reform, was published in 2000.
- Greetings from the Lincoln Bedroom, a political satire, was published in 1998.
- The Fourth Instinct, on the longing for meaning in a secular world, was published in 1994.
- Picasso: Creator and Destroyer, a biography of Pablo Picasso, was published in 1988. It was a major international bestseller, translated into 16 languages. The book was made into a film starring Anthony Hopkins as Picasso and produced by Merchant- Ivory for Warner Bros.
- The Gods of Greece celebrates the power of myths as guides to forgotten dimensions of life and ourselves. Atlantic Monthly Press republished it with paintings by Fran�oise Gilot.
- The Woman behind the Legend, published in 1981, a biography of Maria Callas, quickly became an international bestseller.
- After Reason, on political leadership and the intersection of politics and culture, was published in 1978.
Huffington has made guest appearances on numerous television shows, including Charlie Rose, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Nightline, Real Time with Bill Maher, Inside Politics, Larry King Live, Hardball, Good Morning America, the Today show, Countdown, and The O'Reilly Factor.
She serves on several boards that promote community solutions to social problems, including A Place Called Home, which works with at-risk children in South Central Los Angeles. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Archer School for Girls.
Arianna Huffington lives in Los Angeles with her two teenage daughters.
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Cyrus Krohn
Director, Republican National Committee eCampaign Division -
Cyrus Krohn is director of the Republican National Committee's eCampaign Division. He joined the RNC following two years at Yahoo! as director of content production and election strategy.
Prior to Yahoo!, Krohn spent 10 years at Microsoft. He was Slate.com's first employee and then publisher while the webzine was owned by Microsoft. Krohn also managed the political advertising efforts for MSN.com, the Microsoft Network, and was executive producer at MSN Video.
Krohn worked in CNN's Washington, D.C., bureau producing Larry King Live and Crossfire and served as an intern for Vice President Dan Quayle.
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Jon Landau
Producer, Lightstorm Entertainment, Inc. -
Academy Award-winning producer Jon Landau has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to oversee and deliver major motion pictures. The combination of Landau's thorough understanding of the most complex state-of-the-art visual effects technologies, his ability to work hand-in-hand with the highest caliber of creative talent, and his motivational ability with crews of all sizes has enabled him to play a significant role in numerous major motion pictures.
Currently in production on the widely anticipated James Cameron film, AVATAR, Landau has also produced such films as James Cameron's TITANIC and Steven Soderbergh's SOLARIS, also under Cameron's "Lightstorm Entertainment" banner.
In the past, Landau coproduced Warren Beatty's DICK TRACY and the family comedy hit HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS. Throughout the early '90's, Landau was Executive Vice President of Feature Film Production at Twentieth Century Fox.
During the past several years, Cameron and Landau have been developing digital production tools that will enable filming and mass digital distribution of 3-D movies. Landau is also working in close collaboration with Microsoft and its partners to streamline the production and visual effect process through the use of cuttingedge "virtual production" technologies.
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Brian McAndrews
Senior Vice President, Advertiser & Publisher Solutions Group, Microsoft Corporation -
Brian McAndrews leads the Advertiser and Publisher Solutions (APS) Group at Microsoft Corporation. The APS team is responsible for building and marketing all ad platforms, including Atlas, DRIVEpm, MSNDR, Microsoft adCenter and PubCenter, along with emerging media including Atlas On Demand, Massive Inc. and ScreenTonic.
McAndrews ran aQuantive Inc., one of the fastest-growing global digital marketing companies in the world, before its acquisition by Microsoft in August 2007, the largest Microsoft acquisition to date. He served as aQuantive's chief executive officer since September 1999. The company included three distinct business units: Avenue A | Razorfish, one of the world's largest interactive advertising firms (with agencies in Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan and the U.K.); Atlas and DRIVEpm.
aQuantive reached many milestones under McAndrews' direction, including its initial public offering in 2000, the launch of the Atlas advertising technology division in 2001 and the launch of DRIVEpm in 2004. McAndrews also guided the company in 13 acquisitions, including Razorfish in 2004 and numerous international acquisitions, giving the company a global presence.
From February 1990 to September 1999, McAndrews worked for ABC Inc., a broadcasting and communications company, holding executive positions at ABC Sports, ABC Entertainment and ABC Television Network and eventually becoming executive vice president and general manager for ABC Sports. From 1984 to 1989, he served as a product manager for General Mills Inc., a leading consumer products manufacturer.
McAndrews serves on the board of directors for Fisher Communications Inc., a media company based in Seattle; for WhitePages.com Inc.; and for the Seattle-Northwest Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors. He earned a bachelor of arts (A.B.) in economics from Harvard University, and graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
In March 2008, McAndrews was named Executive of the Year on Advertising Age's Digital A-List. Previously, Business 2.0 ranked McAndrews number eleven in its 2007 "The 50 Who Matter Now" issue.
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Satya Nadella
Senior Vice President, Search, Portal & Advertising Platform Group, Microsoft Corporation -
Satya Nadella is a senior vice president and leads Microsoft's engineering efforts across the Search (Live Search), Portal (MSN), and Advertising Platforms.
Nadella joined Microsoft in 1992 and most recently led Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS). The Microsoft Business Solutions Group develops and markets the line of Microsoft Dynamics® business software products that manage financial, customer relationship, and supply chain functions. During his six years in MBS, Nadella was responsible for Microsoft Dynamics ERP and the creation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Office Small Business product lines.
Prior to that, Nadella founded and led the Microsoft bCentralTM small business portal, served as general manager for the Commerce Platforms Group, and was responsible for Microsoft Commerce Server and Microsoft BizTalk®; Server products. Nadella was also a key member of several advanced technology incubation efforts inside Microsoft, including interactive television and digital rights management.
Nadella's first assignment at Microsoft was in the Windows Developer Relations group, where he was a program manager. Before joining Microsoft, Nadella was a member of the technology staff at Sun Microsystems Inc. Nadella has a master's degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago.
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Mark Penn
CEO Worldwide, Burson-Marsteller
President, Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates -
Mark Penn is worldwide CEO of Burson-Marsteller and President of Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates. As CEO of Burson- Marsteller, Penn oversees a global network of 94 offices and 1,600 employees that brings world-class public relations to companies around the world. As President of PSB, a position he has held since 1975 when he was an undergraduate at Harvard, Penn focuses on providing research-based communications strategy to political figures, corporations, and crisis situations. He is also the author of Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes, which was released by Warner12 in September 2007.
Penn has been called "Master of the Message" by Time magazine; "The king of polls" by the London Times; an "incandescent intellect" by The New York Times. On his wall are notes saying "you were brilliant" from Tony Blair after his historic third win and "thanks" from Bill Clinton after his impeachment acquittal, along with photos of Penn working with CEOs including Bill Gates and Bill Ford, Jr. The Washington Post, in "Politics and Policy by the Numbers," summed up his influence in the White House and the corporate boardroom as a "unique vantage point: adviser to the preeminent innovator of the past decade in the realm of politics, Bill Clinton, and the preeminent innovator in the realm of business and technology, Bill Gates."
The techniques applied to these political and corporate battles were honed from early major corporate experiences with AT&T, Texaco, and others. In the "Guru of Small Things," The New York Times explains how he has combined innovative techniques of microtargeting, issue-based messaging and visual message testing to win major corporate, marketing, and political battles. Today, Penn serves as strategic consultant to several Fortune 500 companies and CEOs on a wide range of image, branding, and corporate reputation issues. His client relationships include Ford Motor Company, Merck, Verizon, BP, McDonald's, and Microsoft. He has been a key adviser to Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer since 1998, helping Microsoft affect a complete corporate turnaround from antitrust scandal to Most Trusted Company (The Wall Street Journal).
Penn has helped to elect over 25 leaders in the United States, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Currently, he serves as a senior strategist to Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. About his work for her, The Washington Post writes, "Penn also has everything that Clinton would want in a senior consultant: undisputed brilliance and experience." He has worked with Senator Clinton for years, including the polling and messaging for both of her successful U.S. Senate campaigns. Previously, he was an adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair, helping achieve an unprecedented third term win for Labour in the United Kingdom. He is also well known for serving as President Clinton's pollster and political adviser for the 1996 reelection campaign and throughout the second term of the administration. Penn won the Pollster of the Year awards, given every four years, in both 1996 and 2000, the top honor in his profession, from the American Association of Political Consultants. Penn has written for publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post and has appeared frequently on networks including CNN and Fox News.
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David Pullan
President, Isobar Global Client Management -
David Pullan is based in London and manages the teams across Europe and the United States that work with the Isobar Network to develop and deliver digital marketing activities for the agency's international clients. His experience prior to Isobar includes a decade in marketing for a variety of media and entertainment businesses including five years in the music business and three at MTV Networks, followed by a period in network television. More recently, David moved into general management and ran the global multi-platform FHM business for Emap plc across 28 countries. After working on brand development for Emap consumer brands (radio, magazines and digital), he joined Aegis Media in 2007 as President of Service Solutions where he was tasked with developing a service blueprint for the global business. David joined Isobar in February of this year and has worked with leading global brands such as Pernod- Ricard, adidas, Beiersdorf, Renault, and The Coca Cola Company. David holds a degree in Philosophy and Theology from the University of Oxford and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.
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