Get Updates
Newsroom
|
For Immediate Release
|
Contact: Connie Skipitares, Media Relations/Grant Writing |
Symantec's John W. Thompson to be honored as Pioneer Business Leader
Silicon Valley Education Foundation Will Present Award at its 6th Annual Pioneers & Purpose Dinner June 7
SAN JOSE, CA. – John W. Thompson, former CEO of Symantec Corp., and a distinguished business and civic leader who has made major contributions to education through his work with Teach for America, will be honored with the Silicon Valley Education Foundation's Pioneer Business Leader Award for 2010.
The award will be presented to Thompson, Symantec's chairman of the board, at the foundation's 6th annual Pioneers & Purpose dinner on June 7 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose.
Thompson is one of Silicon Valley's most prominent technology leaders who during his decade-long tenure at Symantec transformed the company into a major force in helping customers secure and manage their information. He serves on the national board of Teach for America, an organization dedicated to eliminating educational inequities among all children.
Thompson currently serves on the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, a congressional committee investigating the collapse of the U.S. financial system. He has also served on the National Infrastructure Advisory Committee as an appointee of President George W. Bush, making recommendations on security and infrastructure for the United States. In addition, he has served as the chair of the Silicon Valley Blue Ribbon Task Force on Aviation Security and Technology to improve security around national and local aviation.
He also serves as a director on the boards of UPS, Seagate Technology and a number of early-stage companies. Prior to his tenure at Symantec, Thompson enjoyed a 28-year career at IBM Corporation.
"I am honored to be selected to receive this award from an organization that is so committed to the education of our children," Thompson said. "The Silicon Valley Education Foundation plays a critical role in improving math and science achievement, and turning out students who will become the technology leaders of tomorrow."
SVEF CEO Muhammed Chaudhry said, "John's contributions to education and technology have made a major impact on Silicon Valley and the world. His work has transformed lives across the globe and has helped students better prepare to be leaders of tomorrow."
Faysal Sohail, chairman of SVEF's board of directors, said, "John Thompson's commitment to improving kids' lives exemplifies the kind of leadership defined by this award."
The Pioneer Business Leader award has been given to several other exceptional leaders in Silicon Valley since 2005. They include Cisco chairman and CEO John Chambers, former Adobe Systems CEO Bruce Chizen, Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang and H. Raymond Bingham, managing director of General Atlantic.
Thompson, 60, who grew up in West Palm Beach, Fla., is the son of a postal worker and school teacher. His teacher mother was one of his best role models, who instilled in him a love of education, he said. From his postal worker father, he learned about business at an early age, helping his dad collect rent at apartments he owned.
Thompson holds a bachelor's degree from Florida A&M University and a master's in management science from MIT's Sloan School of Management. In addition, in 2008, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Notre Dame University.
The Pioneers & Purpose dinner will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel, 170 S. Market St., San Jose. Proceeds will go toward SVEF's work to raise student performance within its STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Initiative, which benefits students across Santa Clara County's 33 districts.
To learn more about this event click here or call (408) 790-9590.
About SVEF
Silicon Valley Education Foundation's (SVEF) goal is to be the leading advocate for public education in our region. We focus on having all students prepared for college and careers. We are committed to raising student performance in math and science across all 33 Santa Clara County school districts. We strive for results through partnering, advocacy, and emphasizing creativity and innovation. Beyond serving students, teachers, and administrators, we provide value to the larger community by making investing in education easy.
 |
 |
 |
 |
RSS
|
