ENGAGE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Chairman
- President & CEO, Cox Enterprises
Alex Taylor is responsible for Cox Enterprises and its three major subsidiaries: Cox Communications, Cox Automotive and the Cox Family Office, as well as corporate functions including financial operations, human resources and administration. Taylor serves on Cox Enterprises' board of directors and is the great-grandson of James M. Cox, who founded the company in 1898.
During his nineteen-year career at Cox, Taylor has held numerous positions within the company. Taylor previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Cox Enterprises, where he had oversight of the company's three subsidiaries, as well as its long-term growth and investment plans. He also served as Senior Vice President of field operations for Cox Communications, the company's broadband and cable division. As Executive Vice President of Cox Media Group, he oversaw its largest television, radio, newspaper and digital properties, and led the creation of the company's first cross-platform newsroom.
Taylor is a board member of the Food Well Alliance and PATH Foundation, a member of the Carter Center Board of Councilors, and a former board chair of American Rivers. He received his Bachelor's degree in human and organizational development from Vanderbilt University, where he now serves on the board of trust.
Job Titles:
- Senior Analyst
- Senior Analyst, Tech Square Ventures
Arrington, "AW", is a Senior Analyst at Tech Square Ventures where he is responsible for deal execution, supporting portfolio companies, and follow-on investment opportunities.
Before joining TSV, AW worked for Lennar Homebuilders as a Land Acquisition Analyst where he assisted in underwriting and sourcing new deals. He began his career as a Credit Analyst for BMO Harris rotation through the Commercial Real Estate, Financial Institutions, and Commercial Middle Market banking groups.
AW graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Management and Entrepreneurship. He was a 3-year letter winner for the Badger Football team. He is an Atlanta native, loves Waffle House, and makes his own bow ties.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner, Engage and Tech Square Ventures
Bill is a Partner at Engage and Tech Square Ventures. In this role, he will oversee the growth of the Engage program and fund.
Bill spent most of his career as a tech CEO. His first company, which he co-founded in high school, provided graphics software for early, text-based personal computers. His second company, Da Vinci Systems, was started out of his college dorm room and grew to serve millions of users across 45 countries. Later, he spent several years as a venture capitalist with Greylock. In 1998, he left the firm to become CEO of a portfolio company, iXL, which went public and grew to $500 million in revenue. After iXL, he joined Silverpop as CEO. The company grew to nearly $100 million in recurring revenue and became a global leader in cloud-based marketing. In 2014, IBM acquired the company and made it the foundation of the IBM Marketing Cloud. Shortly after the acquisition, Bill was promoted to IBM's VP Corporate Strategy, helping the CEO and SVPs set IBM's strategic roadmap. Bill's companies have created thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in value.
Bill's journey into clean energy began with a TED Talk, which grew into 100+ articles and, most recently, the #1 ranked renewable energy podcast called The Freeing Energy Podcast. All of this supported and ultimately led to his upcoming book called Freeing Energy.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Managing Partner
- Founder and Managing Partner of Tech Square Ventures
- Managing Partner, Engage & Tech Square Ventures
Blake is the founder and Managing Partner of Tech Square Ventures. He currently represents Tech Square Ventures on the boards of Pointivo (Chairman) and PreTel Health (Chairman), as a board observer of Haste, and is the Managing General Partner of Engage. He was previously a board director and observer of Cypress.io (Chairman), Sequr (sold to Genea), UserIQ, and Salesfusion (sold to SugarCRM). Under his leadership, the firm has invested in 47 early-stage ventures.
Prior to founding Tech Square Ventures, Blake was General Manager of the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Tech - named by Forbes as one of the "Top 12 Incubators Changing the World". Prior to leading ATDC, he served as President & COO of Interactive Advisory Software and EVP of iXL, an internet services company that he joined through the acquisition of Swan Media and was part of the executive team that grew the company from startup to over $300 million in annualized revenue and an IPO. He started his career as an Associate at SEI Corporation.
Blake is an active leader in the technology community, serving on the boards of Engage, the Center for American Entrepreneurship (former Chairman), Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures (GATV) and High Tech Ministries. He also serves on the advisory boards of ATDC and Georgia Tech's Cowan-Turner Center for Servant Leadership. Blake is a former Chairman of Venture Atlanta, a Georgia Tech Alumni Association Trustee, a Georgia Research Alliance Industry Fellow and a member of the selection committee for the NC State Chancellor's Innovation Fund. Blake also teaches Entrepreneurial Finance at Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business.
Blake earned a Bachelor of Industrial and Systems Engineering degree from Georgia Tech, where he was captain of the swim team. He was inducted into the Georgia Tech College of Engineering's Council of Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni and previously served on the Georgia Tech Advisory Board.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- President and CEO of Wellstar Health System
Candice L. Saunders is president and CEO of Wellstar Health System, based in Marietta, Ga., and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE). As president and CEO of one of the largest and most integrated health systems in Georgia, Saunders provides leadership for the 25,000 team members that oversee the health and well-being of people and communities across the state.
Saunders, who began her career as a critical care nurse, joined Wellstar as president of Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in May 2007. As a result of her experience and strong leadership, she was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer for Wellstar Health System in 2013. In 2015, she assumed the role of president and CEO.
Saunders has built her career around improving community access to vital healthcare needs, implementing new care models and programs to address consumer health issues, and integrating health delivery processes to improve operational efficiencies and enhance the patient care experience. From the boardroom to the operating room, and across Wellstar Health System, Saunders is a champion for delivering world-class healthcare for every person, every time.
Under Saunders' leadership, Wellstar has been recognized as a leader in safety and quality measures, and as a great place to work. She served on the American Hospital Association (AHA) Board of Trustees and as chair of AHA's Regional Policy Board (RPB) for Region 4 from 2018 - 2020. She has been recognized by numerous organizations for her leadership and has been named to Modern Healthcare's Top 25 Women Leaders, Georgia Trend Magazine's 100 Most Influential Georgians, and Atlanta Business Chronicle's Most Admired CEOs lists. She has been honored as one of The 25 Most Influential Atlantans by The Atlantan Magazine, one of The Atlanta 500 and a Woman of Distinction by Atlanta Magazine, Healthcare Champion by the National Association of Female Executives, and was a recipient of the W. Daniel Baker Leadership Award by the Georgia Hospital Association.
Saunders has a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of South Florida and master's degrees in business administration and health services administration from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. She and her husband Don live in Cobb County and have two adult sons.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- CEO, UPS
- Trustee or Board Member
In 2003, Carol Tomé joined the UPS Board of Directors and currently serves as chief executive officer. Before joining UPS, Tomé served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Home Depot, Inc., one of the world's largest retailers. She joined the company in 1995 as Vice President and Treasurer.
Tomé began her career as a commercial lender with United Bank of Denver (now Wells Fargo) and then spent several years as Director of Banking for Johns-Mansville Corporation. Prior to joining The Home Depot, Tomé was Vice President and Treasurer of Riverwood International Corporation.
Tomé serves as a trustee or board member for a number of organizations including Grady Hospital Foundation, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Sovos Brands and GIA Partners. She is also a member of The Committee of 200, The Buckhead Coalition, The Business Roundtable and The Business Council.
A native of Jackson, Wyoming, Tomé holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication from the University of Wyoming and a Master's degree in Finance from the University of Denver.
Job Titles:
- Chief Research Officer
- EVP for Research, Georgia Tech
As Chief Research Officer, Chaouki Abdallah provides overall leadership for the Institute's $1 billion portfolio of research, economic development and sponsored activities, including the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), eleven interdisciplinary research institutes (IRIs), and related research administrative support units. He also serves on the executive committee of the Council on Research for the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU), the executive committee for the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable (GUIRR), and the advisory committee for the Center on Measuring University Performance (MUP).
Since Abdallah assumed the role of Executive Vice President of Research, the Institute took occupancy of Coda, a first-of-its-kind, mixed-use facility in the heart of Tech Square, designed to create opportunities in interdisciplinary research, commercialization, and sustainability. Under his leadership, Georgia Tech also recently launched the "Commission on Research Next," a process that will map a comprehensive future for research at Tech.
Abdallah came to Georgia Tech from the University of New Mexico, where he served as the university's twenty-second President, Provost, and Executive Vice President for academic affairs, as well as department chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department. During his tenure, Abdallah oversaw long-range academic planning and efforts to improve student success, as well as retention-achievement and graduation achievement rates. Abdallah's research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, national laboratories, and various companies.
Abdallah began his college career at the Faculté d'ingénierie of the Université Saint-Joseph in Lebanon, then obtained a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree from Youngstown State University in 1981, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech in 1982 and 1988, respectively.
Job Titles:
- Chairman, President and CEO, Georgia Power
- Member of the Board of Directors of Essential Utilities, Inc
Chris Womack was named chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power in 2021. He leads Georgia Power in serving its 2.6 million customers across the state. The company is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation's leading energy providers.
Prior to his current role, he served as executive vice president and president of external affairs for Southern Company where he led overall external positioning and branding efforts including the company's public policy strategies and oversaw the company's governmental and regulatory affairs, corporate communication initiatives and other external and strategic business engagements.
A native of Greenville, Alabama, Womack joined Southern Company in 1988 and has held several leadership positions within Southern Company and its subsidiaries. He has served as executive vice president of external affairs at Georgia Power and senior vice president and senior production officer of Southern Company Generation, where he was responsible for coal, gas, and hydro generation for Georgia Power and Savannah Electric. Womack also served as senior vice president of human resources and chief people officer at Southern Company, as well as senior vice president of public relations and corporate services at Alabama Power.
Prior to joining Southern Company, Womack worked on Capitol Hill for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC. He served as a legislative aide for former Congressman Leon E. Panetta and as staff director for the Subcommittee on Personnel and Police for the Committee on House Administration.
Womack is a member of the board of directors of Essential Utilities, Inc. He currently chairs the board of the East Lake Foundation, is on the national board of The First Tee and is the chair of the board for the Alliance to Save Energy. Womack has chaired the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau board and the Atlanta Sports Council. He has also chaired the board for Communities in Schools of Georgia and served as a member of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta board. He has received numerous honors, including the Johnny Morrow Endowment Foundation "Man of the Year" (1996); SCLC Leadership Award (1998); Distinguished Alumni, Western Michigan University (2003); Black Enterprise 100 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America (2012) and Black Enterprise Magazine's 75 Most Powerful Blacks in Corporate America (2005). He also received the Boy Scouts of America Whitney M. Young Award for Public Service (2007); the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award (2010); the Black Enterprise/Porsche Intelligent Performers Award (2010); the National Award of Merit from Alpha Phi Alpha (2011); and Let Us Make Man Community Service Award (2019). He is a member of the Leadership Atlanta class of 2000 and the Leadership Birmingham class of 1990.
He holds a bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University and a master's degree from The American University. He completed the Stanford Executive Program in 2001 and is currently pursuing his doctorate degree in political science at Clark Atlanta University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
- Chief Information Officer at New York Stock Exchange, Inc
- Chief Information Officer, New York Stock Exchange, Intercontinental Exchange ( ICE )
Chuck Adkins is Chief Information Officer at New York Stock Exchange, Inc (NYSE: ICE). He is responsible for information technology systems including end-user computing and collaboration tools, IT service management, enterprise ITIL policies and workflows, telephony and video conferencing, application performance monitoring and alerting, and enterprise-wide cybersecurity tools supporting Intercontinental Exchange and its subsidiaries.
Chuck plays a key decision-maker in ICE M&A integrations ensuring secure and efficient post-acquisition operations. Major acquisitions include those of Ellie Mae, Interactive Data Corporation, New York Stock Exchange, and New York Board of Trade.
Chuck holds Bachelor's degrees in Physics from the College of Charleston, Electrical Engineering from Clemson University and an MBA from the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.
Dan Lynn - Chief Commercial Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Commercial Officer
- Chief Commercial Officer of Inspire Brands
Dan Lynn serves as Chief Commercial Officer of Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 32,000 Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, and SONIC Drive-In restaurants worldwide.
Lynn oversees demand generation, digital retail, guest product management, and customer marketing for each brand. He also leads the development of Inspire's comprehensive data & analytics functions, enabling each brand to leverage analytics and data science to drive competitive advantage and long-term growth.
Prior to Inspire, Lynn co-founded ZUZU Hospitality, a successful revenue platform for thousands of independent hotels across Asia.
Prior to founding ZUZU, Lynn worked for Expedia Group and led strategy and analytics for the North American business. He went on to launch Expedia in 13 new countries and served as CEO of AirAsia Expedia, and then head of APAC and Emerging Markets for Vrbo (an Expedia Group company).
Before joining Expedia Group, Lynn worked in McKinsey's London office, where he served global companies in the travel and hospitality industries.
Lynn is an alumnus of the University of Oxford, where he received a Master of Arts in Economics and Management. Lynn is a native of the United Kingdom.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chick - Fil - a
As CEO of one of the nation's largest family-owned businesses, Chick-fil-A's Dan Cathy represents the next generation of leadership for the Atlanta-based fast-food chicken restaurant chain founded by his father, S. Truett Cathy. Eager to incorporate his own skills and talents into the business, Cathy has taken an unconventional, yet personally and professionally rewarding approach to Chick-fil-A leadership.
With a firm handshake and kind smile Dan T. Cathy, chairman and chief executive officer of Chick-fil-A, greets a family in a restaurant dining room saying, "Hi. I'm Dan. I work in customer service."
Cathy has been defining his role in "customer service" for more than 40 years - even before officially joining Chick-fil-A, Inc. in 1970. As the eldest son of one of the most influential restaurateurs of the last century, Cathy has dedicated much of his life to building upon his father S. Truett Cathy's pioneering vision to care for people by providing food and customer service that exceeds expectations.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Professor at Cornell University
- Head of Investment Banking SE Region, Goldman Sachs
- Head of the Investment Banking Division 's Southeast Region
- Member of the Executive Committee of the Metro Atlanta Chamber
Dave Dase is head of the Investment Banking Division's Southeast Region and has primary responsibility for clients in the Southeast as well as the media, information services, internet, telecom, and sports sectors.
He is a member of the Firmwide Commitments Committee and a member of the Investment Banking Services Captains Group. Dase has served as co-head of Client Coverage for the Technology, Media, and Telecom Group. Previously, he was a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions and Real Estate Groups. Dase joined Goldman Sachs in 1994 and was named managing director in 2003 and partner in 2012.
Dase is a member of the Executive Committee of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, a member of IoT.ATL, a program that intends to increase the region's tech sector, and a member of Cornell University Council.
In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of New York City Outward Bound. Dase has served as an adjunct professor at Cornell University, teaching a course on corporate finance and investment management. Dase earned a BA in Economics from Cornell University, where he played varsity football and baseball, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Chief Technology Officer, and Global Head of Technology for Invesco
Donie Lochan is Managing Director, Chief Technology Officer, and Global Head of Technology for Invesco, overseeing strategy and execution for Invesco Technology. He was previously the global head of information technology strategy, innovation, and planning.
With the support of the global Invesco Technology team, Lochan is guiding Invesco into a new digital- and data-driven era, with a focus on delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. Collaborating with senior technology leaders and business partners, he develops and oversees implementation of the strategic technology roadmap to support Invesco's investment capabilities and help drive revenue and profit growth. He champions the value of a strong, unified organization, and his strategic vision embraces emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, blockchain, and the "internet of things", which are redefining the rules of the financial and asset management industries.
Lochan has a background in organizational transformation, with a focus on wealth and investment management in domestic and international settings. Prior to joining Invesco in June 2015, Lochan served as head of corporate strategy and mergers and acquisitions for LPL Financial. Before that he was a partner with Bain and Company, a global strategy consulting firm.
Lochan earned a BSc degree with first class honors in mathematics, statistics and computing.
Job Titles:
- President Emeritus, Georgia Tech
Dr. G.P. "Bud" Peterson was the eleventh president of the Georgia Institute of Technology. In this capacity he oversaw a top ten public research university with more than 21,500 students and research expenditures of more than $730 million.
Throughout his career, Dr. Peterson has played an active role in helping to establish the national education and research agendas, serving on numerous industry, government, and academic task forces and committees. A distinguished scientist, Dr. Peterson was selected in 2008 by President George W. Bush to serve on the National Science Board through 2014.
Dr. Peterson was born September 1, 1952, in San Francisco, California, and earned undergraduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics as well as a Master's degree in engineering from Kansas State University. He earned his doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University.
An 18-year Delta veteran, Ed Bastian was a central part of the team that led the airline from bankruptcy to its current position as the industry's leader. Named Delta's CEO in May 2016, Bastian is committed to putting Delta's shared values of honesty, integrity, respect, perseverance and servant leadership at the core of every decision.
Under Bastian's leadership, Delta is focused on operating the nation's most reliable and customer-centric airline, expanding its global footprint, and striving to become the airline of choice for the next generation of travelers.
Bastian joined Delta in 1998 as Vice President - Finance and Controller and was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2000. He left Delta in early 2004 and became Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Acuity Brands.
He returned to Delta six months later to become Chief Financial Officer and lead Delta through its restructuring. In 2007 Bastian was appointed to serve as Delta's President, from where he oversaw Delta's commercial and international functions and strengthened Delta's financial foundation through innovation, debt reduction, revenue growth and bolstering the airline's global network.
Prior to joining Delta, Bastian held senior finance positions at Frito-Lay International and Pepsi-Cola International. Bastian started his career with Price Waterhouse where he became an audit partner in its New York practice.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Executive Vice President, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Wellstar Health System
Dr. Capps is the Executive Vice President, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Wellstar Health System. In his role, Dr. Capps is responsible for advancing the system's digital strategy to reimagine and enhance the consumer healthcare journey and experience, while evolving and optimizing the not-for-profit company's operational technology-based platforms, processes, and partnerships.
Prior to joining Wellstar, he led transformational work as the Chief Digital Health and Engagement Officer for Novant Health as the system rapidly accelerated non-traditional growth and next-generation quality powered by innovative technology. Dr. Capps has led numerous digital innovations over his career including the launch of Novant Health's first online patient experience, pioneering virtual care, development of Community Voice (an online community of engaged consumers helping design future care), implementing a novel real-time online appointment digital platform, launching multiple new companies, and launching the first and longest route medical supply drone operations in the United States.
Prior to his most recent role, Dr. Capps served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Novant Health Medical Group and the Novant Health Physician Network during a time of rapid from over 400 locations to over 600 locations with revenue increasing from 700M to 1.2B. During that time, the physician enterprise had nation-leading quality, patient experience and team member satisfaction. Dr. Capps also served as Chief Medical Information Officer of the Novant Health Medical Group during the implementation of Epic. Novant Health was awarded the prestigious HIMSS Ambulatory Stage 7 Award at the time doubling the number of the locations in the world with that recognition and later the HIMSS Davies Award.
Dr. Capps has been a national thought leader on patient experience, consumer engagement, technology, and innovation speaking on many national stages. He has been a practicing family medicine physician for over 17 years. Dr. Capps received his undergraduate degree from Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC and his medical degree from ECU Brody School of Medicine in Greenville, NC.
Job Titles:
- Analyst at Tech Square Ventures
Hyundo is an Analyst at Tech Square Ventures where he is responsible for project execution and assisting the Managing Partner.
Prior to joining Tech Square Ventures, Hyundo was a director at gener8tor, a startup accelerator based in Wisconsin, running startup incubator programs focused on future mobility and smart manufacturing. He was responsible for sourcing, leading entrepreneurship education, and providing investment opportunities for startups.
Hyundo graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison obtaining a Master of Science in Supply Chain Management and a Bachelor's degree in Economics. Hyundo has a passion for Mixed Martial Arts with training in Boxing and Tae Kwon Do in which he holds a third-degree Black Belt.
Job Titles:
- EVP & CEO, Koch Enterprises
- EVP - Industries / CEO - Enterprises
As Executive Vice President and CEO for Koch - Enterprises, James Hannan is responsible for oversight of Georgia-Pacific, Guardian®, Invista, Molex, and Koch Industries' acquired interest in Infor, and for driving transformational change and knowledge sharing among these and all Koch companies. Previously, he led one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of tissue, packaging, pulp, paper, cellulose, nonwovens, building products and related chemicals as CEO and President of Georgia-Pacific.
Hannan's career with Koch Industries began in 1998 in the mineral services unit as Chief Financial Officer prior to being named president of INVISTA Intermediates. He joined Georgia-Pacific in 2005 as Chief Operating Officer, and was promoted to CEO and President in 2007. He returned to Koch in 2017 in his current role. Hannan serves on the boards of Koch Industries, Georgia-Pacific, Guardian®, Invista, and Molex.
Hannan is involved in numerous community organizations in the Atlanta area as well as business organizations nationally. He has worked closely with the Atlanta Police Foundation and actively serves on the Atlanta Committee for Progress. Hannan is currently on the boards of the Georgia Research Alliance, Woodruff Arts Center, The Commerce Club, and the educational foundation board for California State-East Bay.
Originally from Connecticut, Hannan grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and where he attended California State University-East Bay (formerly California State University, Hayward) and received a Bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Senior Associate at Tech Square Ventures
Jason is a Senior Associate at Tech Square Ventures where he is responsible for sourcing new deals, deal execution, and supporting portfolio companies.
Jason started his career as a software engineer before joining several health tech startups as an early product manager. He has also advised several software and tech-enabled services companies through successful M&A transactions as an investment banker with Citizens Capital Markets. Before joining Tech Square Ventures, Jason co-founded Onboard, an immigration technology company focused on the international education market.
Jason is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and received his MBA from the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University. Originally from the northeast, he now resides in Atlanta with his wife Jolinta and their two children. Jason enjoys cycling, running, and hiking; he has circumnavigated the island of Taiwan on a bicycle and has completed a half Ironman in addition to several marathons and century rides.
Job Titles:
- Chairman & CEO, Intercontinental Exchange ( ICE ) Chairman of the NYSE
Intercontinental Exchange is a Fortune 500 and Fortune Future 50 company. ICE was formed in 2000 and Jeff Sprecher has served as the Chief Executive Officer since May 2000 and as Chairman of the Board since November 2002.
Sprecher acquired Continental Power Exchange (CPEX), the predecessor company to ICE, in 1997 to achieve his vision of an open, transparent electronic energy marketplace. Under his leadership, ICE has evolved from operating an energy market to a network of exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, clearing houses and information services customers rely upon to invest, trade and manage risk across global financial and commodity markets.
Sprecher has led numerous strategic initiatives that have enabled ICE to expand from a single asset class - energy - into a broad range of asset classes today. In addition to expanding through acquisitions, Sprecher has led numerous organic growth initiatives to modernize markets. ICE developed the first cleared OTC energy contracts (2002), built the first new major clearing house in the U.K. in over a century (2008) and launched the world's leading clearing houses for credit derivatives (2009).
Sprecher's leadership has been recognized by Business Week, Institutional Investor and a number of other publications. In 2006, ICE's stock was named the best one-year performer by The Wall Street Journal and continues to be recognized for its growth strategy by being named to the 2017 inaugural Fortune Future 50. Sprecher was named Best CEO for Brokers, Asset Managers and Exchanges in Institutional Investor's annual poll for 2019 and in years prior.
Sprecher is involved in a number of civic initiatives. He is the immediate past Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber; is a Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Trustee; and is on the Board of Directors for the Buckhead Coalition, The Commerce Club and Atlanta Committee for Progress.
Raised in Wisconsin, Sprecher earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.
Job Titles:
- CFO & Operating Partner, TECH SQUARE VENUTRES
- CFO and Operating Partner at Tech Square Ventures
Joelle is CFO and Operating Partner at Tech Square Ventures where she manages fund administration and accounting, supports the investment process, and assists portfolio companies with financial and operating strategies.
Prior to joining Tech Square Ventures, Joelle served in roles including starting, growing and exiting high growth technology companies. After successfully selling Velocity Medical Solutions to Varian Medical Systems, she joined Varian to integrate Velocity's team and systems into the publicly traded medical device and software company. Previously, Joelle served as SVP of Finance and Acquisitions at iXL, Inc. and was part of the PWC audit practice for eight years in Atlanta where she focused on technology, media, and consumer goods.
Joelle earned her bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Tennessee. She is actively involved with the LEAD2Legacy program, LOVE Atlanta, and the Flourish women's mentoring program.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of New Ventures, Chick - Fil - a
John Featherston is responsible for leading the New Ventures function at Chick-fil-A. New Ventures supports continued business growth for Chick-fil-A by accelerating the focus on key strategic areas of the business, activating Chick-fil-A in venture communities and anticipating disruptions to prepare Chick-fil-A for the future.
Featherston has consistently been involved in areas of new growth for Chick-fil-A, and led Chick-fil-A's move into urban areas through real estate deals in Chicago and New York. His past work leading the New Market Entry and Growth Strategy teams helped frame the company's focus on new markets and future disruptions. Prior to Chick-fil-A, John spent ten years in real estate finance with Bank of America and Wells Fargo.
Featherston's philanthropic commitment to growth and community is evident in his involvement with organizations including Care for AIDS, Redeemer City to City, and MTLTW (Music to Light the World). Featherston is a frequent speaker, often asked to address Growth Strategy for leadership groups and at universities and sits on the Advisory Board of the Erwin Center for Brand Communications at Clemson University. He is also a Fellow of the Culinary Institute of America.
Featherston is a native North Carolinian, earning his degree in Economics from Duke University. He was an A.B. Duke Scholar and went on to complete the Advanced Management Program at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Featherston continued his dedication to mastery and leadership by completing coursework at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). His professional associations include ULI (Urban Land Institute) and IFA (International Franchise Association).
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- President
- Member of the Boards of Coca - Cola FEMSA
- President and Chief Financial Officer of the Coca - Cola Company
John Murphy is President and Chief Financial Officer of The Coca-Cola Company. He oversees Global Ventures; Platform Services; offline-to-online (O2O) digital transformation; Customer and Commercial Leadership; and Finance and Strategy. Murphy is also responsible for representing the company with multiple stakeholders, including investors, lenders and rating agencies.
Murphy began his career with Coca-Cola in 1988 and has held a variety of leadership, general management, finance and strategic planning roles around the world.
From 2016 to 2018, Murphy served as president of the company's Asia Pacific group, with responsibility for operations in the group's five business units. He was also responsible for the company's Bottling Investments Group, primarily focused on key markets in Southeast and Southwest Asia.
Murphy served as president of the South Latin business unit from 2013 to 2016 and as president of the Latin Center business unit from 2008 to 2012.
Murphy is a member of the boards of Coca-Cola FEMSA and The Coca-Cola Foundation. He is on the board of trustees of the Woodruff Arts Center and co-chairs, with his wife Talia, the University of Georgia's Parents Leadership Council.
Murphy earned a bachelor's degree in business studies from Trinity College in Dublin and a diploma in professional accounting from University College in Dublin. He qualified as a chartered accountant of the Irish Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Junior Gaspard is a Go-To-Market leader with a 15+ year track record as a CEO and executive GTM leader. Prior to his current role as co-founder and CEO of Frax, Junior served as CEO of Experience, a multi-million dollar mobile commerce platform used by 200+ partners across professional sports and entertainment that was acquired by Cox Enterprises. The product was used by millions of fans at 10,000+ events a year across the MLB, NBA, NCAA, NFL, and NHL. Prior to his time at Experience, he led large sales and marketing functions at multiple early-stage SaaS companies, including marketing automation company Silverpop, which IBM acquired in 2012.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President, Goldman Sachs
Justin Smith is a Vice President within Goldman Sachs' technology investment banking practice and primarily focuses on software and internet clients on the East Coast. Justin advises senior management teams, boards, private equity firms and other market participants on a range of transactions including M&A, IPO's, private placements, debt financing, shareholder defense and other strategic alternatives.
Justin joined Goldman Sachs in San Francisco and was asked to relocate to Atlanta in 2017 to help lead the firms' expansion into the Southeast. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Justin co-founded a start-up focused on the financial service sector. Justin holds a BA in molecular neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA in finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- President & CEO, Honeywell Connected Enterprise
- President and CEO of Honeywell Corporate Enterprise
Kevin Dehoff serves as President and CEO of Honeywell Corporate Enterprise (HCE). He leads our efforts in software innovation, including IoT solutions, data analytics, and new business development, leveraging Honeywell's heritage along with IoT technologies to solve our customers' toughest challenges.
Kevin joined Honeywell in 2019, bringing almost 30 years of experience in strategy-based transformation and performance improvement across the Industrials, Technology, and Aerospace & Defense sectors. He previously served as President, Productivity Solutions and Services at Honeywell, where he led global growth and innovation for Honeywell's mobile computers, printers, data capture devices, and software solutions, helping industries across the globe achieve operational excellence.
Prior to Honeywell, Kevin was a Senior Partner and Practice Leader in McKinsey & Company's global Aerospace and Defense Sector where he supported strategic business transformations and led a wide range of performance and operating excellence initiatives. He also served in additional consulting roles, including Vice President and Global Practice Leader of Engineered Products & Services for Booz & Company.
Kevin earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Master of Science in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, both from Lehigh University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director for the Invest Georgia Fund
- Executive Director, Invest Georgia
Knox Massey is Executive Director for the Invest Georgia Fund and the Invest Georgia Program. He has served in this position since the inception of the program in 2014. Both the Program and the Fund were created by legislation passed in the Georgia General Assembly in 2013. The Invest Georgia mission is to fund, build, and grow innovative Georgia companies and Georgia-based entrepreneurs. Doing so helps to create new innovations, new entrepreneurs, and new employees within Georgia.
Job Titles:
- Manager of the Go - to - Market Program
- Manager, Go - to - Market Program
During her college career, Maddie as a Corporate Development and Sales Associate worked for 3 years at Stackfolio, Inc, a machine learning-enabled online marketplace for loan trading and participation. She worked with product, sales, and operations teams on projects encompassing corporate strategy, B2B sales, and internal operations.
Maddie has earn her B.S. in Business Administration in May 2021, with highest honor, from the Georgia Institute of Technology where she specialized in Operations and Supply Chain Management with a certificate in Leadership and Organizational Change. She was actively involved in The Society of Women in Business and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Job Titles:
- Vice President and Global Head of Corporate Development for the Coca - Cola Company
Marie D. Quintero-Johnson is Vice President and Global Head of Corporate Development for The Coca-Cola Company. In her role she leads the development and implementation of the company's global strategy through the identification and execution of transactions and partnerships that accelerate growth, efficiency and capabilities. During her time in this role, The Coca-Cola Company has completed more than $40 billion worth of transactions in over 100 countries, significantly increasing the number of brands owned by the company, supporting the optimization of the bottling infrastructure, assisting with the launch of the innovation and venturing agenda, and greatly expanding the number of partnerships and relationships globally. Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company in 1992, Ms. Quintero Johnson worked with Coopers & Lybrand.
Marie is currently on the board of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, Coca-Cola Bottling of Egypt, Coca-Cola Femsa, Tattooed Chef, Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, and Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School. She received her Master's in Business Administration from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia. She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting, International Business from Georgetown University. She is a Certified Public Accountant.
Ms. Quintero-Johnson lives in Atlanta with her husband and twin daughters. She is a native of Miami, Florida and is fluent in Spanish.
Job Titles:
- VP of Strategy and Corporate Development for Cox Enterprises
As a VP of Strategy and Corporate Development for Cox Enterprises, Mark Lewis is responsible for growing and diversifying the company's portfolio of companies.
Lewis joined Cox in 2018 from Google, where he was a Senior Director in the Business Operations and Strategy team. Lewis spent seven years working with leadership teams in Google and Alphabet's Other Bets, including Capital G, Fiber, Nest, Sidewalk Labs, Verily, Waymo, and X. Lewis also led work to operationalize the Alphabet structure.
Prior to Google, Lewis worked for The Boston Consulting Group in Chicago where he led a wide range of strategy and corporate development projects, mostly in the Industrial Goods and Consumer Products sectors. Lewis also worked for Ernst & Young Management Consulting in London.
Lewis holds a MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science & Management from the University of Nottingham UK, where he was a Ford Scholar.
Job Titles:
- Director and President and Chief Executive Officer of Invesco
- President & CEO, Invesco Chairman
Martin Flanagan has been a Director and President and Chief Executive Officer of Invesco since August 2005. He is also the chairman of Engage Ventures and a Trustee and Vice-Chairman of the Invesco Funds (the company's U.S. open and closed-end fund companies).
Flanagan joined Invesco from Franklin Resources, Inc., where he was President and Co-Chief Executive Officer from January 2004 to July 2005. Previously he had been Franklin's Co-President from May 2003 to January 2004, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer from November 1999 to May 2003, and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 1993 until November 1999. Flanagan served as Director, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer of Templeton, Galbraith & Hansberger, Ltd. before its acquisition by Franklin in 1992. Before joining Templeton in 1983, he worked with Arthur Andersen & Co.
Flanagan earned a B.A. and B.B.A from Southern Methodist University (SMU). He is a CFA charterholder and a certified public accountant. Flanagan serves on the board of governors and as a member of the executive committee for the Investment Company Institute, and is a former chairperson. He also serves as a member of the executive board at the SMU Cox School of Business and is involved in a number of civic activities in Atlanta.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- VP of Operations Technologies & Innovation, Delta
As Vice President, Matt Muta and his team are responsible for driving results through innovative solutions and technology. Muta oversees business innovation strategy and harnesses research, design and technology to deliver solutions across all areas of the airline to enable effortless travel.
Prior to Delta, Muta served as Global Managing Director for Hospitality and Travel for Microsoft Corporation. In this role, Muta was responsible for developing Microsoft's comprehensive solutions framework that enables the next generation of Hospitality and Travel innovation. Additionally, he served as Corporate Vice President of Web Technologies and E-Business for Albertson's Food & Drug, Inc.
Muta is a graduate of Boise State University and serves on the Board of Directors for the YMCA and Boise Hoop Dreams.
Job Titles:
- President of Global Strategy, UPS
Matt Guffey is currently the President of Global Strategy and Transformation for UPS. His responsibility encompasses enterprise strategic planning to drive short and long term growth goals. He's leading the building and execution of UPS's "Better not Bigger" strategy and responsible for transformation and modernization opportunities to fuel growth and business profitability. His team oversees high priority strategic initiatives, working directly with the global business units.
Matt started his UPS career in 2000 as a Marketing Specialist in Decatur, Illinois. With 20+ years at UPS, Matt has worked in Marketing, Sales, and Operations which has provided him a unique breadth of perspective. His integrated experience allows for both a customer centric and global approach to his strategic decisions.In his previous role as the President of US Marketing and SMB Strategic Growth Imperative, Matt's responsibilities included US District Marketing, Segment Marketing, Customer Experience, Our Fastest Ground Ever, and the Small and Medium Business Strategy.
Matt has served in a variety of roles with increasing responsibility both domestically and internationally. His focus has been on managing customer behaviors that directly impact revenue and profit within targeted industry verticals.
In 2013 Matt broadened his global Marketing perspective while working in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Nordics. He led the growth efforts and fashioned the UPS value proposition within targeted industry verticals to enable growth for small, medium, and global companies. He supported the creation of the UPS communication strategies to boost subject matter experts in exporting, drive customer experience, and increase UPS's presence in the European market.
He returned from the United Kingdom in 2015 as the Senior Director of International Marketing and transitioned to the Vice President of Global Segments, where he led a team that created global solutions which streamlined supply chains for UPS customers in high tech, automotive, professional services, and the industrial product verticals.
Currently, Matt leads the organizational Strategic Growth Imperatives that drive growth today and into the future. Understanding the market dynamics, customer needs, and competitive landscape allows Matt and his global team to create strategies that facilitate UPS to continue to deliver what matters most.
Job Titles:
- Entrepreneur in Residence
Matthew Stevens is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Engage & Tech Square Ventures where he supports the firm's new investments and advises portfolio companies on go-to-market acceleration and overall company building.
Matt is also an EIR with the ATDC, an angel investor and an advisor to several early stage technology companies located in Atlanta and San Francisco. He specializes in EOS, Culture Creation, Organizational Design and Go-to-Market for early stage companies across several industry verticals including Public Safety, Supply Chain, Cloud Infrastructure/Telecom and Managed Services.
As both a CEO and President, Matt has Founded and Co-Founded several companies including CENTEGIX which sustained triple-digit growth and achieved a $20M ARR run rate in 3 years despite a global pandemic. Through his leadership CENTEGIX was twice recognized by Inc 5000 as a Fastest Growing Company in America, Atlanta Business Chronicle Pacesetter Award, twice a Technology Association of GA Top 40 & Top 10 Innovative Company, a Hire Vets Gold Medallion recipient and a finalist in the FETC Pitch Competition. He's has several successful exits and is now focused on helping other entrepreneurs achieve their startup dreams.
Matt has been coaching founders and entrepreneurs for over a decade, helping them navigate capital raise, building leadership teams, creating high-performing sales organizations and selling to enterprise customers. His niche is high growth recurring revenue technology companies with a B2B, enterprise focus. He serves on several startup Boards and Advisory Boards.
He's a community builder and serves on the Advisory Board of The City Springs Theatre Company, and is the former Chairman and current Board Member Emeritus of Atlanta's High Tech Prayer Breakfast.
Matt holds a Bachelors of Science and Management degree in Computer Sciences from SUNY Fredonia and has continued his education with Management courses at Georgia Tech and Emory University.
Matt lives in Atlanta with his wife Candace and three children. He's an active outdoorsman who spends his free time fishing, hunting and hiking.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of the Home Depot 's Strategic Business Development
- VP, Strategic Business Development, the Home Depot
Mike Locker is the Vice President of The Home Depot's Strategic Business Development group where he is responsible for enterprise strategy and corporate development activities. Mike joined The Home Depot in 2015 and has held roles of increasing responsibility including Director - Strategic Business Development and Divisional CFO of Installation Services business.
Prior to joining The Home Depot, Mike worked as an investment banker advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital financings and corporate board advisory services. Mike had a fifteen year career advising clients at Goldman, Sachs & Company, Raymond James & Associates and TM Capital Corp. Mike began his career as a CPA in the Financial Assurance Division at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University, a Masters in Accounting from the University of Florida and a Masters of Business Administration from Duke University.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Customer Solutions, Georgia Power
- Vice President for Customer Solutions at Georgia Power Company
- Vice President, Georgia Power
Molly Aeck is the Vice President for Customer Solutions at Georgia Power Company. She works with Southern's operating businesses to integrate and commercialize these innovations and supports the origination and development of new business ventures. Molly played a key role in creating Energy Impact Partners, the $1B venture fund in which Southern is a founding partner and chairman. She has been recognized by Public Utilities Fortnightly Magazine for her impactful work in the utilities industry.
Molly is a Fulbright Scholar with a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from Columbia University. In 2004, she received a Sustainable Energy Fellowship from Stanford to lead renewable energy research and consulting for the Worldwatch Institute. She spent the next 15 years working in clean energy project development and technology investing for EcoSecurities, Allotrope Partners and Southern Company.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Co - Founder
- Co - Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Inspire Brands
Paul Brown serves as Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes nearly 32,000 Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, Rusty Taco, and SONIC Drive-In restaurants worldwide. Inspire is supported by more than 650,000 company and franchise team members. In 2021, its brands achieved $30 billion in global system sales, making Inspire the second largest restaurant company in the United States.
Prior to founding Inspire, Brown was Chief Executive Officer of Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc.
Arby's turnaround "can be attributed to Brown's vision and leadership," according to Fortune. As CEO, he launched several transformative initiatives across the brand's global system with a focus on innovation, including: introducing a new brand purpose, Inspiring Smiles Through Delicious Experiences®; unveiling a visionary restaurant design that increases energy efficiency; launching a team member training program that is centered on goal setting; and fostering a unique approach to product development that reinforces the brand's We Have The Meats® marketing.
Prior to Arby's, Brown served as President of Brands and Commercial Services of Hilton Worldwide. The global hospitality company is comprised of ten brands including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton, and Home2 Suites by Hilton. Brown was the company's global leader for brand management, product standards, marketing, sales, pricing, e-Commerce, loyalty programs, franchise relations, and information technology.
Brown also previously served with Expedia, Inc., the world's leading online travel company, as President of Expedia.com and Expedia's Partner Services Group. Prior to Expedia, Brown was a partner at the McKinsey & Company. Based in London, he was a leader of the firm's global travel and hospitality practice and served clients across the travel, hospitality, and retail sectors. Brown has worked with InterContinental Hotels Group as Senior Vice President of Global Brand Services and was responsible for global sales, reservations, the Priority Club loyalty program, e-Commerce, and purchasing. He was also a Manager for The Boston Consulting Group in the firm's Chicago and Atlanta offices.
For his leadership, Brown was named by Business Insider in 2019 as one of the 10 People Transforming Retail. He was also named the 2018 Norman Award recipient by Nation's Restaurant News, a 2018 Silver Plate honoree by IFMA, the 2017 Restaurant Leader of the Year by Restaurant Business, and a 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year in Retail and Consumer Products in the Southeast by EY. In 2020, Brown became a member of the Wall Street Journal CEO Council.
Brown is chairman of the board of directors of Neiman Marcus Group and a member of the board of directors of FOCUS Brands, Inc. He is also active in the community, serving on the boards of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, the Georgia Tech Foundation, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee.
Brown is an alumnus of Georgia Tech where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in management. He also received an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a Master of Engineering Management from the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He is currently a Fellow with the Culinary Institute of America and has served as an executive-in-residence at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
Job Titles:
- CFO
- EVP
- CFO & EVP, the Home Depot
Richard McPhail was named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Home Depot in September 2019. He is responsible for the planning, analysis, and management of the Company's financial performance, business investment, and capital allocation. His corporate finance responsibilities include financial reporting and operations, commercial financial services, internal audit, investor relations, treasury, and tax.
Prior to his current role, McPhail served in senior executive roles at The Home Depot in strategic planning, financial planning, business development, real estate, international financial management, and as the primary finance partner to all main commercial functions.
McPhail joined The Home Depot in 2005. Previously, McPhail was executive vice president of corporate finance with Marconi Corporation plc in London, England. McPhail also held positions with Wachovia Securities and with Arthur Andersen.
McPhail serves on the executive committee of the Metro Atlanta Chamber and is a member of the board of trustees of Odyssey Atlanta, Zoo Atlanta and The Westminster Schools.
McPhail earned Bachelor's degrees in Economics and in Business Management from North Carolina State University, and a Master's degree in business administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal at Tech Square Ventures
- Principal, TECH SQUARE VENUTRES
Scott is a Principal at Tech Square Ventures where he is responsible for sourcing new deals, deal execution, and supporting portfolio companies.
Since joining TSV as an Associate in 2017, Scott has led or supported diligence and execution on 60 new investments across the TSV and Engage funds focused on early-stage enterprise (B2B) and marketplace technology companies.
Previously, Scott worked at UBS Investment Bank in New York where he advised clients on capital structure and funding strategy, raising more than $26B in debt and preferred stock capital for clients over his tenure.
Scott graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business with a concentration in Finance. He was a 4-year starter for the Penn Quaker Football Team during 3 Ivy League Championships. He currently holds the record for most punts and most punt yardage in the school's history and maintains strong ties to Penn. Scott was ranked as a top 5 NFL-hopeful punter and was invited to Rookie Mini Camp with the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Director
- Director of Corporate Innovation
Taylor Schwan is the Director of Corporate Innovation at Engage and is responsible for building a world-class program that delivers accelerated innovation, learning, and networking opportunities to our partner companies and executives.
Prior to Engage, Taylor served in management consulting roles at Atlanta-based firm, GXG, and at Marriott International where she was a Senior Manager of Enterprise Strategy for the Global Loyalty Business. At Gartner, Taylor was a Senior Researcher supporting legal and compliance executives on corporate governance, data privacy, and compliance initiatives. During her time in DC, Taylor also had the privilege of running a non-profit called National Student Leadership, which focuses on equipping the next generation of student leaders through the idea of servant leadership.
Taylor is passionate about mentorship and innovation, at both a professional and personal level. She serves as a mentor for National Student Leadership and as a member of Women Shaping Shepherd, an Atlanta-based non-profit focused on funding patient-centered programs to fulfill Shepherd Center's mission of helping people with temporary or permanent disabilities to rebuild their lives with hope, independence, and dignity.
Taylor is an Atlanta native and earned a Bachelor's degree in International Affairs and Political Science from the University of Georgia.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- General Partner at Tech Square Ventures
- Partner, Tech Square Ventures
Vasant is a General Partner at Tech Square Ventures, where he is responsible for overall investment strategy and process, sourcing, deal execution, and supporting portfolio companies.
Prior to Tech Square Ventures, Vasant was Director at Primus Capital, a Director at Cox Enterprises, and a Senior Associate at Summit Partners. He has over 15 years of experience as a technology company investor, Board member and advisor, with more than $4 billion in announced exits. He has particular experience in the eCommerce, marketing technology, financial technology, data/information services and mobile/wireless sectors.
Vasant earned an AB from Harvard University and an MBA from Stanford University.
Job Titles:
- President of the Georgia Institute of Technology
- President, Georgia Tech
Under his leadership at GMU, the university accounted for more than half of all enrollment growth in Virginia, increased student outcomes, and joined the top tier of research universities in the Carnegie Classification. From 2004 to 2012, Cabrera served as president at Thunderbird School of Global Management, now part of Arizona State University. Between 1998 and 2004, he was dean of IE Business School in Madrid.
As a business educator, Cabrera has played a key role in advancing professional ethics, internationalization, and corporate social responsibility. In 2007, while serving as a senior advisor to the United Nations Global Compact, he was the lead author of the "Principles for Responsible Management Education" (PRME). A United Nations-supported initiative that advances sustainable development through management education, PRME has now adopted by more than 800 schools around the world. He is also a co-founder of the University Global Coalition, a global network of universities working in partnership with the United Nations in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.
He's been named a "Young Global Leader" by the World Economic Forum, a "Star of Europe" by Businessweek, a "Henry Crown Fellow" by the Aspen Institute, and a "Great Immigrant" by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. He has received honorary degrees from Miami Dade College and Universidad Politécnica of Madrid.
Cabrera serves on the boards of the National Geographic Society, the Atlanta Committee for Progress, the Bankinter Foundation for Innovation, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
Cabrera earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Georgia Tech, which he attended as a Fulbright Scholar. He also holds a telecommunications engineering degree (B.S. and M.S. in computer and electrical engineering) from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. He has published extensively in academic journals and has been featured or quoted in leading media around the world.
He is married to management scholar and Georgia Tech classmate Elizabeth. Their son Alex is a recent Georgia Tech graduate and currently a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University. Their daughter Emilia is a senior at Harvard University. Cabrera is the first native of Spain to serve as president of an American university.
Ángel Cabrera is the 12th president of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Cabrera came to Georgia Tech on Sept. 1, 2019, after serving for seven years as president of George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Virginia.
A top-10 public research university in the U.S., Georgia Tech has outstanding programs in business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and the sciences. With 40,000 students and more than 170,000 living alumni who work in business, industry, and government throughout the world, Georgia Tech has become internationally recognized for the quality of its educational and research programs.
Under his leadership, more than 5,700 members of the Georgia Tech community contributed to a new 10-year strategic plan that launched in November 2020. The plan is grounded on a new mission statement that reaffirms Tech's commitment to "developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition."
As the president of Georgia Tech during the Covid-19 pandemic, he is leading the Institute through one of the most critical times in its history to prioritize the health and safety of the Tech community and to develop innovative solutions to combat the disease.