Alex J. Mandl
Encyclopedia
Alex J. Mandl is a notable Austrian-American businessman, and currently Executive Chairman of smart card
giant Gemalto
. He has been named "One of America's Most Powerful Businessmen" by Forbes magazine.
. After high school he attended Willamette University
in Salem, Oregon
where his father took a teaching position. Alex Mandl received a degree in economics at the small liberal arts school. He then enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley
where he earned a Masters in Business Administration in the late 1960s.
after college, remaining there for 11 years. He followed that by working at CSX Corporation
and Sea-Land Services, Inc. in the 1980s. Mandl began working at AT&T in August 1991 as chief financial officer. In that position, Joseph Nacchio
was one of his top subordinates. Mandl was a key player in AT&T’s purchase of a stake in McCaw Cellular in 1992.
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
giant Gemalto
Gemalto
Gemalto is an international digital security company, providing secure personal devices such as smart cards and tokens in addition to software applications and managed services. The company was formed in June 2006 by the combination of two companies Axalto and Gemplus International...
. He has been named "One of America's Most Powerful Businessmen" by Forbes magazine.
Early life
In the 1950s Mandl moved to the United States with his father Otto after his parents divorced. Alex attended Happy Valley School (now known as Besant Hill School of Happy Valley) where his father was the headmaster in the town of Ojai, CaliforniaOjai, California
Ojai is a city in Ventura County, California, USA. It is situated in the Ojai Valley , surrounded by hills and mountains. The population was 7,461 at the 2010 census, down from 7,862 at the 2000 census.-History:Chumash Indians were the early inhabitants of the valley...
. After high school he attended Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
where his father took a teaching position. Alex Mandl received a degree in economics at the small liberal arts school. He then enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
where he earned a Masters in Business Administration in the late 1960s.
Career
Mandl began working for Boise Cascade CorporationBoise Cascade
Boise Cascade Holdings, LLC, which uses the trade name Boise, is an American pulp and paper company, ranked as the thirteenth largest forest products company in the world....
after college, remaining there for 11 years. He followed that by working at CSX Corporation
CSX Corporation
CSX Corporation was formed in 1980 by the merger of Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries and eventually merged the various railroads owned by those predecessors into a single line that became known as CSX Transportation. Based in Richmond, Virginia, USA after the merger, in 2003...
and Sea-Land Services, Inc. in the 1980s. Mandl began working at AT&T in August 1991 as chief financial officer. In that position, Joseph Nacchio
Joseph Nacchio
Joseph P. Nacchio , was chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Qwest Communications International from 1997 to 2002. He was convicted of 19 counts of insider trading in Qwest stock on April 19, 2007. On July 27, 2007, he was sentenced to six years in federal prison...
was one of his top subordinates. Mandl was a key player in AT&T’s purchase of a stake in McCaw Cellular in 1992.
Positions held
- 1969 – Boise CascadeBoise CascadeBoise Cascade Holdings, LLC, which uses the trade name Boise, is an American pulp and paper company, ranked as the thirteenth largest forest products company in the world....
Corporation, mergers and acquisition analyst - 1969 - 1980 – "various financial positions", according to his bio at Gemalto.
- 1980 – Seaboard Coast Line IndustriesSeaboard Coast Line IndustriesSeaboard Coast Line Industries, Inc., incorporated in Delaware on May 9, 1969, was a railroad holding company that owned the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, its subsidiary Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and several smaller carriers. Its railroad subsidiaries were collectively known as the Family...
, SVP and CFO. - 1987 - 1991 – Chairman and CEO of Sea-Land Service, Inc.
- 1991 - 1996 – CFO, then President & COO, AT&T.
- 1996 - 2001 – Chairman and CEO, Teligent.
- 1999 - 2002 – Board of Directors at In-Q-TelIn-Q-TelIn-Q-Tel of Arlington, Virginia, United States is a not-for-profit venture capital firm that invests in high-tech companies for the sole purpose of keeping the Central Intelligence Agency equipped with the latest in information technology in support of United States intelligence capability...
(resigned to take position at Gemalto.) - April 2001 - August 2002 – ASM Investments, principal.
- September 2002 - June 2006 – Gemplus InternationalGemplus InternationalAcquired by the Texas Pacific Group in 2000, Luxemburg-based Gemplus International SA was a provider of smart cards and related technologies, until its June 2, 2006 merger with rival Axalto; the combined entity is known as Gemalto....
, CEO. - June 2, 2006 - present – GemaltoGemaltoGemalto is an international digital security company, providing secure personal devices such as smart cards and tokens in addition to software applications and managed services. The company was formed in June 2006 by the combination of two companies Axalto and Gemplus International...
, Executive Chairman.
Other affiliations
- Currently on the boards of Dell, Haas School of Business, Willamette University, UC Berkeley, and the American Enterprise InstituteAmerican Enterprise InstituteThe American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
. He has also previously served on the boards of AT+T, PfizerPfizerPfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
and Warner-Lambert. - Mandl has also been affiliated with General Semiconductor, Associated Communications, Omnisky, others.