John S. Chen
Encyclopedia
John S. Chen is chairman, chief executive officer
and president of Sybase
, Inc. He is also a director of Wells Fargo & Company.
, John Chen graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon School, an elite prep school in Northfield, Massachusetts
. He then went on to graduate magna cum laude from Brown University
in 1978 with a BS degree in electrical engineering
. In 1979 he received his MS degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology
.
, John Chen was vice president and general manager of, in turn, the Convergent RISC Platform Division and the Convergent UNIX Systems Group. In 1991 he joined Pyramid Technology Corporation as executive vice president. Chen was elected president, chief operating officer and a director of Pyramid in 1993, serving until 1995.
Chen next joined Siemens Nixdorf as a vice president in 1995. He was promoted to president and chief executive officer of Siemens
Nixdorf's Open Enterprise Computing Division in 1996.
In 1997 Chen became president, chief operating officer and a director of Sybase, Inc., the largest independent software vendor specializing in enterprise database, information management and mobility technology. He was named chairman, CEO and president of Sybase in November 1998.
Chen was elected a director of the Walt Disney Company in 2004 and of Wells Fargo & Company in 2006. He is also a director of the United States Chamber of Commerce
and the Committee of 100
, a trustee of the San Francisco Symphony
, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
.
In the realm of politics, he has been a member of Bush-Cheney 2004 and John McCain
2008 campaigns.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
and president of Sybase
Sybase
Sybase, an SAP company, is an enterprise software and services company offering software to manage, analyze, and mobilize information, using relational databases, analytics and data warehousing solutions and mobile applications development platforms....
, Inc. He is also a director of Wells Fargo & Company.
Education
A native of Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, John Chen graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon School, an elite prep school in Northfield, Massachusetts
Northfield, Massachusetts
Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,951 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He then went on to graduate magna cum laude from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 1978 with a BS degree in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
. In 1979 he received his MS degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
.
Career
With UnisysUnisys
Unisys Corporation , headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States, and incorporated in Delaware, is a long established business whose core products now involves computing and networking.-History:...
, John Chen was vice president and general manager of, in turn, the Convergent RISC Platform Division and the Convergent UNIX Systems Group. In 1991 he joined Pyramid Technology Corporation as executive vice president. Chen was elected president, chief operating officer and a director of Pyramid in 1993, serving until 1995.
Chen next joined Siemens Nixdorf as a vice president in 1995. He was promoted to president and chief executive officer of Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
Nixdorf's Open Enterprise Computing Division in 1996.
In 1997 Chen became president, chief operating officer and a director of Sybase, Inc., the largest independent software vendor specializing in enterprise database, information management and mobility technology. He was named chairman, CEO and president of Sybase in November 1998.
Chen was elected a director of the Walt Disney Company in 2004 and of Wells Fargo & Company in 2006. He is also a director of the United States Chamber of Commerce
United States Chamber of Commerce
The United States Chamber of Commerce is an American lobbying group representing the interests of many businesses and trade associations. It is not an agency of the United States government....
and the Committee of 100
Committee of 100 (United States)
The Committee of 100 is a group of prominent Chinese Americans with the mission to "pool their strengths and experience to address important issues concerning the Chinese American community, as well as issues affecting Sino-American relations." It was founded in 1990.The declared key functions of...
, a trustee of the San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
.
In the realm of politics, he has been a member of Bush-Cheney 2004 and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
2008 campaigns.