**

Galian Laurence

** **Personal Information:** * **Date of Birth:** April 5, 1954 * **Birthplace:** Manhattan, United States **Social Media:** * [Twitter](https://twitter.com/galanlaurence) * [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/galanlaurence/) * [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/galanlaurence/) **Recent Projects:** * **2023-Present:** Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Laurence Technologies, a global technology company * **2021-2023:** Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Techstars, a global accelerator for early-stage technology startups * **2019-2021:** President of Microsoft Cloud for Industry, leading the company's cloud-based solutions for specific industries **Other Notable Accomplishments:** * Served as a member of the Board of Directors of The Coca-Cola Company from 2015 to 2021 * Recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2003 * Inducted into the Technology Hall of Fame in 2019 **Educational Background:** * Master of Business Administration (MBA), Harvard Business School * Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Electrical Engineering, Cornell University **Early Career:** * Started his career as a systems engineer at IBM in 1976 * Co-founded his first technology company, Laurence Computing, in 1980 * Sold Laurence Computing to Computer Associates in 1987 **Awards and Recognitions:** * Business Leader of the Year Award, American Business Awards (2018) * Lifetime Achievement Award, National Black MBA Association (2016) * Global Leader of Tomorrow Award, World Economic Forum (2003)