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Benjamin M Rosen

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Known for
  
Chairman of Compaq

Organizations founded
  
Compaq, Sevin Rosen Funds

Name
  
Benjamin Rosen


Born
  
March 11, 1933 (age 91) (
1933-03-11
)
New Orleans, Louisiana

Alma mater
  
California Institute of Technology (B.S.) Stanford University (M.S.) Columbia University (M.B.A.)

Education
  
California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Columbia University

Similar People
  
Rod Canion, Michael Capellas, Thomas Perkins

Benjamin "Ben" M. Rosen (born March 11, 1933) is the former Chairman and former Acting Chief Executive Officer of Compaq and co-founder of Sevin Rosen Funds.

Early life and career

Rosen was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 11, 1933 to Isadore and Anna Rosen. Rosen's father was a dentist and his mother was a secretary. He received a B.S. from the California Institute of Technology in 1954, and M.S. from Stanford University in 1955, and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School in 1961. He worked on Wall Street for 20 years, ending his career as a Senior Technology Analyst and Vice President at Morgan Stanley.

Rosen co-founded the venture capital company Sevin Rosen Funds in 1981 with L.J. Sevin. In this capacity, Rosen invested in Compaq Computer Corporation in 1981, eventually serving as Chairman for 18 years. For four months in 1999, Rosen also served as Acting CEO. As a financier, Rosen backed high tech startup companies including Electronic Arts, Lotus Development and Silicon Graphics.

Together with his wife Donna Perret Rosen, Rosen has created the new ideas festival, KentPresents The inaugural of this not-for-profit event will be held August 13–15, 2015, in Kent, Connecticut. This year, 70 luminary presenters will participate and 300 attendees are expected. Topics to be discussed include visual arts, economics, education, energy, environment, food, global affairs, health & medicine, humanities, human rights, innovation, media, national issues, performing arts, science and technology. Among those speaking are three Nobel laureates, six Pulitzer Prize winners, four members of National Academies of Science, Engineering and the Institute of Medicine, and numerous winners of other awards: National Book, MacArthur, Tony, Peabody and Emmy.

In 1999, Rosen was awarded the Founders Medal of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. in 2007, he was named a recipient of the Caltech Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a member of the honorary societies of Tau Beta Pi (engineering), Sigma Xi (research), and Beta Gamma Sigma (business).

In 1986, Rosen joined the board of the California Institute of Technology, where he served as chairman for four years. Currently he is Chairman Emeritus and Life Trustee. That same year, he became a board member of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where he is now emeritus member of the Board of Overseers. He is also an emeritus director of The New York Philharmonic Society board of directors. He formerly served on the boards of the Metropolitan Opera and the Columbia University Graduate School of Business Board of Overseers (and was a former chairman).

Rosen wrote a blog called "Through Rosen-Colored Glasses" for four years. He currently publishes the online cultural blog, "The Virtual Dinner Party."

Rosen is married to Donna Perret Rosen, the former contemporary art gallerist in New Orleans and owner of Galerie Simone Stern there. He has two sons, Jeffrey Rosen and Eric Rosen.

References

Benjamin M. Rosen Wikipedia