“Born in California, William Saito took up commercial
software programming when he was 10 years old and incorporated his company just
a decade later. By the time he was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 1998 (by
Ernst & Young, NASDAQ and USA Today), he was 27 and fast becoming one of
the world’s leading authorities on encryption, authentication and biometric
technologies. In the following years he led the development of the world’s
first biometric authentication system and licensed the core technology (BAPI)
to over 160 companies worldwide. When it was included in the Microsoft Windows™
operating system, BAPI became a de facto global standard; Microsoft Corporation
finally purchased the company in 2004. Selling the business he had worked so
hard to build ultimately freed Saito to begin Act II of his unusual story. In
2005 he moved to Tokyo
and founded Intecur, a consultancy that helps companies worldwide to identify
and market innovative technologies. He became CEO of a major venture capital
fund and indulged his passion for helping entrepreneurs to become successful.
He also began advising a multitude of Japanese government agencies, lecturing
at the nation’s most prestigious universities, and commenting on policy issues,
both in speeches, in high-profile essays, and on national TV. Recently, Saito
was named a council member on National Strategy and Policy for the National
Policy Unit, a new Cabinet-level organization that reports directly to the
Prime Minister of Japan. On the global front, he was recently named a
Foundation Board Member of the World Economic Forum after being honored as both
a Young Global Leader and Global Agenda Council member in 2011. Over the years,
Saito has advised national governments around the globe, and continues to do so
today. In Japan, he has served as an advisor to the Ministry of Economy, Trade
and Industry (METI); Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication (MIC);
Ministry of Education, Sports, Culture, Science and Technology (MEXT); Ministry
of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT); the National Institute
of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST); and the Information
Technology Promotion Agency (IPA) of Japan, among others. William Saito is the
author of numerous essays and other publications. His autobiography, An
Unprogrammed Life: Adventures of an Incurable Entrepreneur, was published in
2011 by John Wiley & Sons.”
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