Richard Yanowitch, Founder and CEO, The Entrepreneurs Group

Richard Yanowitch has spent over twenty years in the high-technology industry, where he has served as entrepreneur, senior executive, and venture capitalist for numerous successful Silicon Valley start-ups.  He specializes in transforming early-stage technology companies into high-growth market leaders that create millions of customers, billions of dollars in revenue, and multiple-billions of dollars in sustained shareholder value. 

Mr. Yanowitch advises numerous venture capital firms, early-stage companies, and Fortune 500 CEOs, and has served as interim CEO of internet sports company PROTRADE.  As a venture investor, Mr. Yanowitch maintains positions in over fifty venture capital funds, supporting the creation of some 1,200 young companies.

Mr. Yanowitch also serves as Vice Chairman of The NDS Group plc (NASDAQ: NNDS,  NYSE: NWS), headquartered in London, England, and as a Principle Consultant to News Corporation. 

Recent Executive Roles
Mr. Yanowitch served for nearly five years as Executive Vice President of internet services company VeriSign, Inc., where his teams were instrumental in launching and co-building its web services, enterprise, and international businesses, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, global brand leadership, and partnerships in over 40 countries. VeriSign grew from 30 to 2,500 employees and from $500,000 to nearly $700 million in revenue during Mr. Yanowitch’s service.  He reported to Stratton Sclavos, Chairman and CEO.

Prior to VeriSign, Mr. Yanowitch served for six years primarily as Vice President of Corporate Marketing at database provider Sybase, Inc., responsible for much of the company’s day-to-day messaging, marketing programs, and customer acquisition efforts. Sybase grew from 300 to 5,000 employees and from $10 million to nearly $900 million in annual revenue during Mr. Yanowitch’s service.  He reported to Dr. Stuart Schuster, Executive Vice President.

Mr. Yanowitch has also served as entrepreneur-in-residence at venture capital firm IVP, where he consulted on seed funding for numerous internet start-ups.  Before Sybase, Mr. Yanowitch held a number of sales, marketing, and management positions at The SCO Group, Digital Equipment Corporation, and Lanier Harris Corporation.

The Yanowitch Philanthropic Trust
The Yanowitch Philanthropic Trust makes charitable contributions that span numerous philanthropic fields.  Mr. Yanowitch volunteers board-level consulting services to select non-profit organizations.

Education, Family, and External Pursuits
Mr. Yanowitch received an MBA from the Harvard Business School ('87), and a B.A. in the Honors Program for Classical Studies at Swarthmore College ('81), where he studied the rise and fall of empires during the classical and medieval periods.  He is married to Wendy Shuman Kesser, a former Executive Producer for ABC News in San Francisco.  They have two children, twins Nathaniel Maxwell and Ariella Rose.  During his spare time, Mr. Yanowitch pursues academic studies in classical music, international history, epic literature, and Shakespeare.  He has also worked extensively with Congressional leaders in Washington on political strategy and messaging.