Along with my wife, Mary Sauer, I’m very much looking forward to joining Winthrop as a member of the SCR.

My short story: after graduation from Harvard – AB Government (yes, resident in Winthrop!), JD, MBA – I moved to California to spend a few years at BCG. I was recruited to Lucasfilm Ltd. (“LFL”) to manage its Computer Division where we were developing advanced digital tools for filmmakers (You’ll no doubt recognize one of our Division's offspring, Pixar, that was sold by LFL to Steve Jobs and is now part of Disney).

After an LFL reorg ended the Computer Division, I, together with Mary and a third ex-LFL colleague, Andy Moorer, struck out on our own, founding Sonic Solutions.  (As Mary notes in her bio, you’ve certainly listened to some of our work since our systems were used to reduce unwanted noise from hundreds of thousands of recordings being re-released on CD.)  Starting with three people in a modest San Francisco apartment, and with only minimal financing, Sonic grew quickly.  We took the company public seven years after founding, and eventually employed more than 1,000 people spread around the globe, offering a broad range of digital media products and technologies.  

We successfully sold Sonic (11 years ago) and since then I’ve busied myself by founding Accanto Partners, an early-stage tech investor (three of our portfolio companies feature Harvard founders).

Mary and I have several recent Harvard affiliations including participation in the Advanced Leadership Initiative, membership in the Dean’s Cabinet at the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and last, and most important, a daughter, Annie, who graduated from the College in 2022.

I grew up in beautiful Rhode Island.  In my leisure time I enjoy learning about new technologies, reading science fiction, following politics, cooking, and playing the piano.  In the summer we usually go sailing.  We’ve sailed widely in New England, in Atlantic Canada as far northeast as Bras D’Or in Nova Scotia, throughout most of the Mediterranean, a good part of the Caribbean, also the Baltic Sea, the eastern coast of Ireland and the western coast of Scotland and even a bit of the Black Sea.

Though our principal residence is in California (a bit north of San Francisco) we have a small place on Grant Street (just next to DeWolfe housing).  We hope to see you there or in the Winthrop D-Hall!