Vint Cerf

Vint Cerf, also known as the Father of the Internet, is the co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols and Internet architecture. Currently the Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google, he influences global policy and continued standardisation and spread of the Internet. For his distinguished accomplishments, he has received many prestigious accolades, including the National Medal of Technology, the Turing Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A technology pioneer and innovator, Vint is an intriguing speaker and world-renowned technical advisor.

Showcasing advanced technical skills from an early age, whilst still in high school, Vint worked on the Apollo program writing statistical analysis software for the non-destructive tests of the F-1 engines. After completing high school, he enrolled at Stanford University, earning a BSc in Mathematics. He began his professional career as a Systems Engineer at IBM, returning to academia after a few years to obtain an MS and PhD in Computer Science from UCLA. During his studies, Vint became a member of the data packet networking group that connected the first two nodes of the ARPANET. He also met Bob Kahn, the future co-developer of the Internet.

Vint later returned to Stanford University as an Assistant Professor, conducting research on packet network interconnection protocols and designing the DoD TCP/IP protocol suite with Bob. He then joined the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which was interested in Internet technology for military applications. Following that, Vint joined MCI, developing the first commercial email system. Throughout his distinguished career, Vint has held several prestigious roles, including Vice President at the Corporation for National Research Initiatives, Senior Vice President of Technology Strategy at MCI and Commissioner for the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, among others.

Vint continues to offer pioneering contributions to technology with his work on Interplanetary Internet with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is also Co-Chair of Campus Party Silicon Valley with Al Gore and Tim Berners Lee. In acknowledgement of his work, he recently received the Marconi Society Lifetime Achievement Award, the IEEE Medal of Honor and was inducted into the Consumer Technology Hall of Fame. Now Vint is available to hire for speaking engagements, sharing pinnacle moments of his life, and exploring recent advancements in technology.