Silicon stalwart

IN many ways Bill Coleman - who relinquished his job as CEO of data management company Veritas Technologies in January, after steering it out of a complicated de-merger from Symantec - represents the best traditions of Silicon Valley that transcend the hipster image associated with the place.

As an active 71-year-old info tech professional, Mr Coleman is now on the Veritas board serving also as adviser to the current CEO, Greg Hughes. Over his long career he has worked on cutting edge technology development - first for the US Air Force and then in Silicon Valley - and has founded more than one company, including the highly successful BEA Systems. Set up in 1995, BEA Systems, a company with global reach, specialised in enterprise infrastructure software products. It was wholly acquired by Oracle Corporation in April 2008 in an US$8.5 billion deal.

One could say Mr Coleman was both a participant as well as a spectator with a ringside view of history as it has been created in that hotbed of creativity tucked away in California. Prior to taking the helm at Veritas in 2016, Mr Coleman was a venture capitalist, leading a relatively quiet life.