Tech advocate

BSA's CEO Victoria Espinel has charted a new course for the global software advocacy group that makes it more focused on the societal impact of technology.

Published Fri, Feb 14, 2020 · 09:50 PM

VICTORIA Espinel's appointment as CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance in 2015 is widely seen as a sign of how the focus of the global software industry has shifted from just protecting intellectual property (IP) to influencing global tech policy-making.

As the leading advocacy body for the software industry, BSA's members are among the world's biggest and most innovative companies. Based out of Washington, DC and with operations in more than 30 countries including Singapore, the alliance was set up in 1988 to fight software piracy, sometimes working with local law enforcement agencies.

Ms Espinel, a seasoned trade negotiator and lawyer, has an illustrious track record as a government policymaker. Appointed by then US President Barack Obama as the White House's Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator in 2009, she was the first person to fill the position and became known as "IP Czar" during her tenure.

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