James Paul Manzi
Encyclopedia
Jim Manzi is the former chairman, president and CEO
of Lotus Development Corporation and is currently a private investor in various technology start-up ventures.
in 1973, and later received his M.A. in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. His wife Glenda (a former three-time Emmy award-winning public television documentary producer) was a reporter at Westchester-Rockland, N.Y., Newspapers, which is how he met her.
Later, Manzi worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company
where he worked extensively with Fortune 500 clients as well as offshore clients in Latin America, Europe and Asia.
Manzi's most notable contribution at Lotus was steering the company from desktop applications (e.g. Lotus 1-2-3
and Lotus Symphony
) towards collaborative software
, also known as groupware or workgroup computing software (e.g., Lotus Notes
). In the spring of 1995 IBM
launched a hostile bid for Lotus with a $60-per-share tender offer, when Lotus' stock was only trading at $32. Manzi looked for potential white knights
, and forced IBM
to increase its bid to $64.50 per share, for a $3.5 billion buyout of Lotus. On October 11, 1995 Manzi announced his resignation from the Lotus division of IBM
.
On May 25, 2000, Manzi made an investment in Interwise and joined its board. He went on to become chairman of Interwise, a web- and voice-conferencing company which was sold to AT&T in 2007. In 2000, Manzi was also appointed to the board of directors of Thermo Electron Corporation, and became chairman of the board at Thermo Electron
in December 2003, succeeding Richard Syron. Thermo Electron
subsequently acquired Fisher Scientific
in 2006. Manzi remains chairman of the combined Thermo Fisher Scientific
, a $10 billion company serving the life sciences industry. He is involved in several other companies including Freshdirect in NYC where he was named Chairman in 2011; Skyword, Inc., a demand-driven content business in Boston; RayV, an Israeli start up which delivers HD television over the web; and several others.
He has been a board member of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston for several years. Before that he was a board member of Partners Healthcare.
Manzi made headlines in 1999 as a high-profile fundraiser for Presidential candidate Bill Bradley
.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Lotus Development Corporation and is currently a private investor in various technology start-up ventures.
Early career
Manzi received his B.A. in Classics from Colgate UniversityColgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
in 1973, and later received his M.A. in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. His wife Glenda (a former three-time Emmy award-winning public television documentary producer) was a reporter at Westchester-Rockland, N.Y., Newspapers, which is how he met her.
Later, Manzi worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company, Inc. is a global management consulting firm that focuses on solving issues of concern to senior management. McKinsey serves as an adviser to many businesses, governments, and institutions...
where he worked extensively with Fortune 500 clients as well as offshore clients in Latin America, Europe and Asia.
Lotus
In 1982 Manzi went to Lotus Development as a consultant for McKinsey and became an employee three months later. In 1984, he became President and two years later Chairman and CEO succeeding founder Mitchell Kapor who had been concentrating exclusively on products like Jazz and Agenda for two years.Manzi's most notable contribution at Lotus was steering the company from desktop applications (e.g. Lotus 1-2-3
Lotus 1-2-3
Lotus 1-2-3 is a spreadsheet program from Lotus Software . It was the IBM PC's first "killer application"; its huge popularity in the mid-1980s contributed significantly to the success of the IBM PC in the corporate environment.-Beginnings:...
and Lotus Symphony
Lotus Symphony
Lotus Symphony was an integrated software package for creating and editing text, spreadsheets, charts and other documents on the MS-DOS operating systems. It was released by Lotus Development as a follow-on to its popular spreadsheet program, Lotus 1-2-3 and was produced from 1984-1992...
) towards collaborative software
Collaborative software
Collaborative software is computer software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve goals...
, also known as groupware or workgroup computing software (e.g., Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes is the client of a collaborative platform originally created by Lotus Development Corp. in 1989. In 1995 Lotus was acquired by IBM and became known as the Lotus Development division of IBM and is now part of the IBM Software Group...
). In the spring of 1995 IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
launched a hostile bid for Lotus with a $60-per-share tender offer, when Lotus' stock was only trading at $32. Manzi looked for potential white knights
White knight (business)
In business, a white knight, or "friendly investor," may be a corporation or a person that intends to help another firm. There are many types of white knights...
, and forced IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
to increase its bid to $64.50 per share, for a $3.5 billion buyout of Lotus. On October 11, 1995 Manzi announced his resignation from the Lotus division of IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
.
Career after Lotus
Since 1995, via his investment company Stonegate Capital, Manzi has been involved in the creation and development of a number of technology start-up ventures.On May 25, 2000, Manzi made an investment in Interwise and joined its board. He went on to become chairman of Interwise, a web- and voice-conferencing company which was sold to AT&T in 2007. In 2000, Manzi was also appointed to the board of directors of Thermo Electron Corporation, and became chairman of the board at Thermo Electron
Thermo Electron
Thermo Electron Corporation was a major provider of analytical instruments and services for a variety of domains.Thermo had revenues of over $2 billion, and employed 11,000 people in 30 countries....
in December 2003, succeeding Richard Syron. Thermo Electron
Thermo Electron
Thermo Electron Corporation was a major provider of analytical instruments and services for a variety of domains.Thermo had revenues of over $2 billion, and employed 11,000 people in 30 countries....
subsequently acquired Fisher Scientific
Fisher Scientific
Fisher Scientific International, Inc. was a biotechnology company that provided products and services to the global scientific research and United States clinical laboratory markets...
in 2006. Manzi remains chairman of the combined Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific is a large life sciences supply company that was created in 2006 by the merger of Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific.-Predecessors and merger:...
, a $10 billion company serving the life sciences industry. He is involved in several other companies including Freshdirect in NYC where he was named Chairman in 2011; Skyword, Inc., a demand-driven content business in Boston; RayV, an Israeli start up which delivers HD television over the web; and several others.
He has been a board member of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston for several years. Before that he was a board member of Partners Healthcare.
Manzi made headlines in 1999 as a high-profile fundraiser for Presidential candidate Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
.
External links
- Jim Manzi's Article (The End of the Literary Industrial Complex)
- 2003 Industry Hall of Fame: Jim Manzi
- Were Jim Manzi's Big Ideas Too Big?
- Manzi Resigns At Lotus
- InterWise Appoints Former Lotus Chief, Jim Manzi, to Board of Directors
- One-stop site for blogs offered - The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Willamette University - Jim Manzi
- Chief of I.B.M.'s Lotus Resigns 99 days After Takeover Deal (From the October 12, 1995 New York Times)