James C. Morgan

James C. Morgan ran Applied Materials Inc. for nearly three decades - one of the longest tenures of any Fortune 500 CEO. The company was near bankruptcy when he joined; when he retired as CEO in 2003, Applied was a multi-billion dollar global leader with more than 15,000 employees. Quite an achievement for a former Cayuga, Indiana farm boy who grew up herding cows, harvesting corn, and working in his family's vegetable cannery. Along the way, Jim collected and tested his management principles in such realms as the military, the diversified conglomerate Textron, in venture capital, on corporate boards and government commissions, and in the non-profit arena. He has served as both a California and a global director, and co-chair of the Asia Pacific Council of The Nature Conservancy. Recently he and his wife, Becky, have founded the Northern Sierra Partnership, which fosters collaboration among conservation organizations in order to preserve and restore one of the world's great mountain ranges.

Jim also served as Vice Chair of President George W. Bush's Export Council and as an adviser to President Bill Clinton and Congress on U.S.-Pacific trade and investment policy. He was an active member of the Young President's Organization (YPO). He holds an undergraduate degree in engineering and an MBA from Cornell, and he co-authored the 1991 book, Cracking the Japanese Market: Strategies for Success in the New Global Economy. Among Jim's many recognitions are the IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal; the Semiconductor Industries Award; the Silicon Valley Lifetime Achievement Award; the Global Humanitarian Award; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Award; and TNC's Oak Leaf Award. In 1996, he was presented with the U.S. Medal of Technology from President Bill Clinton.