In March, Pat Gelsinger ’83 was one of two keynote speakers at the 20th annual Silicon Valley Prayer Breakfast, “Creating Connections That Count.”
Gelsinger is the CEO of VMware. His career began in 1979 when Intel Corp. recruited the 18-year-old from a two-year technical school in Pennsylvania. He joined the company as a technician in quality assurance and quickly advanced. While working full time, he used Intel’s college tuition reimbursement program to complete his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Santa Clara University, then earned a master’s in electrical engineering and computer science at Stanford University. He was appointed the company’s youngest vice president at 31 and, a few years later, its first chief technology officer. Gelsinger worked at Intel for 30 years.
EMC, located in the Boston area, recruited him in 2010 as its chief operating officer. In the fall of 2012, he returned to Silicon Valley to become CEO of VMware, a $4.6 billion technology company headquartered in Palo Alto.
Gelsinger is married and the father of four children. He has written two books, including “The Juggling Act: Bringing Balance to Your Faith, Family, and Work” (David C. Cook, 2008).
The event, launched as the Los Altos Prayer Breakfast by a group of Los Altos couples in 1995, features Christian leaders who offer their testimonies on the power of faith and prayer in their lives and as vital elements of a meaningful and vibrant life.