Laura Ipsen, Cisco's SVP and GM of Smart Grid operations, speaks about Cisco's role in the development of a cleaner, more efficient grid, and how it is capitalizing on its specialties in IP networks and security to capture a lion's share of the market.
Energy used to be a one-way street. Today, it's becoming a bi-directional superhighway with utility customers finally taking charge of their power use and how much they pay for it. Instead of drilling into short-term IT issues and arcane arm-chair politicking involved in this shift, GreenBeat 2009 maps out the hottest business and technology opportunities the Smart Grid has to offer.
Bio
Laura Ipsen
Smart Grid is the next multi-billion dollar infrastructure play for Cisco that aims to allow connected utilities to supply electricity in a more efficient and sustainable way, allowing consumers to gain better efficiency and control of their energy consumption.
In her role as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Laura Ipsen shapes Cisco's Smart Grid vision and strategy, builds an extensive product and services portfolio, and drives a strategic plan for communicating to our customers, partners, shareholders, and employees.
Laura Ipsen is also the co-chair of Cisco's EcoBoard, which leads Cisco's comprehensive "green" strategy related to the use of information technology to achieve a positive impact on the environment and climate change. In 2008, Laura Ipsen received the Women Making History award from US Senator Barbara Boxer for her work on environmental issues. In addition, Laura Ipsen leads Cisco's Women's Advisory Group, which identifies and recommends gender-focused strategies as part of Cisco's Inclusion and Diversity Council. Previously, Laura Ipsen established and managed Global Policy and Government Affairs (GPGA) division for Cisco and was responsible for developing Cisco's public policy agenda and advancing governmental policies in support of broadband and IP-based technologies.
Laura Ipsen serves on the boards of the Public Affairs Council, One Economy Corporation, and the Technology Board for Pacific Research Institute. Laura Ipsen is the past president and chair of the board of the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) and the past chair of the Board of Directors for the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC).
Laura Ipsen holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of Virginia and studied Arabic at Yarmouk University in Jordan.
Matt Marshall
Matt Marshall is the editor and CEO of VentureBeat, which he founded in 2006. He covered the venture capital and startup beat for the Mercury News from 2001-2006. Marshall significantly expanded the newspapers coverage of venture capital and startups during that time, in daily articles and a weekly column called the VC Insider, and then online with his blog SiliconBeat from 2004.
Marshall was awarded Journalist of the Year by the Northern California Society of Professional Journalists in 2002, and the James Madison Freedom of Information award in 2003. These awards were for a series of articles he wrote in conjunction with two successful Mercury News lawsuits, in part instigated by Marshall, against California's public pension fund (CalPERS) and the University of California. The lawsuits sought disclosure of the financial performance of venture capital and other private equity funds that CalPERS and UC had invested in, arguing that state taxpayers and retirees had a right to know these results. As a result of these laws suits, public employees now have full access to information on the performance of their retirement investments.
Marshall was a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal in Bonn, Germany from 1995 through 1998. In 1999 he wrote a book while in Germany, The Bank: the Birth of Europe's Central Bank and the Rebirth of European Power. He has also written for the Washington Post and several other publications. Marshal is also the executive producer of DEMO.
Marshall has a PhD in Government and an MA in German and European Studies from Georgetown University.
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