Philippe Kahn is Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of LightSurf Technologies, a leading provider of MMS services, Picture-Messaging, and Premium Content Delivery. LightSurf is Philippe's third successful company. He founded Borland (NASDAQ: BORL) in 1982 and was CEO of the company for 12 years until 1994. Under Philippe's leadership Borland became a global leader for professional development tools. In 1994 Philippe co-founded Starfish Software, which was acquired by Motorola in 1998.
Industry leaders and countless publications have lauded Philippe for his visionary strategy, technology innovation and his ability to drive an entrepreneurial culture. He is considered one of the most innovative and dynamic leaders in the imaging and wireless businesses.
In February 2002, the International Imaging Industry Association (www.I3A.org) selected Philippe Kahn for its prestigious Leadership of the Year Award. He has received numerous awards including his induction into the CRN Industry Hall of Fame, recognition by BYTE Magazine as one of the Top 20 Most Important People in the history of the computer industry, selection for Upside Magazine's Elite 100 list, as well as being the recipient of numerous awards for innovation and technical excellence.
Philippe studied at the ETH in Zurich Switzerland and Nice University in France, and received his Masters Degree in Mathematics.
Philippe is fluent in four languages (English, French, Spanish, German) and holds more than 20 technology patents. Besides working with the teams at LightSurf, he spends his time with his wife Sonia and their four children, Laura, Estelle, Samuel, and Sophie, with whom he enjoys sharing his passion for sailing, classical and jazz music as well as surfing and snowboarding, Nordic freestyle skiing and Yoga. Philippe is also a trustee of the Lee-Kahn Foundation (www.lee-kahn.org).
