“Intellectual property is critical to the growth and success of the U.S. economy. It’s important for policy makers to establish the right conditions to encourage innovation, promote the protection of intellectual property and stimulate the markets to trade it. I’m pleased to work with a leader in this dynamic and thriving field.”

As a member of the board of directors, I focus on helping the CEO and senior management team set strategy, structure and long-term performance goals. From 2004 to 2009, I served as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. I bring my experience from these roles to Conversant, where I focus on public policy issues relating to innovation, technology licensing and patent policy.

When I represented the US government, I advocated for two principles: (1) free markets for patent licensing and sales, and (2) appropriate rules for patent owners to promote innovation and advance the economy. Becoming a member of the Conversant Board was a good fit for me because the company advances both principles.

More and more, the press reports concerns about inventors or companies that own intellectual property but do not sell a product themselves; however, for all the right reasons, many innovators specialize in innovation and not production. Inventors, universities and companies like Conversant provide a tremendous service to our economy by specializing in research and development and investing in high-quality portfolios of intellectual property.

Career highlights
• Helping to define and communicate the purpose and guiding principles of Conversant —  a technology and patent licensing company that strives to achieve the highest quality and ethical standards in the industry, greatest service to its customers, and highest return on investment to its investors.

• Leading the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a performance-based government agency with nearly 9,000 employees, 2,000 contractors and an annual budget of $2 billion, was an opportunity to work on an important purpose with a great team.

• As president of FIRST, a non-profit organization that inspires more than 300,000 kids from kindergarten through high school to become passionate about careers in science, technology and engineering, I worked with a great team of colleagues, partners and nearly 120,000 volunteers to achieve year-over-year double-digit growth.