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Time: |
Sunday 8.2.2004, 14:30 |
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Place: |
Taub Building Auditorium 1, Technion |
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Speaker: |
Mr. Gil Shwed |
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Subject: |
The story of Check Point |
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 Mr. Gil Shwed
Gil Shwed is the chairman and chief executive officer of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. He had led the company to dominate the network security and VPN markets and is leading Check Point Software as the key enabler for the new world of secure e-business. Gil founded Check Point Software in 1993 with the vision of creating the industry's most secure, powerful and easy-to-use network security solution. Prior to Check Point Software, Shwed participated and managed development projects at Optrotech, the Israeli Defense Forces, National Semiconductor and Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He has also been a consultant for the development and deployment of open systems to corporations in both the United States and Israel.
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Summary of the meeting:
In front of an audience of 350, including Technion President Prof. Yitzhak Apeloig, Gil Shwed, Checkpoint's founder and CEO, gave a brief overview of the company's history and unrolled future plans.
The most essential ingredient in Checkpoint's success in becoming "the most profitable software company in the world," according to Shwed is, "excellent people. They are the ones that locate and navigate potential markets and create excellent products."
Checkpoint, today employing 1200 people, 550 of which in Israel, including senior management and the entire development department, was launched by three friends back in 1993. "We figured that if the three of us worked hard and managed to sell one Firewall per month for $20,000, we could have ourselves a nice business." Ten years later, the company still strives to maintain its unique social character while creating a global culture of shared experience among its employees, inside and outside the working place.
Checkpoint's CEO concluded his speech by saying that "The true challenge, banal as it may sound, is to raise the bar one notch higher and keep that as our target. As difficult and frustrating as it may be, we must never think how good we are but how much better we can be."
The Technion President singled out Shwed as an example for all Israeli entrepreneurs. "Unlike many others, Gil has not rushed to sell the company or move it abroad. Israel's economic future lies with companies such as Checkpoint," he said.
The TechIA Forum event concluded with resounding applause from the audience after Prof. Apeloig announced that the Technion would be awarding Mr. Shwed an Honorary Doctorate for his achievements.
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