Senior Advisor
As president of SRI, Stephen Ciesinski jointly develops SRI strategy with the CEO and ensures that corporate resources and talent are aligned with supporting SRI’s research needs.
Ciesinski also serves as president of Global Partnerships at SRI. His organization has overall responsibility for identifying and securing SRI’s business opportunities in domestic and international commercial markets; U.S. and foreign government agencies; and R&D-based universities. In addition, Ciesinski is a member of SRI’s strategy committee, new venture committee, and technology investment committee.
Ciesinski’s professional experience includes a number of industries and businesses: applications software, semiconductor capital equipment, telecommunications, mobile/wireless, medical devices, open innovation, and others. As a corporate officer, board member, advisor and investor, he has participated in or managed numerous strategic events, including new business formation, product launches, private financings, IPOs, M&A transactions, and leveraged buyouts.
Ciesinski has held executive management positions with Applied Materials, a global manufacturer of semiconductor capital equipment; Octel Communications, a worldwide leader in voice-messaging products; Resumix, Inc., the inventor of Web-based personnel recruiting applications; and Laszlo Systems, a pioneer in Web 2.0 software. He started his career at Procter & Gamble, was a consultant with Booz, Allen & Hamilton, and also was a venture capitalist with Earlybird Ventures. He is an active international angel investor, and assists several private companies and VC firms as an advisor and board member.
Ciesinski is also a faculty member at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) where he teaches courses on entrepreneurship.
Ciesinski is past chairman of the Board of Trustees for Union College and a lifetime trustee. He is also past chairman of the President’s Cabinet at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). He is currently a member of the Yosemite Conservancy Council.
He is a graduate of Union College with a B.S. degree in electrical engineering and an A.B. degree in modern languages. He received an MBA from Stanford University.
Ciesinski resides in Los Altos Hills, California with his wife. Together with their two sons, they are founders of the Kalele Foundation, dedicated to providing character and self-esteem development experiences for disadvantaged children.