Advisory Board

The Kairos Society “Uniting the brightest young minds to fuel the innovations for a better tomorrow”

Advisory Board

William A. Owens – Chairman & CEO: AEA Asia, Former CEO: Nortel, Former US Vice Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff

Rajat K. Gupta – Managing Director Worldwide: McKinsey & Co

Bill White – President: Intrepid Air, Sea, & Space Museum, Fallen Heroes Fund

Scott Mednick – Founder: Legendary Pictures, Mandalay Branded Entertainment, THINK, Mednick Group

Chris Kitze – Founder: Xoom, Yaga, Point Communications, Aris, Former CEO: NBCi

William A. Owens – “I’m interested in being associated and helping Kairos Society because their values and ambitions are aligned with those that I think can be of the greatest use to the best and brightest students in today’s top universities. In this world, in which “everything is changing”, I believe the spirit of entrepreneurship, open-minded capitalism, and glowing global relations will be of the utmost value. I think that this Society believes in that spirit, and that it will do much to enhance these most promising student’s futures. I’m proud to be a small part of that! “

Bill Owens is the CEO and Chairman of AEA Holdings ASIA located in Hong Kong and a managing director of AEA Investors. Through November 15, 2005, he was Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of Nortel. Owens had served on the Nortel Board of Directors and took the helm of Nortel following the disclosure of accounting issues in April 2004. Under his leadership, Nortel was reestablished as a strong, stable, ethical fortune 500 company growing strongly and on the path to reestablish leadership in the telecommunications and enterprise IT global marketplace. Prior to joining Nortel in 2004, Owens was chief executive officer and chairman of Teledesic LLC and before that was the President, Chief Operating Officer and vice chairman of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the United States’ largest employee-owned high-technology company. Owens has served on the board of directors of over 20 public companies and has founded two technology companies, Lumera and Extend America. Prior to joining SAIC, Owens was Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the second-ranking military officer in the United States. He had responsibility for the reorganization and restructuring of the armed forces in the post-Cold War era. Widely recognized for bringing commercial high technology into the Department of Defense for military applications, Owens was the architect of the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA), an advanced systems technology approach to military operations that is the most significant change in the system of requirements, budgets and technology for the four armed forces since World War II. From 1991 to 1993, Owens was the deputy chief of Naval Operations for Resources, Warfare Requirements and Assessments. Owens served as commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet in 1990 and 1991 during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq. Between 1988 and 1991, Owens served as senior military assistant to Secretaries of Defense Frank Carlucci and Dick Cheney, the senior military position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In 1988, Owens was the director of the Office of Program Appraisal for the Secretary of the Navy. In 1987, he served as commander of Submarine Group Six, the Navy’s largest submarine group with 20 strategic ballistic missile submarines, 45 nuclear attack submarines, and more than 15,000 men and women. Earlier in his career, he commanded Submarine Squadron Four, and the nuclear submarines USS Sam Houston and USS City of Corpus Christi. Owens has written more than 50 articles on national security and authored the book "High Seas." His latest book, "Lifting the Fog of War," was published in April 2000. He is a 1962 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in politics, philosophy and economics from Oxford University and a master’s degree in management from George Washington University. Owens is on the boards of Daimler Chrysler AG, Polycom, Wipro, Embarq, and AEA Investors LLC. He is a member of several philanthropic boards including the Carnegie Foundation, Brookings Institution and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. On December 1, 2004, Bill Owens received the Intrepid Salute Award in recognition of his business achievements and support of important philanthropic activities. Owens was the North Dakota Citizen of the year, the “Roughrider” in 1996 and is the 1996 David Sarnoff award winner for his contribution to advanced technology. He was one of the George Washington University Distinguished Graduates in 2001 and was recognized as one of The 50 Most Powerful People in Networking in 2004 by Network World, one of the industry’s premier publications.

Rajat K. Gupta “Kairos is bringing a revolutionary look at Entrepreneurship to college campuses across the country. Ultimately, it will be groups like Kairos that inspire a new generation of leaders to continue the growth of our economy and propel the advancements of the future. I am proud to be a part of this endeavor.”

Rajat Kumar Gupta is the Senior Partner Emeritus of McKinsey & Company. He joined the Firm's New York Office in 1973, assumed leadership of its Scandinavian Offices in 1981, and Chicago Office in 1989. Mr. Gupta served as the Managing Director Worldwide of McKinsey from 1994 to 2003. In his 34 year career in consulting, Mr. Gupta has served many leading companies on a broad set of topics related to strategy, organization and operations. He has played a thought leadership role in organizational thinking throughout his career, and led the Organization Practice for the Firm. Mr. Gupta is very active in many non-profit institutions focused on education, health and development. He served as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on UN Reform, is an independent Director of Goldman Sachs, Procter & Gamble, AMR Corporation, Qatar Financial Centre, and is the Chairman of the Board of Genpact and New Silk Route Private Equity. He is also on the Board of Rockefeller Foundation. In addition, Mr. Gupta contributes to the work of a host of organizations including: Education: ¶ Chairman of the Board of the Indian School of Business ¶ Chairman of Pan IIT Alumni Association ¶ Board of Associates of the Harvard Business School ¶ Advisory Board, Kellogg School of Management ¶ Dean’s Advisory Board, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University ¶ Yale President’s Council ¶ Board of Business Higher Education Forum (BHEF) Health: ¶ Chairman of the Board of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria ¶ Chairman of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) ¶ Board of Overseers of the Weill Cornell Medical College ¶ Chairman of the India AIDS Initiative of The Gates Foundation ¶ Dean’s Council, Harvard School of Public Health ¶ Board of the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) Development: ¶ Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ¶ Co-Chair of the American India Foundation (AIF) ¶ Board of the India Education Initiative ¶ Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum ¶ Board of the Millennium Promise Mr. Gupta holds a bachelor of technology degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Bill White “I believe that The Kairos Society is a wonderful organization that is helping to shape the business leaders of tomorrow. They work hard to promote a challenging environment for the young and eager minds of students across the country. The Kairos Society is an invaluable resource for these young adults who will one day run this country.”

Bill White serves as President of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Under his leadership, The Intrepid Museum has emerged as a world-class education attraction welcoming over 700,000 visitors each year and featuring exciting exhibits like the newly acquired British Airways Concorde. White has spearheaded the Capital and Endowment Campaign which will raise more than 100 million dollars to ensure the museum’s future. As President of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund he has led its fundraising campaign, to date totaling more than $80 million, for the families of military personnel lost in Afghanistan and Iraq, and for the construction of the Center for the Intrepid, the national Armed Forces Physical Rehabilitation Center (opened January 2007), located in San Antonio, Texas. This 65,000 square-foot “state-of-the-world” center serves military personnel and veterans who have been catastrophically disabled in operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and in other combat and non-combat related duties. It combines the latest and best medical rehabilitation technology with an unmatched level of care to these brave men and women. White manages all fundraising, business development and external affairs for both the Intrepid Museum and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. He is responsible for planning, marketing and executing special fundraising events, which have included benefit dinners honoring world leaders such as Presidents Clinton, Bush and Reagan, Prime Ministers Rabin, Thatcher, and Berlusconi; as well as the nation’s leading corporate and military leaders. White has generated millions of dollars in new government and private support for Intrepid, and led in the 1996 restructuring of Museum management and in establishing a corporate operational philosophy. White is responsible for exploring means of expanding current business activities to further increase revenue, awareness and support. The Intrepid stands now as one of the nation’s foremost organizations dedicated to supporting the men and women of America’s Armed Forces and their families. White also serves as a Trustee of the Fisher House Foundation, which builds comfort homes at military and veterans hospitals in which patients’ families can stay, at little or no cost, to be near there hospitalized loved ones. White has raised 24 million dollars for the construction of Fisher Houses. White came to Intrepid in 1992. Prior to joining the Intrepid, he worked in the family restaurant and real estate business, which had operated five successful establishments in Manhattan and Long Island. As Senior Manager, he helped ensure this 30-year business remained a successful enterprise. In 1984 White obtained a Coast Guard license for 100-ton capacity and was involved in a start-up pleasure boat operation. White has been an active volunteer in many organizations, which have been key in shaping his life. He served for 8 years in the Point Lookout-Lido Volunteer Fire Department, including 3 years as Captain of the Rescue Company. While attending Fordham University he built the college’s student first aid club into a New York State registered volunteer ambulance service, providing professional emergency medical care to the Fordham Community. In March 1991 White established a 501(c) (3) charitable organization, Operation Support, to raise money for the military families killed in the Persian Gulf War. Dedicating all his non-working hours to this volunteer organization, he led in the effort that in only three months raised $400,000, which was turned over to the USO’s Desert Storm Education and Family Support Funds. White attended Chaminade High School, Mineola, N.Y., and obtained his B.A. from Fordham University. White holds a Culinary Arts Degree from the French Culinary Institute. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Intrepid Museum Foundation, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, the Armed Forces Foundation, the Fisher House Foundation, Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research Foundation, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs the New York Finest Foundation and the Board of NYC & Co, NYC Government’s premiere travel & tourism Board. He served as a member of the Auxiliary of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. In 1993 White was honored by the Lifesaving Benevolent Association for placing himself at risk to rescue an individual drowning in the Hudson River. In 1996 the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Atlantic Fleet awarded White the Meritorious Public Service Award in recognition of his outstanding support of the United States Navy. In 2003, the President of Italy bestowed upon him the title of “Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana del Merito,” an honorary knight of the Republic; and, a year later he received the Meritorious Public Service Award for extraordinary service from the United States Coast Guard. In 2006 White was honored by the United States Marine Corps at their Sunset Parade Celebration.

Scott Mednick “I have been speaking to business and entrepreneur programs at colleges and universities for many years. In my interaction with these future business leaders their thirst for knowledge and information from those who have been on the front lines has been insatiable. In putting together the opportunity to bring a breadth of business leaders together with these bright minds is not only a great idea but one that will help create a vibrant community of business leaders for years to come.”

Scott Mednick is a respected entertainment, media and technology executive, consultant, speaker and author. Mr. Mednick is known for his vision and ability to create new business models. He has been a pioneer in creating one of the first private equity backed motion picture studios, one of the first boutique advertising agencies, one of the first internet marketing companies and one of the first branded entertainment companies. He is known for his creative abilities producing motion pictures, television commercials, television programming and short and long form videos. Mr. Mednick has completed more than 20 mergers, acquisitions and divestitures and has helped to raise over $900 million in investment capital for both public and private companies primarily focused on entertainment, marketing and technology. In 2004 he was a co-founder of Legendary Pictures. Legendary's unique partnership brought together $500 million dollars from private equity and created a 25 picture deal with Warner Bros. to create an active production and finance entity. The initial deal included Legendary Pictures partnering with Warner Bros to fund Batman Begins, Batman: The Dark Night and the third as yet untitled installment. Mednick has served as Executive Producer of such motion pictures as Superman Returns, We Are Marshall, U2 3D, 10,000 BC and 300. For 2009 he is Executive Producer on the highly anticipated Where the Wild Things are being directed by Spike Jonze. Prior to Legendary Mednick partnered with Hollywood producer Peter Guber to form Mandalay Branded Entertainment where he served as President and CEO of the first major motion picture company to bring together Hollywood and large corporations to participate in the creation of entertainment products as marketing vehicles. Among his many accomplishments Mednick was Founder, Chairman and CEO of THINK New Ideas from it's inception through its IPO. Mednick created THINK, one of the first interactive marketing companies, to service the needs of major corporations like Oracle, Coca Cola, Reebok, Sega, Time Warner, Sony, Pioneer Electronics, Disney, Chrysler, CBS and many others. Under Scott's leadership THINK was named as one of the top ten interactive agencies of the year by both Adweek and the Advertising Club of New York. Prior to founding Think, Scott built The Mednick Group for 12 years into the largest independent Design and Marketing company on the west coast. He is responsible for many landmark advertising and marketing projects. He has worked on the marketing campaigns for hundreds of television programs from Lonesome Dove to Survivor and he has worked on the campaigns for over 200 diverse motion pictures including Walt Disney's Fantasia, Coal Miners Daughter, A Few Good Men, Spinal Tap, Dune, An American Werewolf in London, Groundhog Day, X-Men and The Matrix. Mednick's individual clients have included Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington, Larry Bird, Wayne Gretzky, Sting, and Nicole Kidman. His on screen work spans from the opening credits for NBC's Mad About You to the onscreen logo for Dirty Dancing. Mednick has created corporate identity systems and logos for major corporations including Reebok, Kaiser Permanente, Sony Pictures, Apple, Columbia Pictures TriStar Pictures and Legendary Pictures. His clients in the sports world have included the NFL, NBA and NHL where he has created logo and uniform designs for teams including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mednick has been honored with the selection of four pieces of his work for inclusion in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress and has been published in every major design and marketing publication around the world. He is past President of the Art Directors Club of Los Angeles and past Chairman of its' advisory board. He is a frequent lecturer at forums, conferences and educational institutions around the world. Mednick create the board game 'Twenty Questions'. Through his distribution deals with Milton Bradley, Pressman, University Games and Disney, Mednick's line of Twenty Questions games has sold more than 4 million units around the world. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Scott was a member of the National Board of Directors of the After-School All-Stars for 12 years. Under the leadership of its' Chairman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the ASAS has grown to 13 cities with participation of thousands of children annually. Mr. Mednick now serves on the national advisory board and on the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter. Governor Schwarzenegger and the After-School All-Stars awarded Scott the Inspiration Award at their 2007 Gala in Beverly Hills. Under President Clinton, Scott has served on the President's Committee for the Arts and Humanities task force for Children and Youth at Risk chaired by the Hillary Rodham Clinton. He serves as a Trustee of the University of Santa Monica, on the Board of Communications Advisors to Children Now, and is on the Advisory Board of Education First. Scott served on the International Board of Directors of Earth Day 1990 for which he also created the Logo and communications platform.

Chris Kitze “There is nothing more valuable to a young entrepreneur than access to a network of like-minded individuals with a burning desire to succeed. Kairos has done a phenomenal job of bringing together these young, passionate, entrepreneurs nationwide and providing them with the full entrepreneurial experience. I am very excited to be a part of this organization.”

A proven entrepreneur with a successful trail of startups, Chris Kitze co-founded Yaga, Inc., a leading provider of advanced payment and commerce services, in September 2000. As CEO and chairman of the board, Kitze provides a strategic vision as well as extensive technology and electronic media expertise, from startups to multibillion-dollar market cap companies. Prior to Yaga, Inc., he was the CEO of NBC Internet, a company created in December 1999 as a result of the XOOM.com and Snap.com merger. Kitze also cofounded XOOM.com in September 1996, took it public in December 1998, and served as chairman of the board and secretary since its inception. With his Internet and marketing savvy, Kitze has started and sold three interactive companies. Prior to XOOM.com, Mr. Kitze co-founded Point Communications Corporation, a Web directory company that was acquired by Lycos in October 1995. Mr. Kitze remained and managed the Point division, as well as served as overall vice president of marketing for Lycos, where he helped take the company public with a $225 million valuation. Prior to founding Point, Kitze co-founded Aris Entertainment, which published interactive CD-ROM titles, including the award-winning MPC Wizard, MediaClips and Video Cube product lines. Aris Entertainment sold more than 2 million CD-ROM units in less than three years and was purchased by SoftKey International (now The Learning Company), a publicly traded, $300 million company, in June 1994. Kitze is a recent recipient of Israel's prestigious Albert Einstein Technology Award that recognizes path-breaking leaders who have pushed the envelope of technology in the service of mankind through their entrepreneurship and risk taking, enabling others to benefit from their cutting-edge technologies. Presently, Kitze is the chairman of board of wine.com. Mr. Kitze holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado.