Name:  Ashu Roy

Date and place of birth:  1966, India

Residence:  Los Altos, CA

Marital status:  Married

Education:  B.S. in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi; Masters in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University; MBA from Stanford University.

Career path:

1.    Member, Technical Staff - Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). Our team developed innovative VLSI design tools and binary translators for ALPHA, the next-generation microprocessor platform from DEC.

2.    Co-founder - Parsec Technologies (Enterprise Telephony Software). Parsec developed the world's first Computer Telephony Integration software on a Windows platform in 1994.

3.    Co-founder & Chairman - WhoWhere? (leading Web 1.0 portal). We built the world's 12th largest traffic website and eventually sold it to Lycos in 1998.

4.    Co-founder & CEO - eGain, a provider of customer service and contact centre software

Current posts: Chairman and CEO, eGain Communications Corporation

What was your first job? I started out working as VLSI tools designer at Digital Equipment Corporation. It was a fantastic opportunity to work on the cutting-edge of computer science research. And to apply new design techniques to tangibly improve microprocessor performance.

Which business leaders do you most admire?
Among current business leaders, Warren Buffet comes to mind. Not because he is successful, but because he embodies integrity, fortitude, and humility in a unique way.

If you weren’t in your current job, which company would you most like to lead?
A non-profit focused on job creation by applying appropriate technology and information to address community challenges.

Do you read books on management theory? If, so which has influenced you the most?
I generally avoid books on management theory. The two exceptions are: Peter Drucker's "Practice of Management" and Andy Grove's "High-performance management". But I am a student of classics - the one that I refer to frequently is "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius.

What has been your best experience in business?
I remember well the kindness of our customers when we went through a significant challenge seven years ago during the post-9/11 market slowdown. I was amazed and humbled by how much our customers were willing to help us (in small and big ways) to keep us in business. We as a team work extra hard everyday to repay their generosity.

What keeps you awake at night?
I worry about complacence in eGain. I worry that if we do not innovate faster, someone will overtake us. I often imagine what we could accomplish in a future perfect world and keep thinking of what stops us from getting there. But, in general, I sleep very well.

How do you relax?
Read, hike, and keep coming up with better ways to improve everyday living.

Favorite Web site
Economist.com

Desert island disc/book
A book that tells me how best to survive on that island!