Executive Advisor: FinanceJean-Francois Heitz
Jean-Francois held several positions from 1989 to 2003 with Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), where he was responsible for strategic operations, and treasury and finance functions. During his tenure with Microsoft, he was Deputy Chief Financial Officer from 2000 to 2003, at which time he assisted the Chief Financial Officer to lead the company’s global finance, administration, IT and operations divisions, and he was primarily responsible for transactions, governance, integration of acquisitions and cross-organizational issues. From 1998 to 2000, Jean-Francois was Corporate Treasurer of Microsoft and managed all capital markets, global cash management, foreign exchange, corporate finance, and credit and risk management activities. Prior to his role as Corporate Treasurer for Microsoft, he served as Assistant Treasurer from 1994 to 1998 and as Director of Finance for Microsoft Southern Europe and General Manager, Business Operations, of Microsoft France from 1989 to 1994.
From 1980 to 1989, he held various finance roles with Matra SA (now Group Lagardere), a French multinational high-tech conglomerate, including four years in Boston, and Vice President of Finance and Administration of Matra Systèmes from 1987 to 1989. While with UNITEC, a European subsidiary of Envirotech Corp., he oversaw sales and marketing from 1978 to 1980. From 1974 to 1978, Jean-Francois was an Operations Research Engineer for Air Liquide S.A.
Jean-Francois currently serves as a Director for two private companies, Arc International S.A., and Succès Europe, and as chair of the Audit Committee for Arc International. His past board memberships include Ciber from 2011 to 2016, Bull from 2006 to 2010, Business Objects from 2003 to 2008, Wavecom from 2005 to 2008, Xantrex from 2007 to 2008, and TIR Systems from 2006 to 2007.
Jean-Francois is on the Investment Committee of two technology funds and was on the Advisory Boards for the Stanford Technology Venture Program until 2016. Jean-Francois also regularly invests in small companies as a business angel. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Trustees of the French American School of Puget Sound and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, where he also serves as President of the Seattle Symphony Foundation, as well as a member of the Virginia Mason Foundation Board.
He holds an M.S.E in Mathematics, Engineering and Business from l’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines de Paris and an M.S. in Industrial Engineering, Operations Research and Engineering Economic Systems, summa cum laude, from Stanford University.