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{{COI|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Peter L. S. Currie
| name = Peter L. S. Currie
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| birth_place =
| birth_place =
| nationality = [[United States|American]]
| nationality = [[United States|American]]
| occupation = Currie Capital,<br>president<ref name=twsOctEfassf/>
| occupation = Business executive
| spouse =
| spouse =
| children =
| children =
⚫
| alma_mater = [[Williams College|Williams]] [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] [[Economics|Econ]]/[[French language|French]]<br>[[Stanford University|Stanford]] [[Master of Business Administration|MBA]] 1982
| residence =
⚫
| alma_mater = [[Williams College|Williams]] [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] [[Economics|Econ]]/[[French language|French]]<br>[[Stanford University|Stanford]] [[Masters of Business Administration|MBA]] 1982
| website =
| website =
| signature =
| signature =
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}}
}}


'''Peter L. S. Currie''' (born 1956) is a [[business]] [[executive (business)|executive]] who was the [[chief financial officer]] for [[Netscape]] from 1995 to 1999.<ref name=twsOctE12>{{cite news
'''Peter L. S. Currie''' (born 1956) is an American [[executive (business)|business executive]] who was the [[chief financial officer]] for [[Netscape]] from 1995 to 1999.<ref name=twsOctE12>{{cite news
|author= Michelle Quinn
|author= Michelle Quinn
|title= Netscape Will Go Public With Stock Sale in August
|title= Netscape Will Go Public With Stock Sale in August
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|quote= The company filed a statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday for the initial public offering of 3.5 million shares, said Peter Currie, Netscape's chief financial officer.
|date= June 24, 1995
|date= June 24, 1995
|url= http://articles.sfgate.com/1995-06-24/business/17808508_1_netscape-spokeswoman-jim-barksdale-netscape-communications-corp
|url= https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Netscape-Will-Go-Public-With-Stock-Sale-in-August-3030632.php
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|access-date= 2010-10-14
|archive-date= 2016-03-23
⚫
}}</ref><ref name=twsOctE13>{{cite news
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160323000336/http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Netscape-Will-Go-Public-With-Stock-Sale-in-August-3030632.php
|url-status= live
⚫
}}</ref><ref name=twsOctE13>{{cite news
|author= New York Times
|author= New York Times
|title= Microsoft Lawyer Suggests Netscape-AOL Conspiracy
|title= Microsoft Lawyer Suggests Netscape-AOL Conspiracy
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|quote= In an attempt to suggest a plot between the two companies and the government to keep their intentions from Microsoft's legal team, the lawyer, Michael Lacovara, questioned Peter Currie, a senior vice president for Netscape...
|date= April 29, 1999
|date= April 29, 1999
|url= http://articles.sfgate.com/1999-04-29/news/17684590_1_dr-dos-microsoft-s-ms-dos-caldera
|url= https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Microsoft-Lawyer-Suggests-Netscape-AOL-Conspiracy-2933741.php
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|access-date= 2010-10-14
|archive-date= 2016-04-06
⚫
}}</ref> Currie is notable for having once been described by ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' reporter Jessica Vascellaro as one of the "Silicon Valley wise men".<ref name=twsOctE21/> He was among the advisors to [[Facebook]] CEO [[Mark Zuckerberg]] about business matters in 2009.<ref name=twsOctE11>{{cite news
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160406212318/http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Microsoft-Lawyer-Suggests-Netscape-AOL-Conspiracy-2933741.php
|url-status= live
⚫
}}</ref> Currie has been described by ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' reporter Jessica Vascellaro as one of the "Silicon Valley wise men".<ref name=twsOctE21/> He was among the advisors to [[Facebook]] CEO [[Mark Zuckerberg]] about business matters in 2009.<ref name=twsOctE11>{{cite news
|title= Yu, Zuckerberg and the Facebook fallout
|title= Yu, Zuckerberg and the Facebook fallout
|work= Reuters
|work= Reuters
Line 38: Line 42:
|date= Apr 1, 2009
|date= Apr 1, 2009
|url= http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2009/04/01/yu-zuckerberg-and-the-facebook-fallout/
|url= http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2009/04/01/yu-zuckerberg-and-the-facebook-fallout/
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090403222221/http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2009/04/01/yu-zuckerberg-and-the-facebook-fallout/
|url-status= dead
|archive-date= April 3, 2009
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
}}</ref> He is an investor in Internet start-ups and serves on the boards of numerous firms.<ref name=twsOctE25/> He is president of Currie Capital and is a charter trustee of [[Phillips Academy]].<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> In February 2011, he was elected as the president of the school's board of trustees, and his term began on July 1, 2012.<ref name=twsFebU12>{{cite news
}}</ref> He is an investor in Internet start-ups and serves on the boards of numerous firms.<ref name=twsOctE25/> He is president of Currie Capital and was a charter trustee of [[Phillips Academy]];<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> from July 2012 to June 2020, he served as the president of the school's board of trustees.<ref name=twsFebU12>{{cite news
|author= Phillipian Staff
|author= Phillipian Staff
|title= Trustees Convene For Weekend Deliberations
|title= Trustees Convene For Weekend Deliberations
|publisher= The Philippian
|publisher= The Philippian
|quote= CXXXIV no. 1 ... Peter Currie ’74 will replace Oscar Tang ’56 as Phillips Academy’s 28th President of the Board of Trustees in July 2012 after being elected this past weekend.
|date= February 10, 2011
|date= February 10, 2011
|url= http://phillipian.net/article/10360
|url= http://phillipian.net/article/10360
|accessdate= 2011-02-21
|accessdate= 2011-02-21
|archive-date= 2011-08-09
⚫
}}</ref><ref name=Currie>{{cite web|title=Currie '74 Elected to Succeed Tang as Board President July 2012|url=http://www.andover.edu/About/Newsroom/Pages/CurrieToSucceedTang2011.aspx|publisher=Phillips Academy|accessdate=29 July 2012|date=15 February 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316062525/http://www.andover.edu/About/Newsroom/Pages/CurrieToSucceedTang2011.aspx|archivedate=16 March 2013}}</ref><ref name="New Members">{{cite web|title=New members join Andover Board of Trustees|url=http://www.andover.edu/About/Newsroom/Pages/NewTrustees2012.aspx|publisher=Phillips Academy|accessdate=29 July 2012|date=19 July 2012}}</ref>
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110809195533/http://phillipian.net/article/10360
|url-status= live
⚫
}}</ref><ref name=Currie>{{cite web|title=Currie '74 Elected to Succeed Tang as Board President July 2012|url=http://www.andover.edu/About/Newsroom/Pages/CurrieToSucceedTang2011.aspx|publisher=Phillips Academy|accessdate=29 July 2012|date=15 February 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316062525/http://www.andover.edu/About/Newsroom/Pages/CurrieToSucceedTang2011.aspx|archivedate=16 March 2013}}</ref><ref name="New Members">{{cite web|title=New members join Andover Board of Trustees|url=http://www.andover.edu/About/Newsroom/Pages/NewTrustees2012.aspx|publisher=Phillips Academy|accessdate=29 July 2012|date=19 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029233335/http://www.andover.edu/About/Newsroom/Pages/NewTrustees2012.aspx|archive-date=29 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Early years==
==Education and career==
Currie graduated from [[Phillips Academy]] in [[Andover, Massachusetts|Andover]] in 1974<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> and earned a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] degree from [[Williams College]] in 1978 and an [[Masters of Business Administration|M.B.A.]] degree from [[Stanford University]].<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> He worked in various capacities at [[Morgan Stanley]] including holding the title of Principal from 1982 to 1989.<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> He held various management positions at [[McCaw Cellular]] from 1989 to 1995 before joining Netscape.<ref name=twsOctEfassf/>
Currie graduated from [[Phillips Academy]] in [[Andover, Massachusetts|Andover]] in 1974<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> and earned a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] degree from [[Williams College]] in 1978 and an [[Master of Business Administration|M.B.A.]] degree from [[Stanford University]].<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> He worked in various capacities at [[Morgan Stanley]] including holding the title of Principal from 1982 to 1989.<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> He held various management positions at [[McCaw Cellular]] from 1989 to 1995 before joining Netscape.<ref name=twsOctEfassf/>


==Netscape rise and fall==
==Netscape rise and fall==
Line 57: Line 66:
|title= Tandem Beats, Netscape Meets Street Estimates
|title= Tandem Beats, Netscape Meets Street Estimates
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|quote= Netscape CEO Jim Barkesdale said he has formed an executive committee consisting of himself; co-founder Mark Andreessen, executive vice president of products, Executive Vice President of Sales Mike Homer and Chief Financial Officer Peter Currie.
|date= July 23, 1997
|date= July 23, 1997
|url= http://articles.sfgate.com/1997-07-23/business/17753963_1_salomon-brothers-netscape-communications-mark-andreessen
|url= https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Tandem-Beats-Netscape-Meets-Street-Estimates-2816032.php
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|access-date= 2010-10-14
|archive-date= 2016-03-19
⚫
}}</ref><ref name=twsOctE14>{{cite news
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160319100403/http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Tandem-Beats-Netscape-Meets-Street-Estimates-2816032.php
|url-status= live
⚫
}}</ref><ref name=twsOctE14>{{cite news
|author= STEVE LOHR
|author= STEVE LOHR
|title= Defying a Juggernaut; Netscape Maneuvers for Position in a Microsoft-Ruled World
|title= Defying a Juggernaut; Netscape Maneuvers for Position in a Microsoft-Ruled World
|newspaper= The New York Times
|newspaper= The New York Times
|quote= ... Microsoft depresses our stock price because we're perceived as being in its cross hairs, explained Peter Currie, an executive vice president for Netscape. ...
|date= November 10, 1997
|date= November 10, 1997
|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/10/business/defying-a-juggernaut-netscape-maneuvers-for-position-in-a-microsoft-ruled-world.html
|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/10/business/defying-a-juggernaut-netscape-maneuvers-for-position-in-a-microsoft-ruled-world.html
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|archive-date= 2015-05-27
⚫
}}</ref> Netscape developed the [[Transport Layer Security|Secure Sockets Layer Protocol]] or ''SSL'' for securing online communication which is still widely used as well as [[JavaScript]]. Currie became its chief financial officer in 1995 <ref name=twsOctEfassf/> when the company went public.<ref name=twsOctE15>{{cite news
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150527055129/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/10/business/defying-a-juggernaut-netscape-maneuvers-for-position-in-a-microsoft-ruled-world.html
|url-status= live
⚫
}}</ref> Netscape developed the [[Transport Layer Security|Secure Sockets Layer Protocol]] or ''SSL'' for securing online communication which is still widely used as well as [[JavaScript]]. Currie became its chief financial officer in 1995 <ref name=twsOctEfassf/> when the company went public.<ref name=twsOctE15>{{cite news
|author= Michelle Quinn
|author= Michelle Quinn
|title= ON TECHNOLOGY -- Netscape Suffers Market Madness
|title= ON TECHNOLOGY -- Netscape Suffers Market Madness
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|quote= CALLER: Could I talk to Mr. Stanley please? FINANCE: Peter Currie's office. Can I help you? CALLER: Is he the bean counter? FINANCE: Peter Currie is our CFO. Is there something I can help you with? CALLER: What does that stand for? FINANCE: CFO stands for chief financial officer....
|date= August 15, 1995
|date= August 15, 1995
|url= http://articles.sfgate.com/1995-08-15/business/17812797_1_caller-netscape-stock-options
|url= https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/ON-TECHNOLOGY-Netscape-Suffers-Market-Madness-3026512.php
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|access-date= 2010-10-14
|archive-date= 2016-04-09
⚫
}}</ref> He was Chief Administrative Officer at Netscape from July 1997 until March 1999.<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> In addition to financial management, Currie was responsible for [[human resources]], [[information technology]], facilities, and operations departments.<ref name=twsOctEfassf/>
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160409160428/http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/ON-TECHNOLOGY-Netscape-Suffers-Market-Madness-3026512.php
|url-status= live
⚫
}}</ref> He was Chief Administrative Officer at Netscape from July 1997 until March 1999.<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> In addition to financial management, Currie was responsible for [[human resources]], [[information technology]], facilities, and operations departments.<ref name=twsOctEfassf/>


Currie owned at least 37,500 shares of stock in Netscape which he sold in 1996, according to one report.<ref name=twsOctE22>{{cite news
Currie owned at least 37,500 shares of stock in Netscape which he sold in 1996, according to one report.<ref name=twsOctE22>{{cite news
|author= Associated Press
|agency= Associated Press
|title= Officials to Sell Netscape Stock
|title= Officials to Sell Netscape Stock
|newspaper= The New York Times
|newspaper= The New York Times
|quote= The other executives announcing their intention to sell include Peter Currie, chief financial officer, with 37,500 shares,
|date= March 1, 1996
|date= March 1, 1996
|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/01/business/officials-to-sell-netscape-stock.html
|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/01/business/officials-to-sell-netscape-stock.html
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|archive-date= 2015-05-26
⚫
}}</ref> Netscape was valued at $5 billion in November 1995.<ref name=twsOctE24>{{cite news
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150526155149/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/01/business/officials-to-sell-netscape-stock.html
|url-status= live
⚫
}}</ref> Netscape was valued at $5 billion in November 1995.<ref name=twsOctE24>{{cite news
|author= HERB GREENBERG
|author= HERB GREENBERG
|title= BUSINESS INSIDER -- How Do You Spell Powerful Bull Market? N-E-T-S-C-A-P-E / Also, Novato High takes lead again in stock contest
|title= BUSINESS INSIDER -- How Do You Spell Powerful Bull Market? N-E-T-S-C-A-P-E / Also, Novato High takes lead again in stock contest
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|quote= ... giving it a market value of more than $5 billion. ... How are Netscape executives reacting to the stock? Not much.
|date= November 29, 1995
|date= November 29, 1995
|url= http://articles.sfgate.com/1995-11-29/business/17819824_1_netscape-s-stock-internet-software-software-developers
|url= https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/BUSINESS-INSIDER-How-Do-You-Spell-Powerful-3019682.php
|archive-url= https://archive.today/20130202024314/http://articles.sfgate.com/1995-11-29/business/17819824_1_netscape-s-stock-internet-software-software-developers
⚫
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|url-status= live
|archive-date= February 2, 2013
⚫
|access-date= 2010-10-14
}}</ref> In 1999, Netscape was bought by [[AOL|America Online]] and became a holding company.<ref name=twsOctEfassf/>
}}</ref> In 1999, Netscape was bought by [[AOL|America Online]] and became a holding company.<ref name=twsOctEfassf/>


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|title= Silicon Valley: It's where brains meet bucks
|title= Silicon Valley: It's where brains meet bucks
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|newspaper= San Francisco Chronicle
|quote= Some of the best stuff at the conference came during a session ... Peter Currie ... Both guys were real candid about how hectic and crazy things were back at Netscape, and Homer especially pointed out that the company was undone by a variety of factors, internal and external.
|date= October 23, 2005
|date= October 23, 2005
|url= http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-10-23/business/17397107_1_mike-homer-netscape-seed-money
|url= https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Silicon-Valley-It-s-where-brains-meet-bucks-2600193.php
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|access-date= 2010-10-14
|archive-date= 2012-11-22
}}</ref> Currie looked back to the tumultuous Netscape days and commented:
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121122075513/http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Silicon-Valley-It-s-where-brains-meet-bucks-2600193.php

|url-status= live
{{cquote|The failure rate was highest for the start-ups that were Internet bets on a business model. Others, with a large technology component, have often found a way for the technology and the company to go forward.<br> — Peter Currie in 2003.<ref name=twsOctE33>{{cite news
⚫
}}</ref>
|author= STEVE LOHR
|title= As Silicon Valley Reboots, the Geeks Take Charge
|newspaper= The New York Times
|quote= The failure rate was highest for the start-ups...
⚫
|date= October 26, 2003
|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/26/business/as-silicon-valley-reboots-the-geeks-take-charge.html
⚫
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
⚫
}}</ref>}}


==Other ventures==
==Other ventures==
Line 122: Line 133:
|title= Barksdale Closes Venture Fund
|title= Barksdale Closes Venture Fund
|work= The New York Times
|work= The New York Times
|quote= The Barksdale Group, a venture-capital firm formed in 1999 by former executives of Netscape Communications, ... the firm raised $180 million and invested about two-thirds of it in 17 start-ups, ... Peter Currie will become a partner at General Atlantic...
|date= January 9, 2002
|date= January 9, 2002
|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/09/business/technology-briefing-internet-barksdale-closes-venture-fund.html
|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/09/business/technology-briefing-internet-barksdale-closes-venture-fund.html
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|archive-date= 2015-05-27
⚫
}}</ref> As an investor and consultant, he focused on the [[enterprise software]] sector of the business.<ref name=twsOctEfassf>{{cite magazine
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150527205514/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/09/business/technology-briefing-internet-barksdale-closes-venture-fund.html
|url-status= live
⚫
}}</ref> As an investor and consultant, he focused on the [[enterprise software]] sector of the business.<ref name=twsOctEfassf>{{cite magazine
|author= Executive profile
|author= Executive profile
|title= Currie Capital LLC
|title= Currie Capital LLC
|magazine= Bloomberg Businessweek
|magazine= Bloomberg Businessweek
|quote= Mr. Peter L. S. Currie is the President at Currie Capital LLC. ...
|year= 2010
|year= 2010
|url= http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=87505&privcapId=23090617&previousCapId=19153&previousTitle=Benchmark%20Capital
|url= http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=87505&privcapId=23090617&previousCapId=19153&previousTitle=Benchmark%20Capital
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121007043340/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=87505&privcapId=23090617&previousCapId=19153&previousTitle=Benchmark%20Capital
|url-status= dead
⚫
|archive-date= October 7, 2012
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
}}</ref> Currie invested in an Internet start-up called [[Flipboard]] in 2010.<ref name=twsOctE25>{{cite news
}}</ref> Currie invested in an Internet start-up called [[Flipboard]] in 2010.<ref name=twsOctE25>{{cite news
|title= IPad App Flipboard Gives VCs 10.5M Reasons To Love It
|title= IPad App Flipboard Gives VCs 10.5M Reasons To Love It
|newspaper= Wall Street Journal
|newspaper= Wall Street Journal
|quote= The company said today it raised $10.5 million in Series A financing co-led by [[Index Ventures]] and [[Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers]], along with individual investors including ... Peter Currie, Quincy Smith and Ashton Kutcher.
|date= July 22, 2010
|date= July 22, 2010
|url= https://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2010/07/22/ipad-app-flipboard-gives-vcs-105m-reasons-to-love-it/
|url= https://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2010/07/22/ipad-app-flipboard-gives-vcs-105m-reasons-to-love-it/
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
|accessdate= 2010-10-14
⚫
|archive-date= 2010-10-24
⚫
}}</ref> Currie claims affiliations with Corsair Communications, Critical Path, Inkling, Listen.com, Kodak Imaging Network, Kontiki, IPVALUE Management, [[Oracle America]], [[Tellme Networks]], Zantaz, InfoSpace.com, [[Clearwire]], CNET, [[Safeco]], and [[Palamon Capital Partners]].<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> He serves on the board of directors for oilfield services giant Schlumberger.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/87347/000130817917000018/lslb2017_def14a.htm|title=SCHLUMBERGER N.V. - DEF 14A|website=www.sec.gov|access-date=2020-04-02}}</ref> In 2016, Twitter released Currie from its board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1418091/000119312517116229/d319969ddef14a.htm#toc319969_6|title=DEF 14A|website=www.sec.gov|access-date=2020-04-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Alster|first=Norm|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/business/mutfund/rebuilding-infrastructure-may-be-profitable-for-the-very-rich.html|title=Rebuilding Infrastructure May Be Profitable for the Very Rich|date=2017-01-13|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-04-02|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101024122339/http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2010/07/22/ipad-app-flipboard-gives-vcs-105m-reasons-to-love-it/
|url-status= live
⚫
}}</ref> Currie claims affiliations with Corsair Communications, Critical Path, Inkling, Listen.com, Kodak Imaging Network, Kontiki, IPVALUE Management, [[Oracle America]], [[Tellme Networks]], Zantaz, InfoSpace.com, [[Clearwire]], CNET, [[Safeco]], and Palamon Capital Partners.<ref name=twsOctEfassf/> He serves on the board of directors for oilfield services giant Schlumberger.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/87347/000130817917000018/lslb2017_def14a.htm|title=SCHLUMBERGER N.V. - DEF 14A|website=www.sec.gov|access-date=2020-04-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Alster|first=Norm|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/business/mutfund/rebuilding-infrastructure-may-be-profitable-for-the-very-rich.html|title=Rebuilding Infrastructure May Be Profitable for the Very Rich|date=2017-01-13|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-04-02|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=2020-09-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928024157/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/business/mutfund/rebuilding-infrastructure-may-be-profitable-for-the-very-rich.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016, Twitter released Currie from its board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1418091/000119312517116229/d319969ddef14a.htm#toc319969_6|title=DEF 14A|website=www.sec.gov|access-date=2020-04-02|archive-date=2020-11-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112030001/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1418091/000119312517116229/d319969ddef14a.htm#toc319969_6|url-status=live}}</ref>


Currie's advice was sought by Facebook co-founder and chief executive officer [[Mark Zuckerberg]] in 2010.<ref name=twsOctE21>{{cite news
Currie's advice was sought by Facebook co-founder and chief executive officer [[Mark Zuckerberg]] in 2010.<ref name=twsOctE21>{{cite news
Line 147: Line 164:
|title= Facebook CEO in No Rush To 'Friend' Wall Street
|title= Facebook CEO in No Rush To 'Friend' Wall Street
|newspaper= Wall Street Journal
|newspaper= Wall Street Journal
|quote= Mindful, though, of the inevitability of an IPO, Mr. Zuckerberg has consulted with several Silicon Valley wise men. Over lunches and milkshakes with people like former Netscape CFO Peter Currie, Mr. Zuckerberg has gobbled up advice, entering thoughts into what he calls "the list" on his BlackBerry—a long to-do list of items for the future.
|date= March 3, 2010
|date= March 3, 2010
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Latest revision as of 22:27, 22 December 2024

Peter L. S. Currie
Born1956 (age 67–68)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materWilliams BA Econ/French
Stanford MBA 1982
OccupationBusiness executive

Peter L. S. Currie (born 1956) is an American business executive who was the chief financial officer for Netscape from 1995 to 1999.[1][2] Currie has been described by Wall Street Journal reporter Jessica Vascellaro as one of the "Silicon Valley wise men".[3] He was among the advisors to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about business matters in 2009.[4] He is an investor in Internet start-ups and serves on the boards of numerous firms.[5] He is president of Currie Capital and was a charter trustee of Phillips Academy;[6] from July 2012 to June 2020, he served as the president of the school's board of trustees.[7][8][9]

Education and career

[edit]

Currie graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover in 1974[6] and earned a B.A. degree from Williams College in 1978 and an M.B.A. degree from Stanford University.[6] He worked in various capacities at Morgan Stanley including holding the title of Principal from 1982 to 1989.[6] He held various management positions at McCaw Cellular from 1989 to 1995 before joining Netscape.[6]

Netscape rise and fall

[edit]

Netscape was a key player that "fueled the Internet revolution," according to a report in "The New York Times," and Currie was an executive vice president who worked under its CEO James L. Barksdale and founder Marc Andreessen.[10][11] Netscape developed the Secure Sockets Layer Protocol or SSL for securing online communication which is still widely used as well as JavaScript. Currie became its chief financial officer in 1995 [6] when the company went public.[12] He was Chief Administrative Officer at Netscape from July 1997 until March 1999.[6] In addition to financial management, Currie was responsible for human resources, information technology, facilities, and operations departments.[6]

Currie owned at least 37,500 shares of stock in Netscape which he sold in 1996, according to one report.[13] Netscape was valued at $5 billion in November 1995.[14] In 1999, Netscape was bought by America Online and became a holding company.[6]

Netscape was seen as the first Internet superstar which had a meteoric rise but the firm was undone by numerous forces including well-established software firms such as Microsoft. In a conference in 2005, Currie described how "hectic and crazy things were" during the tumultuous years in the mid 1990s.[15]

Other ventures

[edit]

In 1999, Currie and Barksdale and others formed a venture capital firm called Barksdale Group to invest in business start-ups, and raised at least $180 million according to one report.[16] As an investor and consultant, he focused on the enterprise software sector of the business.[6] Currie invested in an Internet start-up called Flipboard in 2010.[5] Currie claims affiliations with Corsair Communications, Critical Path, Inkling, Listen.com, Kodak Imaging Network, Kontiki, IPVALUE Management, Oracle America, Tellme Networks, Zantaz, InfoSpace.com, Clearwire, CNET, Safeco, and Palamon Capital Partners.[6] He serves on the board of directors for oilfield services giant Schlumberger.[17][18] In 2016, Twitter released Currie from its board.[19]

Currie's advice was sought by Facebook co-founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg in 2010.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Michelle Quinn (June 24, 1995). "Netscape Will Go Public With Stock Sale in August". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  2. ^ New York Times (April 29, 1999). "Microsoft Lawyer Suggests Netscape-AOL Conspiracy". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2016-04-06. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  3. ^ a b JESSICA E. VASCELLARO (March 3, 2010). "Facebook CEO in No Rush To 'Friend' Wall Street". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  4. ^ "Yu, Zuckerberg and the Facebook fallout". Reuters. Apr 1, 2009. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved 2010-10-14. In a back-to-the-future move, former Netscape CFO Peter Currie will be the key adviser to Facebook about financial matters,
  5. ^ a b "IPad App Flipboard Gives VCs 10.5M Reasons To Love It". Wall Street Journal. July 22, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-10-24. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Executive profile (2010). "Currie Capital LLC". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  7. ^ Phillipian Staff (February 10, 2011). "Trustees Convene For Weekend Deliberations". The Philippian. Archived from the original on 2011-08-09. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  8. ^ "Currie '74 Elected to Succeed Tang as Board President July 2012". Phillips Academy. 15 February 2011. Archived from the original on 16 March 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  9. ^ "New members join Andover Board of Trustees". Phillips Academy. 19 July 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  10. ^ Chronicle Staff Report (July 23, 1997). "Tandem Beats, Netscape Meets Street Estimates". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  11. ^ STEVE LOHR (November 10, 1997). "Defying a Juggernaut; Netscape Maneuvers for Position in a Microsoft-Ruled World". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  12. ^ Michelle Quinn (August 15, 1995). "ON TECHNOLOGY -- Netscape Suffers Market Madness". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  13. ^ "Officials to Sell Netscape Stock". The New York Times. Associated Press. March 1, 1996. Archived from the original on 2015-05-26. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  14. ^ HERB GREENBERG (November 29, 1995). "BUSINESS INSIDER -- How Do You Spell Powerful Bull Market? N-E-T-S-C-A-P-E / Also, Novato High takes lead again in stock contest". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  15. ^ Alan T. Saracevic (October 23, 2005). "Silicon Valley: It's where brains meet bucks". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2012-11-22. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  16. ^ Chris Gaither and Alan Krauss (January 9, 2002). "Barksdale Closes Venture Fund". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  17. ^ "SCHLUMBERGER N.V. - DEF 14A". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  18. ^ Alster, Norm (2017-01-13). "Rebuilding Infrastructure May Be Profitable for the Very Rich". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-09-28. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  19. ^ "DEF 14A". www.sec.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
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