Earl has over 35 years' experience  in general management and managing research, development, and engineering.  He has conceived and grown new businesses and brought a variety of  advanced technologies to market. Dr. Sacerdoti has spent 20 years operating The Copernican Group, an affiliation of management and  technical consultants focused on making applications of advanced software  technology practical. His clients have included Apple, IBM, Sun Microsystems, Pacific Bell,  Schlumberger, and numerous startups. His  recent work includes collaborating on business plans, setting development plans,  recruiting staff, conceiving products, managing product development and product  marketing, developing and managing patent portfolios, negotiating distribution  agreements, and mentoring executive staff.  He is a co-founder of  Symantec, held bottom-line responsibility for a  top-200 software products business through its IPO, and has held executive  positions at Apple, a wide variety of software  vendors, and a medical device company. He has served on the  Board of Directors of six companies. Earl is  co-chair of the Software Committee for the Keiretsu  Forum. He earned a PhD in Computer Science from  Stanford University and a BA in Psychology from Yale. He has five  issued and four pending US patents.