H K Desai, president, CEO, and chairman of QLogic Corp, is globally recognized as one of the most powerful influences on storage networking. The reason? Not only did Desai sense early the course that storage networking would take in future but also successfully diversified QLogic’s operations. Under Desai’s leadership, QLogic has led the I/O industry in innovative technology development, diversified into new markets, and driven additional growth through acquisition. QLogic is now listed in the S&P 500 index. In a world where success if often measured in terms of market capitalization, Desai’s record is enviable for many.

Desai raised his company’s market capitalization from $25 million in August 1995 to approximately $10 billion in October 2000. He turned QLogic into a leading supplier of fiber channel host bus adapters and switches and, perhaps soon, iSCSI adapters. The American Electronics Association (AEA) presented Desai with an Executive of the Year Award in 1999. He also received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2000. Desai holds an MS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California Berkeley and a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from MS University in India. n