Homaira Akbari

Dr. Homaira Akbari is President and CEO of AKnowledge Partners, LLC, a global strategy advisory firm providing services to private equity funds and corporations in digital transformation and technology sectors of Cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Energy Transition, and FinTech. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Banco Santander (NYSE: SAN) and Landstar System (NASDAQ: LSTR).

Dr. Akbari has held senior management roles in Fortune 1000 companies including Microsoft, Thales, and Liberty Media subsidiary, Trueposition. Dr. Akbari has served as the President and CEO of SkyBitz, Inc., a leading IoT company providing asset tracking and security solutions. Under her leadership, the company had record performance. She successfully sold SkyBitz to Telular Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLS).

She holds a Ph.D. with honors in particle physics from Tufts University and an MBA with distinction from Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business. She is the author of more than 50 scientific articles in international journals, has two patents in IoT, and is a frequent speaker in industry conferences. She has published numerous governance and technology Opinion Editorials and Podcasts, and most recently published the book: The Cyber Savvy Boardroom. She is a faculty member of cybersecurity at DCRO Risk Governance Institute.

Throughout her life, Dr. Akbari has been active in and a contributor to many non-profit organizations. She is currently a member of Business Board of Advisors for Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business, and a member of Executive Board of Trustees of FIAF.org, a not-for-profit organization with the mission to promote Frnch culture, art, and language.