Themes: It's not really about the idea, but about execution

Jeff Parker has an extensive history of success in both entrepreneurship and financial services that he brings to the table as founder and CEO of CCBN. He is also the founder and managing director of Private Equity Investments, a venture capital firm focusing on start-up and early stage companies. As the creator and CEO of several successful financial service companies over the past fifteen years, Jeff brings an operating perspective to the companies in which he invests, as well as a wealth of financial expertise and an extended network of domestic and international business contacts.

In 1980, Jeff founded Technical Data Corporation which he subsequently sold in 1986 to Canadian publishing giant Thomson Corporation. In 1982, he became Chairman and CEO of Business Research Corporation, and in 1983 founded First Call Corporation. Under his leadership, Thomson Financial Services (TFS), as the group is now known, became a major provider of proprietary financial information to the investment and corporate communities. TFS currently serves over 75,000 institutional clients worldwide, and has annual revenues in excess of $750 million.

Prior to his association with TFS, Jeff served as Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Portfolio Manager at Fidelity Investments in Boston. He has also held management positions at Smith, Barney, Loeb Rhoads, and A.G. Becker.

During this lecture to an undergraduate business class at Cornell University, Jeff shares his thoughts on entrepreneurship, raising funds, managing revenue and cash and creating an exit strategy.

Jeff is a graduate of Cornell University from which he received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1965, a Master of Engineering in 1966 and a Master of Business degree in 1970.