Catch him if you can...at the Wharton Technology Conference
Elfreda Lau & Christine Lee, WG '08
Issue date: 2/19/07 Section: Insider
- Page 1 of 1
"I did not make this film about Frank Abagnale because of what he did... but because of what he has done with his life the past 30 years." - Steven Spielberg
On Friday, February 23rd, Frank W. Abagnale, whose life story was featured in the major Hollywood motion picture "Catch Me If You Can", is coming to share his life experiences and lessons learned as the Special Guest Speaker at the Wharton Technology Conference (WTC) 2007. The conference is being held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and will feature more than thirty senior executives who will share their experiences and insights in the software, hardware, consumer electronics, telecommunications, alternative energy, startup and venture capital industries. Notable keynotes and speakers include Rob Carter, CIO of FedEx, Al Nugent, CTO of CA (formerly known as Computer Associates), and Tom Malloy, CTO of Adobe.
Frank W. Abagnale is one of the world's most respected authorities on forgery, embezzlement and secure documents. For over 30 years he has worked with, advised and consulted with hundreds of financial institutions, corporations and government agencies around the world.
Mr. Abagnale's rare blend of knowledge and expertise began more than 40 years ago when he was known as one of the world's most famous con men. This was depicted most graphically in his best-selling book Catch Me If You Can, a film of which was also made, directed by Steven Spielberg with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. Between the ages of 16 and 21, he successfully posed as an airline pilot, an attorney, a college professor and a pediatrician, in addition to cashing $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries. Apprehended by the French police when he was 21 years old, he served time in the French, Swedish and U. S. prison systems. After five years he was released on the condition that he would help the federal government, without remuneration, by teaching and assisting federal law enforcement agencies.
Mr. Abagnale has now been associated with the FBI for over 30 years. More than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations and law enforcement agencies use his fraud prevention programs. In 1998 he was selected as a distinguished member of "Pinnacle 400" by CNN Financial News - a select group of 400 people chosen on the basis of great accomplishment and success in their fields.
Frank's appearance at the Wharton Technology Conference highlights the growing presence and relevance of technology in our everyday lives - from personal fraud protection to national government security, technology plays an increasingly important role in determining and improving the quality of our lives, even if we might not be aware of it!
With billion-dollar acquisitions popping up throughout the past year, and buzzwords like Web 2.0 floating about the next round of venture-backed startups, 2006 showed us that technology is alive and kicking once again. Typically one of the largest attended conferences, the Wharton Technology Conference is focused this year on identifying business strategies for the next-generation of technologies and exploring how businesses (new and established) are dreaming up ways of monetizing those technologies.
Along the way, we'll ask questions such as: Where will our communities and social networks be moving towards next? What new gadgets will these technologies converge on? What kind of energy will power these next-generation initiatives? And of course, be sure to expect exciting debates on what the next big "thing" is. Mobile Advertising? Collaborative Software? You'll have to be there to find out! For more information about the conference, check out our website at www.whartontechconference.com. We hope to see you there!
On Friday, February 23rd, Frank W. Abagnale, whose life story was featured in the major Hollywood motion picture "Catch Me If You Can", is coming to share his life experiences and lessons learned as the Special Guest Speaker at the Wharton Technology Conference (WTC) 2007. The conference is being held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and will feature more than thirty senior executives who will share their experiences and insights in the software, hardware, consumer electronics, telecommunications, alternative energy, startup and venture capital industries. Notable keynotes and speakers include Rob Carter, CIO of FedEx, Al Nugent, CTO of CA (formerly known as Computer Associates), and Tom Malloy, CTO of Adobe.
Frank W. Abagnale is one of the world's most respected authorities on forgery, embezzlement and secure documents. For over 30 years he has worked with, advised and consulted with hundreds of financial institutions, corporations and government agencies around the world.
Mr. Abagnale's rare blend of knowledge and expertise began more than 40 years ago when he was known as one of the world's most famous con men. This was depicted most graphically in his best-selling book Catch Me If You Can, a film of which was also made, directed by Steven Spielberg with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. Between the ages of 16 and 21, he successfully posed as an airline pilot, an attorney, a college professor and a pediatrician, in addition to cashing $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries. Apprehended by the French police when he was 21 years old, he served time in the French, Swedish and U. S. prison systems. After five years he was released on the condition that he would help the federal government, without remuneration, by teaching and assisting federal law enforcement agencies.
Mr. Abagnale has now been associated with the FBI for over 30 years. More than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations and law enforcement agencies use his fraud prevention programs. In 1998 he was selected as a distinguished member of "Pinnacle 400" by CNN Financial News - a select group of 400 people chosen on the basis of great accomplishment and success in their fields.
Frank's appearance at the Wharton Technology Conference highlights the growing presence and relevance of technology in our everyday lives - from personal fraud protection to national government security, technology plays an increasingly important role in determining and improving the quality of our lives, even if we might not be aware of it!
With billion-dollar acquisitions popping up throughout the past year, and buzzwords like Web 2.0 floating about the next round of venture-backed startups, 2006 showed us that technology is alive and kicking once again. Typically one of the largest attended conferences, the Wharton Technology Conference is focused this year on identifying business strategies for the next-generation of technologies and exploring how businesses (new and established) are dreaming up ways of monetizing those technologies.
Along the way, we'll ask questions such as: Where will our communities and social networks be moving towards next? What new gadgets will these technologies converge on? What kind of energy will power these next-generation initiatives? And of course, be sure to expect exciting debates on what the next big "thing" is. Mobile Advertising? Collaborative Software? You'll have to be there to find out! For more information about the conference, check out our website at www.whartontechconference.com. We hope to see you there!
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
ken Winford
posted 3/14/07 @ 8:15 AM EST
Elfreda, Excellent work and congratulations. It has been quite some time since we last spoke. Drop me a line, I'm currently living in Bermuda.
Ken Winford
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