DOVER, MA, March 12, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present William E. Foster with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, William E. Foster celebrates many years' experience in his professional network and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Mr. Foster began his career in 1966, where he worked as a mathematician and programmer for Lockheed Missiles and Space Company and later Data Dynamics Corporation, both located in Sunnyvale California. He joined Hewlett-Packard in 1969 as that company was just entering the nascent minicomputer industry. Starting as a programmer, Mr. Foster eventually rose to be the manager of HP's highly successful HP 3000 product line.

In 1976 Mr. Foster moved east to become the vice president of software and advanced architecture for one of the most successful young computer companies at that time, Data General Corporation, newly created in 1968. Meanwhile, many of his old friends from Hewlett-Packard had formed a revolutionary new computer company: Tandem Computers. Tandem was led by another member of Who's Who, Mr. James Treybig. Tandem had develop the world's first commercially available "fault-tolerant" computing system, with levels of reliability many times greater than what was available at the time.

Mr. Foster had been interested for many years in starting his own computer company, and decided to use emerging powerful microprocessor technology, to compete against his old friends at Tandem. In 1980, along with two partners, Mr. Foster formed Stratus Computer with an initial venture capital investment of $1.7 million dollars.

Stratus shipped its first product in 1982, went public in 1983, and grew under Mr. Foster's leadership to over $700 million in sales by the time he left in 1998. Stratus still exists as a subsidiary of SMART Global Holdings, Inc.

Today Mr. Foster is a private investor. He has acted as an "angel investor" in technology start-ups and is a limited partner in several venture capital funds. He has been a private pilot for 52 years, enjoys motorcycle and RV trips, golf, and primarily time spent with his wife, three children, and 12 grandchildren.

Mr. Foster's educational background laid the groundwork for his professional achievements. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics at San José State University in 1966, followed by a master's degree in mathematics and a Master of Business Administration in finance from Santa Clara University in 1969 and 1974, respectively.

Throughout his career, Mr. Foster has been a member of several industry-related organizations, such as the Association for Computing Machinery and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. In addition to his professional accomplishments, he has been actively involved in civic organizations. He founded a scholarship foundation in memory of his grandchild Katelyn and is an annual contributor to various charity organizations. Previously, Mr. Foster served on the board of several technology companies and chaired the Massachusetts High Technology Council during the mid-1990s. Mr. Foster's journey reflects not only professional success but also personal fulfillment. He advises aspiring professionals not to fear taking risks or failure when pursuing their dreams, emphasizing that many perceived risks are not as daunting as they seem.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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