Scott Kriens
Chairman, Juniper Networks

California State University, East Bay

Mr. Scott Kriens is a visionary and influential business leader whose contributions have enriched and advanced the California State University and the global marketplace. He is one of the founding fathers of today’s networking and telecommunications industry that has redefined the nature and scope of world communications. Mr. Kriens has enjoyed an extraordinarily successful and distinguished professional life. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Juniper Networks, an Internet industry leader in high-performance networking. As Juniper chief executive officer from its inception in 1996 until September 2008, he grew the company into a multibillion dollar corporation. Prior to taking over Juniper Networks, Mr. Kriens co-founded StrataCom, Inc. in 1986, serving as its vice president of sales and operations. He also served in management positions at Tandem Computers and Burroughs Corporation.

Mr. Kriens shares his philosophy on business development, management, and team-building and is a much sought-after guest speaker. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from California State University, Hayward (now California State University, East Bay) in 1979. He continues to be supportive of his alma mater through the Kriens Family Foundation, helping build the Wayne and Gladys Valley Business and Technology Center on the Hayward campus.

He is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. In 2000, he was recognized by Ernst & Young as its “Entrepreneur of the Year,” and Business Week magazine named him one of its top 25 managers in the United States. He was named one of Forbes magazine’s Top Tech Executives in 1996 and named one of the “25 Most Powerful People in Networking” by Network World in 2006.

Mr. Kriens has served as a presidential appointee to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee and has been invited to testify before Congress on a number of occasions to share his knowledge and pioneering insight on the networking and telecommunications industry.

In recognition of his excellent and extraordinary professional achievements and his support of higher education, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University, East Bay are proud to confer upon Scott Kriens the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.