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John Lazar
John Lazar is a software engineer and widely experienced business leader who is focused on combining technology and entrepreneurship to generate lasting positive impact. He joined Metaswitch Networks in 1987 as a software engineer and became CEO in 2009 and then Chairman in 2015, as the company established its leadership in communications software. The company was acquired by Microsoft in 2020.
He is Chair of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which aims to help young people realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies. Raspberry Pi recently completed a successful IPO of its commercial subsidiary on the London Stock Exchange, cementing an endowment of £500M to drive an ambitious global strategy. John also played an active role in developing the programme of study for England’s school Computer Science curriculum.
He is the co-founder, General Partner, and a Limited Partner at Enza Capital, which backs founders and teams using technology to solve large and meaningful problems across Africa. He sits on the boards of multiple African technology companies. He previously served as the Chair of What3words. John was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2011 and became president in 2024.