Jim Mcniel

Mr. McNiel is a seasoned senior executive with more than 30 years of experience in high technology and private equity. He began his career as a software engineer for Lucasfilm Ltd. And later left engineering to enter marketing and product management at AST Research/Computer. After rising to the role of senior director of advanced products at AST Mr. McNiel moved to New York to start Cheyenne Software. Seven years later Cheyenne was sold to Computer Associates for $1.3 billion in cash. Mr. McNiel then joined Pequot Capital and served as a General Partner and led the firm’s software investment practice for nine years. Working on both coasts Mr. McNiel made investments in Netgear, Netegrity and other successful technology firms.

Mr. McNiel has served as the Chief Marketing Officer for public company NETSCOUT and CEO for FalconStor and Fifth Generation Software. Mr. McNiel has served on more than 20 public and private boards and was a board member and trustee of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Clinical Research Institute. Mr. McNiel studied business at the Wharton School and Finance at MIT Sloane and has received multiple awards from FastCompany, Cannes Lions, AdWeek, OneCentre and others.

Mr. McNiel was the creator and executive producer for the critically acclaimed Werner Herzog documentary Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World.