Robert Stephens, founder of the Geek Squad and former CTO of Best Buy, will deliver the business keynote speech at CompTIA ChannelCon 2013.
“The Geek Squad is one of the great success stories in the history of our industry,” said Kelly Ricker, senior vice president of events and education at CompTIA, the IT industry organization. “Starting with $200 and a bicycle, Robert Stephens built the world’s biggest technical support organization, generating an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion in revenue annually. We’re pleased to welcome Robert to ChannelCon for what promises to be an engaging and thought-provoking keynote.”
Stephens is expected to address a wide range of topics, including the Geek Squad story, the catalyst for creativity and the culture of service. He’ll also share his insights on the future of technology and what he thinks is the next “big thing.”
A native of Chicago, Stephens left a scholarship at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1990 to pursue a degree in computer science at the University of Minnesota. In April 1994, he formed the Geek Squad. Eight years later Best Buy acquired the company and opened Geek Squad precincts in all Best Buy properties worldwide. With more than 24,000 agents, Geek Squad is the world’s largest technology support company.
Stephens also served as chief technology officer for Best Buy until 2012, when he relocated to San Francisco with his family to pursue his next start-up.
ChannelCon 2013 is scheduled for July 29-31 at the Peabody Orlando Hotel, in Orlando, Fla.
