Ganesh Natarajan, Ph.D., a global entrepreneur and CEO of Zensar Technologies, Ltd., a business process company in India, provided a global perspective on the connections between technology, entrepreneurship and education during a lecture in the 1600 Valley Road Auditorium on October 6. The lecture was the first in a series to be offered in connection with the University’s new Shier Entrepreneurship Program.

The Shier Entrepreneurship Program, announced last spring and housed in the University’s Cotsakos College of Business, is focused on the advancement of entrepreneurship education and practice through the development of strong academic programs with an applied focus. An M.B.A. program with a concentration in entrepreneurship will be launched in fall 2009. The initiative is funded by a $1 million gift from an alumnus who does not wish to receive public recognition.

Natarajan has been one of the very successful and dynamic professionals in the Indian information technology industry. Zensar, which he has led for more than seven years, is one of India’s high performing IT companies and counts a number of Fortune 500 companies as clients. Natarajan also serves as chairman of the National Association of Software & Services Companies (NASSCOM) for 2008-09, and also drives NASSCOM’s vibrant Innovation Forum. He has been recognized by Ernst & Young 2005 for exceptional entrepreneurship.