James Scapa on corporate governance
From Altair CEO Jim Scapa on the Most Loved Workplace Leaders Show · · Most Loved Workplace
“I have controlling interest still, which is not usual in a public company, but it gives me the ability to balance correctly the long view, making decisions in the context of envisioning the future and not just the short term, while also balancing what the shareholders need.”
On , James Scapa, Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at ALTAIR ENGINEERING INC, spoke about corporate governance during Altair CEO Jim Scapa on the Most Loved Workplace Leaders Show on Most Loved Workplace.
About James Scapa
James Scapa, founder and CEO of Altair Engineering, has discussed the convergence of simulation, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence. He stated that Altair is at the beginning of bringing simulation together with machine learning to create digital twins, and described the company's cloud-native data prep and AutoML platform, SmartWorks. Scapa also emphasized the importance of responsible technology implementation, saying that when harm is seen, companies must have the courage to step back and make adjustments beyond financial gain. He noted that Altair has been discussing these topics for a longer period than many others in the industry. Scapa has also spoken about company culture and leadership. He described himself as closer to a "wartime CEO" and said he believes in being quick to admit mistakes, talking about them openly, and learning from them. He stated that he fights politics in organizations by forcing broad communication and transparency. Scapa noted that Altair's leadership team is international and diverse, and said the company has pushed gender diversity, aspiring to have a 50 percent female workforce including at the C-suite and board level. He also discussed his background, saying his parents' immigrant and Holocaust survivor experiences gave him a "world citizen" view that helped him take Altair international.