Bill Reed

Profile Updated: September 17, 2009
Bill Reed

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Yes! Attending Reunion
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Residing In: Wellesley Hills, MA USA
Pre-Retirement Occupation: CEO, Demiurge Studios, a video game company
Spouse/Partner: Judy
Children: One should not ask me this question. I'm so proud of my kids I'm insufferable. Both kids live in the More…immediate area so we see them all the time. A real treat.

The oldest, Al, is 29, happily married and lives in Boston. While in college at Carnegie Mellon, he founded the video game company for which I work. He's bootstrapped it up to about 30 people working on some of the best known titles in the business. Check out our website www.demiurgestudios.com.

Julia is 27 and went to University of Michigan in Mechanical Engineering. She has always wanted to be involved in medical devices and most recently was in Manufacturing at a defibrillator company. Now she is at MIT getting a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA. She recently got engaged to a very nice guy.

My wife and I are very fortunate indeed!
How did you find our class website?

I happened to Google Larry Ostgaard and stumbled onto the site.

If you could build a second house anywhere, where would it be?

We've got a camp on a beautiful lake in The Northeast Kingdom of Vermont about 8 miles from the Canadian border.

I think Gary Schmitz and Lynne Dinzole have the right idea....head to the Southern Hemisphere and catch the summer with long days December through February.

Do you still have family that live around Crystal Lake?

No, all long gone from the midwest.

How often do you get back to Crystal Lake?

Twice in the last 25 years. Jobs frequently took me Chicago and couple times I drove out to CL just for the fun of it.

What got you into the kind of work you are or were doing?

Nepotism!

What previous jobs did you do?

Been banging around the Boston technology community most of my career. First as CFO of small venture-backed companies then moved into sales, marketing and general management. Have been the President of a 300 person software company and EVP, Sales and Marketing of a Public semiconductor company. A lot of time peddling both software and hardware products internationally. Ran a couple manufacturing plants in Guadalajara, Mexico while packaging them up for divestiture. During my "giving back" phase, worked for Governor Romney doing business development for Greater Boston. It's been fun and interesting career, so far.

What did you do immediately following high school?

Went to Purdue and got a B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering and then immediately onto The Wharton School for an MBA.

What do you see yourself doing in 2029?

I've retired a couple of times for short spurts. Probably will retire again after my current role at Demiurge Studios. I doubt I stay permanently retired.

How long have you been married?

32 years

Grandchildren?

None. :-(

Do you still see/talk to/hang out with any classmates? Who?

Gary Schmitz and I keep in touch.

Meet Jeri Blakslee's mom in Prescott, AZ. Does that count?

Favorite places to visit?

Vermont, of course.

Places you want to visit but have not yet done so?

Vietnam, New Zealand, Serengeti Plain, Glacier National Park.

Over the years I've traveled a lot on business internatinally. Usually I was traveling as an executive and for very short periods of time in any one place. So, there are a lot of places I'd like to go back to with my wife in a more leisurely fashion. I particularly like the Chinese influenced areas of Asia: Taiwan, Hong Kong on down to Singapore. My favorite cites are Perth, Australia and Stockholm so I want to go back there. I'd like to take Judy to Egypt, but that's not happening!

What’s your favorite memory of CLCHS?

Larry Ostgaard and I had a blast playing neighborhood kids in sand lot football. (I may have been slow afoot, but I claim I could catch a football better then anybody!) Tennis with Gary Schmitz. Hanging out with Chris O'Reily.

Hooking up the Physics teacher's chair to a van de graph generator one morning. His tush probably still has a scar!

Who was your favorite teacher at CLCHS and why?

Mr. Faellaci (great teacher) and Ms. Washbush. (Don't remember how to spell her name, don't remember learning anything, but I sure remember her :-)

What famous or interesting people have you met?

Gov. Mitt Romney

Most of the senior government officials in Bangledesh (Not famous here but sure was interesting. Some great stories!)

A number of the members of Japan's equivalent to the Federal Reserve. (famous there, pretty interesting)

John Kerry (famous, very, very boring.)

Patrick Duval, current Governor of Massachusetts.

What cool things have you done? (Cool being defined as whatever YOU think is cool!)

Hey, I work for my son making video games! How cool is that?

Any words of wisdom?

"Is not the leaf indebted to the root?"

Spoken by the blind Shaolin monk, Master Po, to young Kwai Chang Caine. circa 1975

All of man's collective wisdom can be found in reruns of Kung Fu!

What animal would you be if you could choose one?

Dennis Rodman

Name something you love.

My family, of course.

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Posted: Dec 16, 2013 at 11:06 PM
My son Al and his wife, Katie; me and Judy; and Julia and her fiance, Brian.