Ed Iacobucci

Edward E. Iacobucci
Edward E. Iacobucci
Born	Template:Birth date; Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died	June 21, 2013 (aged 59); Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, computer scientist
Known for	Co-founder of Citrix Systems; founder of VirtualWorks; principal architect of OS/2 and IBM DOS

Edward E. Iacobucci (September 26, 1953 – June 21, 2013) was an Argentine-American entrepreneur notable for founding VirtualWorks and co-founding Citrix Systems. He played a crucial role as the principal architect behind the OS/2 and IBM DOS operating systems and was an early innovator in the field of virtualization technology.

Early life and education

Edward was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Dr. Guillermo and Costantina Iacobucci. His family relocated to the United States in 1960 when his father accepted a position at E.R. Squibb & Sons, later moving to Coca-Cola. During this period, Roberto Goizueta, then Chairman of Coca-Cola, became a close family confidant and served as Edward’s godfather.

He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in systems engineering at Georgia Tech in 1975.

Professional career

Iacobucci began his tenure at IBM in 1979, where he assumed pivotal responsibilities in the design and architecture of IBM DOS and OS/2. He led the collaborative IBM-Microsoft initiative focused on developing multitasking operating systems for personal computers.

In 1989, he co-established Citrix Systems, where he held the positions of chairman and chief technology officer as the company expanded to become part of both the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 indexes. In 1997, he negotiated a significant five-year joint development agreement with Microsoft to incorporate Citrix’s multi-user technology into Windows NT Server. He stepped down from his chairman role in 2000.

In 2002, Iacobucci co-founded DayJet Corporation, an on-demand air service utilizing Eclipse 500 very light jets combined with sophisticated optimization software. Although DayJet secured strategic partnerships with the FAA, it ceased operations in 2008 due to insufficient capital for expansion.

Between 2002 and 2007, he served on the board of directors for the SCO Group.

In 2011, he launched VirtualWorks (which later became Ayfie), a company specializing in enterprise search engine solutions. He acted as president and CEO until May 2013 when he resigned due to health concerns.

Awards

In recognition of his achievements, Iacobucci was honored with the Ernst & Young "International Entrepreneur of the Year" award in 1998. He contributed to his alma mater Georgia Tech by serving on its engineering advisory board and acted as a technology judge for Ernst & Young’s "Entrepreneur of the Year Awards" at both regional and national levels. Furthermore, he was actively engaged with the Junior Achievement organization.

Death

Edward Iacobucci died from pancreatic cancer on June 21, 2013, at his residence in Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.

External links

Ed Iacobucci - Founder of Citrix