“The engineer of tomorrow will be required to be more of a team player because of the more complex projects being undertaken. The engineer working alone is becoming extinct. The Internet has permitted engineers to work together ––apart.”

William R. Johnson, Jr.

Executive Director
U-Start Business Incubator

William (BJ) Johnson is the Executive Director of an incubator for start up companies, affiliated with Union College in Schenectady, NY.

Previously Johnson was vice president and general manager of NonStop eBusiness Solutions Division of Compaq Computer Corporation. This division delivers industry-leading solutions for companies doing business over the World Wide Web.

Johnson joined Compaq in 1997 from Cross Comm Corporation in Marlboro, MA, where he served as president and chief executive officer. Prior to his tenure at Cross Comm, in 1993, he joined IBM as vice president and general manager of the networking hardware division and was a member of the company’s worldwide management team.

Before joining IBM, Johnson served in several senior engineering, marketing and management positions over a twenty-year period at Digital Equipment Corporation. In 1982 he was named vice president of VAX systems and clusters; in 1985 he became vice president of networks and communications; and in 1990 was named vice president of corporate marketing.

A dedicated supporter of higher education, Johnson was a member of the Wang Institute of Graduate Studies, the National Academic Advisory Committee, and Northeastern University Executive Advisory Board and the Boston University Software Advisory Board. He served as a member of the Babson College IT Advisory Board and the Northeastern University Engineering Advisory Board.

Mr. Johnson received the NASA Achievement of Merit award for his involvement in the Apollo Project. He was the recipient of a Pennsylvania State University Alumni Fellow award in 1985 and was named an Outstanding Engineering Alumnus of the college in 1987.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in both electrical engineering and business administration from Northeastern University.