Francis Cianfrocca

Francis was previously chairman of Tempest Software, which flourished under his leadership growing to $8 million in sales in it's first five years. In 1991 he founded the predecessor to Tempest Software, Heldenleben Corporation, where he developed HeldenPort--the core product of the company and the world's first compiler for a graphical 4GL. The product was sold to Gupta (now Centura) and is used by over 40,000 developers around the globe. Francis is a noted expert in the fields of computer-language design, compiler implementation, network communications, and large-scale distributed application architectures. He has worked for a number of different companies either directly or as a consultant including Bank of New York, Gupta, McDonnell-Douglas and New York Life. Francis attended the Eastman School of Music in the Music History department and studied for his Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Michigan. He briefly worked at the New York City Opera, under the direction of Beverly Sills. He and his wife Paula, a singer with the Metropolitan Opera, reside in Long Island City, NY. Francis is a member of the 2000 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.