1997 Honoree - Pauline Lo Alker

Pauline Lo Alker is President and Chief Executive Officer of Network Peripherals, Inc., which received its initial startup funding in 1990 to meet the demands for high performance networking solutions for small to mid-size enterprises. Joining the company in January 1991, she was widely acclaimed for successfully leading the company to an IPO and secondary offering in 1994 which raised a total in excess of $45 million, prompting both USA Today and the Wall Street Journal to name NPI "1994's best IPO performer." In 1996, the company's sales rose to $53.1 million, and it continued its fast-paced development with the acquisitions of NuCom Systems Inc. of Taiwan in 1996, and NetVision Inc. of New York this year. Prior to Network Peripherals, Mrs. Alker held executive management positions at Convergent Technologies and Acer, Inc., the latter position following Acer's acquisition of Counterpoint Computers, a company she founded in 1984.

Mrs. Alker came to the U.S. in 1960 to attend Arizona State University after spending her childhood in Hong Kong, where her family moved from China during the 1949 revolution. She received her B.A. degree with double majors in music and mathematics. "I have been blessed with numerous opportunities in this country. I feel very lucky because I get to do the things I love to do in high tech - an industry that I have been in love with for over 32 years. And now my passion is to give my time to promising young professionals who are constantly searching for the values in life and to achieve a healthy balance between life and work. This is my chosen path towards giving back to my community and my country," Mrs. Alker indicated.

An active member of the Asian American Manufacturer's Association, she has served two terms as president of the organization, and continues to act as a special advisor. She is also a trustee of the Asian Art Museum and has served as a Board Member of the San Jose Symphony.