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Russell Artzt has seen it all.
In the last 27 years, he has watched Computer Associates go from four-person launch to $3.2 million IPO to Long Island software giant. He has weathered SEC investigations, more than 10 major mergers, scores of product launches, a radical new revenue model, a corporate governance overhaul and two death-match proxy fights.
He may sport a few corporate battle scars, but Artzt still bubbles with enthusiasm when the topic is the company he co-founded with Charles Wang.
The 56-year-old executive, who will deliver the keynote address at the Deloitte & Touche Long Island Technology Fast 50 breakfast, serves as a CA board member and executive vice president, leading the company's efforts in software security through its eTrust brand.
Kimberly Caughey, analyst at Parker/Hunter Inc., noted that a few years ago CA's braintrust made a strategic decision to make a play in the security software market and Artzt, who had maintained a relatively low public profile through most of his career, was the choice to spearhead the initiative.
"Then he suddenly came out," she said. "The company was interested in elevating his role. They think he's a go-to kind of guy or they wouldn't have put him in there. He's the security evangelist."
In fiscal 2003, eTrust accounted for about 12 percent of CA's $3.1 billion in revenue and Artzt said he plans to grow the business aggressively.
"There's hacking going on every day," he said. "Companies get targeted. Employees are causing havoc in the organization."
One of CA's most innovative security products, 20/20, seeks to integrate computer security with physical security.
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