William LaFontaine is a recognized leader in the areas of technology licensing, technology partnerships and intellectual property. In his current role as General Manager of Intellectual Property at IBM, Dr. LaFontaine and his team work at the intersection of Research, Business Units and Clients to accelerate market introduction of new technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing and Healthcare. Dr. LaFontaine is responsible for annually delivering over a billion dollars in joint development, technology transfer and patent licensing.
In his 30-year career at IBM, Dr. LaFontaine has been the Chief Operating Officer for IBM’s Research division, General Manager of Global Technology Services in Middle East and Africa as well as General Manager of Worldwide Semiconductor and Technology sales.