Vinod Gupta

Vin was born and raised in the village of Rampur Manhyaran, one-hundred miles north of New Delhi. He spent his childhood without electricity, running water and studied in a village school. After high school, he was admitted to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 1962. After graduating from IIT Kharagpur in May 1967 with a Bachelor of Technology, he came to the United States with $58 in his pocket and settled in Lincoln, Nebraska. As a dual Master’s candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from August 1968 through May 1971, Vin devoted his time and energy to studies in engineering and business management. Earning his Master of Science in Engineering in 1969 and Master of Business Administration in 1971, Vin soon launched his career as a Marketing Research Manager at the Commodore Corporation in Omaha.During his time with the Commodore Corporation, a mobile home manufacturer, Vin recognized the importance of information and database management. He then started infoUSA, first named Business Research Services, then changed to American Business Information. Upon its IPO in 1993, American Business Lists underwent many changes in the ensuing years, becoming infoUSA and, later, infoGroup. In 1996, President Bill Clinton nominated Vin as Counsel General to Bermuda. When confirmed, Vin was nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to Fiji. Due to his commitment to infoUSA, he withdrew his nomination. In August 2008, Vin retired from his post as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board at infoGroup, leaving a legacy of hands-on leadership and measurable performance with his company. infoGroup was sold to CCMP for $650 million in July 2010.