Servan advises a few select companies both on a strategic basis to create and refine a long term strategy, and on a personal level to facilitate a dynamic transformation based interpersonal approach to leadership.
Skills
- Building, scaling and running companies in the high tec world for the last 25 years.- Experienced group chairman/group leader/facilitator
- 25 Year history of designing, building and shipping software at the leading edge of 3D interactive applications and 3D technology.
- Extensive experience of the 3D hardware/software interface and its future directions.
- Long term student and teacher of Taoist internal arts
- Pianist/composer
History
Servan was building computers before he was 10 and writing 3D software at 15. He completed a degree in pure physics at Imperial College, London before impressing the legendary British game developer Magnetic Scrolls with his programming skills. Following several years at Scrolls, Servan was faced with a choice between programming and music. He played keyboard in his group, The Big Truth Band, which was rapidly gaining a following. The 3D bug continued to bite and Servan formed RenderMorphics in 1992.As the Big Truth Band disintegrated his former band mates went on to work with acts like Faithless, Dido and 1 Giant Leap, while RenderMorphics rapidly became a world leader in cutting edge 3D graphics technologies with the widely acclaimed Reality Lab technology. Microsoft bought RenderMorphics in 1995 and Servan subsequently headed up the DirectX 3D team at Microsoft responsible for integrating 3D graphics into Windows 95.
Since leaving Microsoft, for the last 15 years Servan has been involved at both the CEO and Chairman level with a number of Technology companies. For LEGO he developed Lego Digital Designer which has to date had over 3 Million downloads. More recently his design focus is working on a new paradigm 3D desktop called inSpace .
2003 – Present: Founder/Designer/Architect Earthsim:
- Created the Earthsim concept, designed, managed and delivered all versions to market.1998 – 2008: Founder and MD Qube Software:
- Designed the business and technical requirements for Qube’s core technology Q: 'A new framework approach to realtime 3D Graphics'.- Wrote the original prototype implementation of Q
- Ran the company over 10 years, managing up to 45 people handling both the core technology development along with many concurrent client software development contracts in the cutting edge 3D space.
- Created the LEGO Digital Designer concept (originally LEGO Arena) and sold it to LEGO.
- Designed and delivered LEGO Digital Designer and maintained the development team delivering incremental product versions to LEGO over 6 years.
1995 – 1998: Direct3D Development Lead, Microsoft:
Developed Microsoft’s 3D graphics platform, Direct3D:- Delivery responsibility for Microsoft’s 3D graphics platform, Direct3D.
- Defined Microsoft future architecture and patents for the soon to be 3D chips or GPU's
- Managed relationships with leading 3D chip companies, including Intel, ATI, Nvidia, S3, Matrox, 3dfx, and Rendition.
1992 – 1995: Cofounder RenderMorphics:
RenderMorphics became the world leader in cutting-edge 3D graphics technology. Microsoft boughtRenderMorphics in 1995, to incorporate Reality Lab into Windows 95.
- Designed and wrote the original Reality Lab product.
- Helped deliver top level deals with Apple/IBM (Kaleida), Creative Labs and Sony.
- Managed relationships with key game studios and development partners to become the world leader in this field.
Page Ten of this magazine is a great summary article about the fun we had at RenderMorphics before the Microsoft acquisition.
And here is a Wired Electrosphere article about us just after the acquisition and before we had even decided to call it Direct3D
1991 – 1993: HK Productions:
HK Productions was a manufacturing company building cutting-edge equipment for the image reproduction industry. Came on board to help run the company and assisted in the sale in 1996.
- Worked on design and software for next generation imaging equipment.
- Assisted in company sale in 1996.
1990: Programmer, Magnetic Scrolls:
- Developed and delivered Acorn Archimedes versions of Magnetic Scrolls’ market-leading text adventure games.
Education:
BSc (Hons), Physics, Imperial College London
