Josh Silverman

Josh Silverman is an entrepreneurial executive who has built and run some of the world’s most loved consumer technology companies. He is currently the CEO of Etsy, a publicly-traded ecommerce marketplace specializing in vintage and handmade goods. Previously, he was at American Express as President, US Consumer Services, an Executive Officer of the company with responsibility for the US consumer card and global consumer travel businesses; and is a member of the company’s Operating Committee, the principal policy and decision-making group that oversees all of Amex’s businesses.

Previously Mr Silverman was the CEO of Skype. During his 2.5 year tenure, Skype added more than 300 million users, became ubiquitous across mobile and consumer electronic devices, doubled revenues and tripled profits, while growing to account for 25% of the world’s international calling minutes. According to Landor & Associates Skype was the 2nd-fastest growing brand by value (after Facebook) during the 2008-2010 period. Skype’s sale to MSFT for $8.5B was announced in early May, 2011. In recognition of his contributions, TechCrunch nominated Mr. Silverman as first runner-up for “CEO of the Year” in 2010.

Prior to Skype Mr. Silverman served as CEO of Shopping.com, held senior executive roles at eBay and was Co-Founder and CEO of Evite, which he led from inception through its sale to Barry Diller’s IAC. Earlier in his career Mr. Silverman served on the staff of Senator Bill Bradley, and as a management consultant with Booz-Allen & Hamilton.

Mr. Silverman has been featured in publications such as the New York Times and Fortune Magazine, made appearances on programs ranging from CNN to the Oprah Winfrey Show and has been a keynote speaker at some of the largest technology forums in the world, including the Consumer Electronics Show and Mobile World Congress. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Lincoln Center Theater.

Mr Silverman holds a BA (Magna Cum Laude) in Public Policy from Brown University, and an MBA from Stanford, where he was class Co-President and an Arjay Miller Scholar.