Date: 05/30/2007

Contacts: Pat Lopes Harris (408-924-1748)
Nancy L. Stake (408-924-1166)

SAN JOSE, Calif., -- "To keep my edge, I must think and act like an immigrant," Omid Kordestani, Google's senior vice president of global sales and business development told San José State degree candidates at the university's 2007 commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 26. "There is a special optimism and drive that I have benefited from and continue to rely on that I want all of you to find. Immigrants are inherently dreamers and fighters."

After moving with his mother from their native Iran to the UK, Kordestani recalled being impressed by the hit American TV show, The Jeffersons. "There was this incredible optimism that came through the show -- and that hope is what drew me to this country." Their theme song said it all: "We're movin' on up." With that image of America in mind, he convinced his mother to move to the United States.

Drawing from his own career experiences, Kordestani told the graduates and the audience of 25,000 at Spartan Stadium to listen for their personal "Aha!" moments and to go with their instincts and their passion. "Tomorrow will be your first day in the real world. Always push yourself. Think like an immigrant. Keep putting yourself outside of your comfort zone. You've always been taught to plan ahead, and be calculated with your decisions. But this is your start-up phase -- your chance to keep an open mind and experiment. Certainty is a moving target. Our first few steps won't be perfect; they never are -- but missteps are not missed steps at all. They are opportunities for learning and a new perspective."

Born in Tehran, Iran, Kordestani moved to San José in 1979 when he was a high school student. He joined Google in May 1999 as one of the company's first employees. Kordestani helped lead the development and implementation of the company's initial business model and bring Google to profitability. He is directly responsible for Google's worldwide revenue generation efforts as well as the day-to-day operations of the company's sales organization. Last year, TIME magazine named him one of "100 People Who Shape Our World" as the "main brains behind Google's innovative and aggressive push to reach deals with a multitude of partners and make big money through advertising."

Kordestani has more than 20 years of high tech consumer and enterprise experience. He held key positions at several start ups, including Netscape Communications. As vice president of business development and sales, he grew Netscape's online revenue from an annual run-rate (an annualized revenue estimate) of $88 million to more than $200 million in 18 months.

Prior to Netscape, he held positions in marketing, product management and business development at The 3DO Company, Go Corporation and Hewlett-Packard. Kordestani received an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1991 and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from San Jos?? State in 1984.

Visit the Commencement Web site and view the complete transcript of the address.

San José State is Silicon Valley's largest institution of higher learning with 30,000 students and 4,000 employees. SJSU is part of the California State University system, the nation's largest senior system of higher education. SJSU's 154-acre downtown campus anchors the nation's 10th largest city.