Steve Shaiman

STEVE SHAIMAN graduated from Caltech with a degree in mathematics in 1972, the year that Intel released the 8008, the world’s first 8-bit microprocessor. While going to graduate school full-time and working full-time Steve discovered that programming was more fun than school and paid much, much better.

After working for a variety of small start-up companies designing and programming a variety of software and hardware, and acquiring three kids along the way, Steve decided that it was time to settle down and work for a better established small company that appeared to have potential. In 1985, he joined a company of 800+ people located in Bellevue, Washington. By the time he left Microsoft in 1995 it had both moved to Redmond and grown to more than 24,000 employees.

While at Microsoft he served in a variety of positions eventually ending up as a general manager. In 1988 his group won the PC Magazine Technical Excellence Award for Design, for the Microsoft Mouse. After growing the hardware business to a respectable $250M in 1990, he was looking for new creative opportunities. He had the gall to suggest to Bill Gates that Microsoft should improve its typography and was immediately given the task to do it. Steve oversaw the acquisition, creation and implementation of TrueType in Windows 3.1.

After leaving Microsoft, Steve continued his involvement in the type industry. He served as Chairman of the Board of Monotype Typography until 1998 when it was acquired by Agfa-Gevaert. Today, he works with the Ascender team in a variety of capacities, including as a business consultant and project manager.

When not working he pursues several hobbies, including snowboarding, amateur sports car racing, watching baseball and traveling with Lorraine, his wife of 34 years. His five kids, although mostly out of the house, continue to entertain him, too. With only six stadiums left to go, he and his youngest son hope to have visited every major league baseball stadium within the next year.