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Derek Smith is Chairman and CEO of the Institute of Global Prescience, an interdisciplinary non-profit research, education and service organization dedicated to the pursuit of prescience – foreknowledge that anticipates global events and trends that are yet unseen. The Institute seeks to harness the passion of individuals to anticipate issues through clue detection engines that identify inflection points in technological, financial and social systems.
Derek is also the Founder of the Myfifident Foundation, a private family foundation dedicated to creating a more connected, compassionate, and socially responsible society in our technology-driven world. Through the Foundation, Derek launched GivingPoint, a youth philanthropic initiative, which is designed to educate and inspire young people to find their civic passion and become actively engaged in their local communities.
Derek is the former Chairman and CEO of ChoicePoint Inc., a leading provider of decision-making technology and information and a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, information security and personal privacy protection. The company helped recover more than one thousand missing children. It created the first national background screening service for non-profit volunteers that identified more than 200,000 convicted criminals attempting to work with children – including 2,700 registered sex offenders. Additionally, ChoicePoint’s philanthropic initiatives and employee volunteer efforts won the company recognition from groups as diverse as the US Department of Justice, the US Chamber of Commerce, and the Hands-on Network & Points of Light Institute.
Derek is the author of three books. In his newest publication, “A Purpose Under Heaven,” he uses allegory to explore how technology has influenced and changed human relationships. He is also the author of two nonfiction works, “The Risk Revolution: The Threats Facing America and Technology’s Promise for a Safer Tomorrow” and “A Survival Guide in the Information Age”.
Derek serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Aquarium and Camp Twin Lakes. He also is a minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He is married and the father of two children.