Technology >> CEO Interviews >> August 9, 2001
DEREK V. SMITH is Chairman, President and CEO of ChoicePoint Inc.
ChoicePoint was founded in August 1997 as a result of the spinoff of the
Insurance Services Group from Equifax Inc. With Mr. Smith at the helm,
ChoicePoint's stock price has appreciated more than 50% per year, and
the company has created over $1.5 billion in market since 1997. A member
of the S&P 400 mid-cap index, ChoicePoint's market capitalization is
currently over $2 billion. Prior to the spinoff, Mr. Smith was Executive
Vice President of Equifax Inc., responsible for the Insurance Services
Group. In addition to his responsibilities at ChoicePoint, Mr. Smith
currently serves on the Board of Directors of Metris Companies Inc. and
The Chief Executive Leadership Institute. He is a former member of the
Equifax Board of Directors, Integon Corp. Board of Directors, the Board
of Trustees of Educational Foundation, Inc., Georgia State University,
and the Boards of Zoo Atlanta and the Society of International Business
Fellows. Prior to leading ChoicePoint, Mr. Smith spent 16 years of his
career with Equifax. A native of Sayville, New York, Mr. Smith holds a
degree in computer science from Pennsylvania State University and a
Master's degree in Business Management from the Georgia Institute of
Technology. Profile
TWST: Could we begin with a brief historical sketch of the company andthen a profile of the company as it is now?
Mr. Smith: From a historical standpoint, ChoicePoint was spun off