Steve Poizner's Biography

Stephen Leo (Steve) Poizner was elected California Insurance Commissioner in November 2006. He announced his candidacy for Governor of California in 2008 and was the first official entrant to the 2010 contest. As Insurance Commissioner, Poizner oversees the California Department of Insurance (CDI), the largest consumer protection agency in the state. CDI has a $200 million budget and regulates almost one-tenth of the California economy.

Prior to holding office, Poizner was a successful Silicon Valley businessman/entrepreneur. Poizner founded several technology companies, including SnapTrack, which pioneered technology that put GPS receivers into cell phones. Poizner served as its chief executive officer until he sold the privately held company to Qualcomm in 2000 for a reported $1 billion.

Poizner also founded and served as chief executive officer of software company Strategic Mapping Inc. From 2001-02, Poizner served as a White House fellow, as the director of Critical Infrastructure Protection in the National Security Council (he began the position one week before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks). Poizner was responsible for issues such as emergency communications planning for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, and protecting the Internet, banking system, and power grids from cyber attacks.

In 2004, Poizner ran unsuccessfully for the California State Assembly against Democrat Ira Ruskin, a Redwood City Councilman, in the 21st district. In 2006 Poizner was elected as a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Poizner is also an advocate for education reform. He co-founded the California Charter Schools Association and EdVoice, a statewide organization that advocates education reform and promotes issues such as charter schools, accountability and local control.

From September 2002–June 2003, Poizner spent a year as a volunteer teacher at Mount Pleasant High School in East San Jose where he taught 12th grade government (and for which he received “Rookie Teacher of the Year” honors). Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Poizner earned a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas in 1978; shortly thereafter he moved to California to attend Stanford University, where he earned his master’s degree in Business Administration.