Christopher White

Christopher White serves as Corporate Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Research & Development at NEC Corporation since March 2026, where he leads NEC’s worldwide R&D strategy across its global network of laboratories in Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, China, and Israel. He has also been the President at NEC Laboratories America, Inc. since March 2020, where he leads a team of world-class researchers focusing on diverse topics from sensing to networking to machine learning-based understanding.

Chris has extensive expertise in scientific computing, hierarchical simulation techniques, quantum chemistry, optical networks, optical devices, and acoustic scattering. His research interests include the development of computational models and methods for the simulation and control of interesting physical and digital systems. This has included work ranging from linear-scaling quantum chemistry simulations to the design of new optical devices, to the global control of transparent optical mesh networks, and to understanding and facilitating the propagation of ideas in organizations. In addition to managing a team of world-class researchers, his current work focuses on creating assisted thinking tools that leverage structural similarity in data with the goal of augmenting human intelligence.

Prior to his role at NEC Laboratories America, Inc., he spent 22 years working at Nokia Bell Labs, where he led the Algorithms, Analytics, Augmented Intelligence and Devices (AAAID) research lab.

Chris has a Ph.D. in Theoretical Quantum Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University, with a concentration in Computer Science.