William R. Benner, Jr. is President and CTO of Pangolin Laser Systems. As President, he sets the general strategic direction for the company and oversees all aspects of company operations. As CTO, he is in charge of all hardware and software development as well as research for new products and new directions for the laser display industry.

In addition to having received more than 25 international awards for technical achievement, products invented by Benner and manufactured by Pangolin are currently used by some of the best-known entertainment and technology companies in the world, including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, DreamWorks pictures, Boeing, Samsung and Lawrence Livermore Labs.

Benner holds nearly 50 US and International Patents, and has received personal letters of commendation from U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Florida Governor Bob Graham. He has articles published in the SMPTE Journal, The Laserist, EDN magazine and Motorola’s Embedded Connection magazine, and is author of the #1 best-selling book LASER SCANNERS AND co-author of the best-selling business books Game Changers, Win, and The Success Secret. Benner has also been featured on NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX television affiliates.

Beyond his work at Pangolin, Benner has also served on several boards as well as serving for seven years as ILDA’s Technical Committee Chairman. He also contributed expertise to outside companies including Bliss Lights, Cambridge Technologies, RMB Miniature Bearings and many others.