PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Harvey J. Anderson II, Eng ’84
Piedmont, Calif.
A self-described “wild child” growing up in Washington, D.C., Harvey Anderson says his time at Marquette changed his life’s trajectory, providing what he calls “a platform to develop the confidence to excel and contribute.” He has done just that with his successful career in tech-industry law and with his commitment to mentor and connect students who seek to do the same.
Harvey came to Marquette as a student in the Educational Opportunity Program, which supports low-income and first-generation college students to attend and graduate from the university. Then-EOP director, Dr. Arnold Mitchem, Grad ’81, Hon Deg ’04, Sande Robinson, and Howard Fuller each took Harvey under their wings providing support in their own unique ways. “Dr. Fuller established a floor of performance and discipline introducing me to the talented 10th of which I was not a part at that time,” said Harvey. “Sande helped me survive with job opportunities, emotional support, and care. Mitch showed me the possibility and promise.” While he recognized the high bar set for academic excellence in his rigorous undergraduate engineering program, Harvey says it wasn’t until later in life that he fully appreciated the values and the community aspects of his Marquette experience.
He credits Dr. Mitchem with igniting his passion for public policy and for opening doors when he set out for Washington, D.C., where he landed his first job in the office of a Michigan senator.
Eight years later, after working in engineering and then public policy roles, Harvey earned his law degree from the University of San Francisco. He has since provided in-house legal counsel for several of Silicon Valley’s most influential companies, including Netscape, AVG, Mozilla and now Hewlett-Packard, where he serves as chief legal officer and corporate secretary. Seasoned in regulatory compliance, corporate/commercial transactions and intellectual property litigation, Harvey has focused on public policy and public affairs issues. He served on the Federal Communications Commission’s open internet advisory committee and was instrumental in advancing “Do Not Track” online privacy legislation.
While he loves solving complex problems at the intersection of law, technology, business and public policy, Harvey also relishes the human development aspects of his career, including coaching teams and watching employees grow, outperform and reach their full potential. Outside of work, personal and professional mentoring is one way Harvey lives out the Marquette mission. He arranged and funded a “Digital Discovery” tour in Silicon Valley for EOP and Upward Bound students, taking them to top tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Dropbox and helping them to broker professional connections. He has been a valuable contributor to Marquette’s “Silicon Valley Experience,” hosting and mentoring students who travel west to explore careers in the tech industry. Harvey also is a dedicated Marquette Mentor.
Recently, Harvey was selected for a fellowship with the American Leadership Forum, joining a diverse cohort of regional professionals committed to cultivating leadership skills and working collaboratively to create an equitable and thriving Silicon Valley.
Fun Facts:
- Favorite Marquette memory: Setting out for D.C. on a 750 Yamaha Seca cycle after graduation, Harvey stopped by Dr. Mitchem’s home to say goodbye, “full of trepidation and fear about how to begin the uncertain journey ahead,” he says. Dr. Mitchem gave him some practical advice. The two said goodbye, and Harvey climbed back on the bike as Dr. Mitchem declared, “It’s gonna be alright, baby!”
- Harvey is coaching a 4th grade basketball team and says this endeavor “has forced me to adapt and grow more in the past few months than I can remember.”
- Harvey’s favorite seasons are “election season” and “March Madness.”
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