Rod Canion

Co-founder and first chief executive of Compaq, who led the company from its first portable computer to a major position in the PC industry.

Biographical Information

Known for	Founder , CEO, Entrepreneur
Born	January 19, 1945

Biography

Joseph Rodney “Rod” Canion co-founded Compaq Computer Corporation in Houston in 1982 with former Texas Instruments colleagues Jim Harris and Bill Murto. Their initial plan, sketched over a restaurant meal, became the Compaq Portable: a transportable computer designed for close IBM PC software compatibility through an independently developed BIOS.

As Compaq’s first president and chief executive, Canion oversaw rapid growth and a succession of influential systems. Under his leadership Compaq moved from portables into the Deskpro desktop line, introduced the first commercial 80386 personal computer ahead of IBM, and became one of the largest PC companies in the world. He left Compaq in 1991 and later wrote about the company’s formative years.