Early Life
James Scapa was born in New York to parents who were Holocaust survivors. He graduated from Columbia University with a degree in mechanical engineering and later earned an MBA from the University of Michigan. This educational background provided a strong foundation for his career in the technology industry.
Rise to Success
In 1985, Scapa co-founded Altair Engineering with two colleagues. He served as Chairman and CEO from the company's inception until 2025, when it was acquired by Siemens for nearly $10 billion. Under his leadership, Altair grew to become a global technology company. In 2017, he took Altair public.
Key Business Strategies
Scapa's leadership style is characterized by innovation, broad communication and smart risk-taking. He emphasized the importance of honesty and clear communication. He focused on distributing equity to employees, creating many millionaires within the company. Scapa also stresses the importance of seeing opportunities and the future driven by math and algorithms.
Philanthropy
In 2018, Scapa and his wife, Sally, endowed the James and Sally Scapa Professorship of Innovation and Fellowship of Innovation at Columbia Engineering. This initiative supports outstanding faculty and graduate students, fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within the university.