The InVision Story, by Dr. Sergio Magistri

Serminar presented by Dr. Sergio Magistri, Ex-President and Chief Executive Officer of InVision Technologies

Dr. Sergio Magistri was the President and Chief Executive Officer of InVision Technologies, Inc. from 1992 until December 2004.
InVision Technologies developed, manufactured, marketed and supported explosive detection systems (EDS) based on advanced computed tomography (CT) and other technologies for civil aviation security worldwide. InVision was best known for being the first company to have developed high detection FAA-certified EDS. InVision was also involved in the development of quadrupole resonance (QR) via its subsidiary Quantum Magnetics, in San Diego, California and x-ray diffraction (XRD) via its subsidiary Yxlon, in Hamburg, Germany. InVision was located in the San Francisco Bay Area. 
Currently Dr. Magistri is an independent investor. From 2005 to 2010 he was an investor, a member of the Board of Directors (BOD) and later Chairman of Vidient Inc. a company in the intelligent video space. In 2011 he invested and joined the BOD of Arktis Radiation Detectors Ltd, a company in the radiation detection space located in Switzerland. In 2015 he joined the BOD of TiVenture SA a VC sponsored by a foundation of BancaStato of the Ticino canton in
Switzerland.
Dr. Magistri joined InVision as President and CEO in 1992 when the company had a staff of approximately 20 researchers. Under his leadership, InVision received its first FAA certification of the CTX 5000 product in 1994. InVision’s core EDS business grew to include a family of certified products tailored to different price-performance market needs. InVision went public in 1996 on the NASDAQ Small Cap stock market and became listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market in connection with a follow on offering in 1997 in which it raised approximately of $21 million. In order to expand its product and technology offering, InVision acquired Quantum Magnetics, a leading provider of research in QR in 1997 and Inovec, a forest products optimization company, in 2000.
In 2002, the company executed a massive ramp up to support the implementation of the 100% checked baggage screening mandated by the 2001 Aviation Improvement Act, increasing revenues from $74 million in 2001 to $439 million in 2002. During the same year the company raised an additional $87 million with a follow on offering to support its expansion. In March 2003, InVision completed its acquisition of Yxlon International Holding GmbH. In fall of 2003, the company raised an additional $125 million with a convertible debt offering. In March 2004, InVision entered into a merger agreement with General Electric pursuant to which it would be acquired for $50 per share or approximately $900 million net. The transaction closed on December 6, 2004.
In 2004, InVision had over 1000 employees dedicated to aviation security, land mine detection, x-ray based NDT, and sawmill optimization. Headquartered in Newark, California, InVision managed facilities located in San Diego, Oregon and Hamburg, Germany, while operating a worldwide service organization.
Prior to joining InVision, Dr. Magistri was a Project Manager at AGIE Switzerland, a manufacturer of high precision tooling equipment. Dr. Magistri attained extensive experience in medical imaging as Director of Computer Engineering at Imatron, Inc., a manufacturer of medical x-ray CT equipment. Dr. Magistri received his diploma in Electrical Engineering in 1977 and a doctorate in Biomedical Engineering in 1982 both from the Swiss Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.
The subject of the Doctorate work was pulsed Doppler ultrasound for the measurement of blood flow and turbulence parameters in the human body.