Jim Kavanaugh

Jim Kavanaugh
Residence	St. Louis, Missouri[1]
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Saint Louis University[2]
Occupation	CEO of World Wide Technology, Inc.[3]
Board member of	President of St. Louis Scott Gallagher Board, President of St. Louis FC Board, President of the Board for St. Patrick Center, Trustee of the Board at Saint Louis University, Advisor to Privoro LLC, Regional Business Council Member, Chairman for 2006 MS Sports Celebrity Dinner
Children	3
Website	https://www2.wwt.com/people/jim-p-kavanaugh/

Jim Kavanaugh is the CEO of World Wide Technology, a leading technology integrator with more than $7 billion in annual revenue that provides innovative technology and supply chain solutions to large public and private organizations.^[4]

Soccer career

After winning a state soccer title at Rosary High, Kavanaugh went on to have a solid soccer career at Saint Louis University for college. In 1983 he was selected as MS Amateur Player of the Year and competed for the United States in the Pan Am Games. He also played as a member of the 1984 Olympic team.^[5]

After college Kavanaugh was drafted to the Los Angeles Lazers, a Major Indoor Soccer League team, in 1986 as the second pick in the first round of the professional soccer draft.^[6]

After a short stint in the Major Indoor Soccer League, Kavanaugh turned to a career in business but still remains involved in the St. Louis sports community. In 2012, Kavanaugh became the President of the Board at St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club and St. Louis FC Board. He is also an owner of the St. Louis Blues.^[7]

Business career

Kavanaugh worked at Future Electronics as a sales manager (1988-1990)^[8] after his soccer career and prior to joining World Wide Technology.

World Wide Technology

In 1990 Kavanaugh joined David Steward in the early stages of launching the latter's newest business venture, World Wide Technology, a systems integrator that provides technology products, services and supply chain solutions.

In 1999 World Wide Technology spun off its telecommunications division to form Telcobuy.com. Sales for the two companies continued to grow, although revenues slipped in 2002 as World Wide Technology felt the impact of the technology recession. In 2003 combined reported revenues passed $1 billion, and the founders formed World Wide Technology Holding Company as the parent company for the two firms.^[9]

Almost since its inception, Kavanaugh has focused on WWT's corporate culture, which he believes is essential to its success and growth. "WWT’s continued growth is tied to a business culture defined by core values, the first of which is trust,” said Kavanaugh. “We are committed to creating a profitable growth company that is truly a great place to work."^[10]

Kavanaugh has also led the development of WWT's Advanced Technology Center (ATC), a collaborative ecosystem to design, build, educate, demonstrate and deploy innovative technology products and integrated architectural solutions for World Wide Technology customers, partners and employees.^[11] "It's a virtual ecosystem," Kavanaugh says. "We can bring in software, but we actually bring in the physical hardware too. So we’re able to replicate not only what the software looks like but we do it in physical environments that simulate that customer’s environment. … It's definitely not a standard offering for what systems integrators are bringing to their customers. I think it's very unique." ^[12]

In 2016, WWT’s annual revenue are estimated to be greater than $7B, ranking it as one of the largest private companies in the country.^[13]

Awards

2010: Saint Louis University Business Hall of Fame.^[14]
2007: EY Entrepreneur of the Year^[15]
1998: Forty under 40^[16]

References