Jim Goodnight Honored by Ernst & Young, CRN

Dr. Jim Goodnight, founder and CEO of SAS, emerged from the university setting in the 1970s to start SAS, a company he imbued with his own spirit of innovation, collaboration and discovery. From humble beginnings and a handful of customers, SAS has grown into the largest privately held software company in the world.

In the past two weeks, Goodnight has twice been honored for helping launch and lead SAS, beginning with his induction into the CRN Industry Hall of Fame, closely followed by the 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® National Award in Technology.

Nearly 30 years of successful leadership
"Under Jim Goodnight’s leadership, SAS has adapted to a constantly changing business landscape," says Jim Davis, SAS senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "SAS’ growth, from one office in 1976 to nearly 400 all over the world, from a handful of customers to 40,000 today, is a direct result of Jim’s ability to anticipate the trends and adjust to them."

Under Goodnight’s direction, SAS has maintained steady growth since its inception in 1976, increasing its revenues each year. SAS software has evolved along with dynamic market demands, the most recent milestones being the releases of SAS®9, the SAS Intelligence Platform and the SAS Enterprise BI Server.

These technologies provide the most powerful and effective platform for enterprise intelligence in the market today. SAS’ world-class software and its award-winning employee-friendly culture combine to create low turnover of both customers and employees, which has fueled SAS’ sustained growth.

And now ... The Hall of Fame
The CRN Industry Hall of Fame, sponsored by CMP Media’s CRN, is the most anticipated event in the high-tech industry, honoring innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders in the most dynamic industry in the world.

CRN, the leading provider of news and information for technology integrators, honored five individuals who have transformed the technology industry, recognizing them for having shaped the course of technology with a lasting impact on society.

Hand-selected by the CRN editorial staff, editors identified pioneers and innovators for outstanding merit and accomplishment through a stringent criteria analysis and then singled out those who have been pivotal figures in the evolution of the high-tech industry.

Established in 1997, the CRN Industry Hall of Fame alumni include legendary leaders of highly recognized companies such as William Hewlett, Andy Grove, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Charles Geschke and Michael Dell; industry-renowned engineers and developers such as Philip Zimmermann, Steve Wozniak, Bill Joy, Ray Ozzie and Drew Major; and outspoken visionaries such as Steve Ballmer, Larry Ellison, Chip Lacy and Philippe Kahn.

"I’m grateful to CRN for this honor," says Goodnight. "It’s been an exciting and challenging journey to this point, and this induction and the success of SAS would not have been possible without the talent and commitment of the company’s employees and customers."

Entrepreneur of the Year
And right on the heels of being named to the CRN Hall of Fame, Ernst & Young honored Goodnight as the 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year in Technology at a gala event in Palm Springs, CA.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winners were selected from approximately 400 regional award recipients by an independent panel of judges. The honor celebrates Goodnight’s more than 30 years of contributions to the analytic software industry, his commitment to education and his pioneering vision of what a workplace should be.

"Since Jim created SAS in the 1970s, he’s had a knack for knowing what the next critical business trend would be," says Davis. "He always makes sure SAS is positioned to capitalize. Along the way, he created a workplace that fosters innovation and creativity, and fosters great loyalty among employees and customers. It was a revolutionary business model then and remains so."

Jim Goodnight

Founder and CEO of SAS