Dr. Jim Goodnight, CEO of software giant SAS Institute, today named Andre Boisvert president and chief operating officer, effective immediately. In his new role, Boisvert manages the divisions responsible for the development, sales and support of SAS software. These include research and development, business solutions, worldwide marketing, sales, corporate communications, information systems, technical support, education and publications.
"This is the next step in SAS' focus on being a market-driven company," Goodnight said. "Overseeing the company's routine business and driving its overall technology and business strategy are duties too big now for one person. Andre's able management of day-to-day activities will free me to focus on the more strategic aspects of running a global technology company. Half of SAS' revenue now comes from outside North America, so that demands an organizational structure that lets me spend more time attending to the dynamic e-business needs of our customers around the globe."
"SAS has long been a self-sufficient software supplier, largely dedicated to creating business intelligence technology and analytical applications and marketing them directly to its impressively large (and growing) customer base," said Bob Moran, research vice president with the Aberdeen Group. "With this more streamlined and nimble structure, SAS is demonstrating its ability to morph itself to optimally respond to the needs of the market, including partners, but most especially to its customers' varied requirements."
Boisvert, who continues to report to Goodnight, joined SAS in February as vice president of business development and strategic investments. He has been responsible for centralizing SAS' investment strategy, with a focus on companies that complement SAS' core technologies.
With more than 25 years of experience in the software industry, Boisvert most recently served as a consultant to Microsoft Corp. He became a special general partner of Southeast Interactive Technology Funds in 1998, after serving as a limited partner since 1996. In these capacities, he was responsible for identifying new investment opportunities for the fund and managing these investments at times. At the Fund's request, Boisvert acted as interim CEO for two of their portfolio companies, Alternate Realities and NetTech Inc.
He has served as a member of top management in business development and/or worldwide marketing for numerous software firms, including Oracle, Cognos, Wang Laboratories, Seer Technologies and Synon Corp. His planning and strategies reversed financial drains at several of these companies and resulted in large profit turnarounds. Boisvert worked for IBM Corp. from 1976 to 1989 in various capacities and currently serves on the board of directors of NovaWeb, Mayflower Software, Newtonian, Virtual Computer Co., SAS spin-off iBiomatics LLC (http://www.ibiomatics.com), and SAS subsidiary DataFlux (http://www.dataflux.com).
Additional appointments
Also, Greyson Quarles was named SAS' executive vice president and chief administrative officer, reporting to Goodnight. He is responsible for managing worldwide organizational support departments, including human resources, finance and legal. Quarles joined SAS in 1982 as vice president of finance.
Jim Davis was named vice president of SAS' worldwide marketing division, reporting to Boisvert. Davis manages the operations of three functional areas: strategy, business alliance and channel development, and marketing programs. Previously, Davis served as SAS' director of product strategy and was responsible for the direction of the company's initiatives in data warehousing, decision support and information delivery. He joined SAS in 1994.
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