A Soccer Roots, A Business Vision
Jim Kavanaugh grew up in a modest household in St. Louis, the son of a bricklayer, and chased a dream on the soccer field that would eventually take him to the U.S. national team at the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1984 Summer Olympics.
After hanging up his cleats, he co‑founded World Wide Technology, a firm that has swollen into a $20 billion powerhouse. The company’s ascent, he says, is less about raw talent and more about the same grit and teamwork he learned chasing a ball on dusty fields.
Kavanaugh points to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as exemplars of leadership that transcends individual brilliance. He notes that Messi’s ability to draw teammates into the game mirrors the way he tries to embed a collaborative spirit at every level of his organization.
Resilience, he argues, is the engine of progress. ‘Failure is just a data point,’ he says, recalling how setbacks on the pitch taught him to iterate quickly, a mindset that now fuels innovation in an era dominated by artificial intelligence.
The tech leader also stresses the value of hard work and an unwillingness to shy away from challenges. ‘Young people should embrace work,’ he advises, a creed that underpins both his personal philosophy and the culture he cultivates at World Wide Technology.
Fortune’s recent inclusion of the company in its 100 Best Companies to Work For list reflects the tangible results of this philosophy. As AI reshapes industries, Kavanaugh believes that a team‑centric, adaptable culture is the most reliable compass for navigating rapid change.