25 Execs To Watch From The 2008 VARBusiness 500
#1 EDS
2007 Revenue: $22.134 billion
Lead Executive: Ron Rittenmeyer, president and CEO
EDS saw revenue increase 4.1 percent last year. It was impressive enough to entice HP to make a $13.9 billion play for the company earlier in May. HP's acquisition of EDS is expected to close in the second half of 2008. The deal will more than double HP's services revenue, which was $16.6 billion in fiscal 2007. [READ MORE]
#6 Capgemini
2007 Revenue: $11.932 billion
Lead Executive: Paul Hermelin, CEO
As chief executive, Hermelin has oversight of Capgemini's Rightshore service, which offers clients the best skills in the best location in the world at a competitive price via its centers in India, Poland, China and Latin America, as well as European countries such as Morocco. In fact, Capgemini aims to be the first services company to offer comprehensive services from Morocco, from IT systems integration to outsourcing. [READ MORE]
#7 Lockheed Martin -- Information Systems and Global Services
2007 Revenue: $10.213 billion
Lead Executive: Robert Stevens, Chairman, president and CEO
Stevens said in April that first-quarter results, in which net sales were up 8 percent from Q1 2007 sales, reflected continued Lockheed's progress in building core capabilities. In addition, he credited the good financials to the solution provider's responsiveness to customers while delivering greater value to them. [READ MORE]
#8 Deloitte Consulting
2007 Revenue: $9.850 billion
Lead Executive: Barry Salzberg, CEO
Salzberg became chief executive in 2007, 30 years after starting at the consulting firm. He is an advocate for higher-education and supports the efforts of College Summit, a non-profit organization that works in underprivileged areas to help high schools -- and the communities they serve--develop a culture in which going to college is the norm, not the exception. Recently, he lectured at Purdue University on the importance of ethics in an increasingly mobile work environment and the role of leadership in building a culture of ethics and trust. [READ MORE]
#9 General Dynamics -- Information Systems and Technology
2007 Revenue: $9.622 billion
Lead Executive: Daniel Johnson, president
Johnson became president of the General Dynamics Information Technology business unit on April 1, replacing Michael E. Chandler, who is retiring. Previously, he was chief operating officer of Anteon, which General Dynamics acquired in June 2006 and combined with an existing unit to create the current company. He became executive vice president of operations for General Dynamics Information Technology with responsibility for day-to-day operations of the 16,000-person organization. [READ MORE]
#10 Atos Origin
2007 Revenue: $8.6 billion
Lead Executive: Phillippe Germond
Germond is heading the company at a time of rebuilding. Atos Origin had a promising first quarter 2008. He is overseeing "Transformation Plan," which the Management Board started to implement during the second half of last year, and which is now producing tangible results both in revenue growth and orders intake, and has said he believes Atos Origin is firmly on the road to recovery. [READ MORE]
#11 Science Applications International (SAIC)
2007 Revenue: $8.94 billion
Lead Executive: Ken Dahlberg, chairman and CEO
SAIC enters its 40th year in 2008. Last year, under Dahlberg's direction, the solution provider accelerated revenue growth, significantly expanded operating margins, and continued building on a strong foundation. Revenue for the last quarter was $2.34 billion, up 12 percent from $2.09 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2007. [READ MORE]
#12 CDW
2007 Revenue: $8.145 billion
Lead Executive: John Edwardson
Edwardson is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, a challenging task as the company was being acquired in a go-private transaction with affiliates of Madison Dearborn Partners and Providence Equity Partners. In the fourth quarter, the solution provider gained market share and continued to provide customer service. He has indicated his intent to continue to grow the company, extending CDW's mix of products and technology services to new customers. [READ MORE]
#13 Automatic Data Processing (ADP)
2007 Revenue: $7.8 billion
Lead Executives: Steven Anenen, president dealer services
As president of dealer services, Anenen heads ADP's effort to eliminate the manual processes at dealerships to let dealership employees spend more time focused on customers. ADP's state-of-the art technologies are aimed at delivering Web-enabled solutions that are easy-to-use and learn. [READ MORE]
#14 NTT Data
2007 Revenue: $7.715 billion
Lead Executive: Tomokazu Hamaguchi, president and CEO
Three years ago, Tomokazu Hamaguchi agreed to form an alliance that includes NTT Data acquiring 95 percent of the shares of Capgemini Japan K.K. The deal made it possible for NTT to offer professional services to the increasing global demands of its Japanese clients. In the USA and in Europe, NTT Data offered Capgemini a preferred (but non exclusive) partner status. Something's paying off: Last year, NTT Data's revenue climbed 25.4 percent. [READ MORE]
#15
Affiliated Computer Services (ACS)
2007 Revenue: $5.772 billion
Lead Executive: Lynn Blodgett, president and CEO
Blodgett is focused on improving ACS' revenue growth rates. New business signings in 2Q 2008 were approximately $205 million of annual recurring revenue, a 24 percent increase over the prior year second quarter new business signings, something Blodgett sees as the main catalyst for accelerating growth. The CEO is also an author; last year he published Finding Grace: The Face of America's Homeless, a collection of photos of the homeless from around the country. [READ MORE]
#16 Unisys
2007 Revenue: $5.652 billion
Lead Executive: Joseph McGrath, President and CEO
Revenue for the first quarter of 2008 declined 3 percent to $1.30 billion from $1.35 billion in the year-ago quarter. McGrath has sited weakness in its U.S. business as one reason for the weak numbers. Unisys' federal business was impacted by contracting delays at certain agencies. McGrath also noted that U.S. technology sales slowed as customers tightened spending on IT projects due to economic concerns. However, in its most recent earnings report, Unisys saw continued revenue growth in outsourcing and double-digit gains in services orders. Based on that, McGrath believes the federal business will recover in the second quarter and for the services business to return to growth. [READ MORE]
#17 Fidelity Nat'l Information Systems
2007 Revenue: $4.758 billion
Lead Executive: Gary Norcross, president and COO Transaction Processing Services
Transaction Processing Services (TPS) is one of the predominant growth drivers for Fidelity. In the first quarter, consolidated revenue increased 20.5 percent to $1.3 billion, including approximately $141.3 million in revenue from eFunds, which was acquired in September 2007. Excluding eFunds, revenue increased 7.3 percent over the comparable 2007 quarter, partly due to TPS' 4.5 percent growth. TPS generated revenue of $826.8 million in the quarter (including $141.3 million from eFunds), up 26 percent from the prior-year period. [READ MORE]
#18 Tata Consultancy Services
2007 Revenue: $4.3 billion
Lead Executive: S. Ramadorai, CEO
Ramadorai expects sustained, profitable growth in the next financial year, helped by a new, agile customer-centric organization structure. Total Q4 U.S. revenue is $1.52 billion; up 28.36% year-over-year, and up 1.11% over the previous quarter. TCS added 53 new clients, 6,921 employees and closed six deals worth more than $50 million in the VAR's fourth quarter. [READ MORE]
#19 Harris
2007 Revenue: $4.243 billion
Lead Executive: Howard Lance, president and CEO
Harris saw impressive growth in excess of 20 percent in 2007. Orders were particularly strong in its most recent quarter and the company has a growing backlog of orders. Further, the integrator is expanding into new markets, namely health care; Harris won a $6 million contract during the third quarter from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [READ MORE]
#20 ITT Defense ElectronicsServices
2007 Revenue: $4.2 billion
Lead Executive: Hank Driesse, interim president of ITT Defense Electronics and Services
Driesse assumed his current position in April. He has 27 years of experience at the company, the bulk of which was spent in the defense industry, including five years at the helm of ITT's defense business from 2000 to 2005. During that period, Driesse drove significant growth initiatives and operational improvements, more than doubling the defense business revenue and tripling the segment's operating income. [READ MORE]
#21 Office Depot " Business Solutions
2007 Revenue: $4.195 billion
Lead Executive: Steve Odland
The economic climate has hit Office Depot and its Business Solutions division hard. First quarter 2008 sales in the North American Business Solutions Division were $1.1 billion, down 5 percent compared with the same period last year. Sales to small to midsize customers were down 12 percent. However, sales did increase slightly -- 3 percent -- among large, national account customers and 4 percent in the public sector. Sales were also negatively impacted by continued softness among customers in Florida and California, which accounted for roughly 30 percent of the division's sales in the quarter and nearly two-thirds of the decline. Operating profit was $60 million for the first quarter of 2008 compared to $72 million for the same period of the prior year, but $59 million higher than the fourth quarter of 2007. [READ MORE]
#22 IKON Office Solutions
2007 Revenue: $4.168 billion
Lead Executive: Matthew Espe, chairman and CEO
The company's revenue in 2007 was flat compared with 2006; the company under Espe's leadership is taking steps to improve its financial performance. His prior experience as a manager at General Electric during a period of market softness (2001) has helped prepare him for the current economy: In January, Espe announced a spending reduction plan. The effort seems to be making a difference as the company is on track to reduce costs and expenses by $25 million in fiscal 2008. Total revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 was $1.1 billion, a 1 percent increase year over year. Total gross profit increased $6 million year over year to $351 million. [READ MORE]
#23 Booz Allen Hamilton
2007 Revenue: $4.1 billion
Lead Executive: Shumeet Banerji, president of Booz Allen Hamilton's Global/Commercial Business
Banerji leads the firm's commercial consulting business globally, as well as its public sector business outside of the U.S. In May, Booz Allen announced that it will separate its U.S. government and global commercial businesses, selling a majority stake in the U.S. government business to The Carlyle Group for $2.54 billion. The move enables the two businesses to refocus on their distinct end markets. Through the strategic realignment, the commercial and international business will become an independent company focused on global management consulting. [READ MORE]
#24 Dimension Data
2007 Revenue: $3.773 billion
Lead Executive: Jere Brown, Dimension Data Americas
Brown has credited demand for IT services around compliance, workforce mobility, environmental sustainability and globalization for the pretty rosy economic outlook for Dimension Data in the first half of 2008. The VAR reported robust top line performance for the first half of the year. Revenue was up by 23 percent to $2.2 billion, and all lines of business saw growth: Network integration up 17 percent, security up 36 percent and converged communications up 21 percent. Managed and professional services grew 18.4 percent and 17.0 percent, respectively. [READ MORE]
#25 CGI Group
2007 Revenue: $3,712 billion
Lead Executive: Mike Roach, president and CEO
In the first six months of fiscal 2008, CGI's revenue grew by more than $100 million on a constant currency basis while improving net earnings by 33 percent. Roach noted that even in a soft economic market, clients were continuing to rely on CGI solutions, managed services and high-end consulting work to help them grow. He is responsible for worldwide operations and has said publicly he is aiming at growing the Canadian company's presence in the United States and Europe. [READ MORE]