World Wide Technology is a privately-held global technology services company based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company has an annual revenue of $20 billion and employs over 10,000 people.
From representing the U.S. in soccer at the 1984 Summer Olympics to founding WWT and owning sports franchises, you have had quite the story. What ingredients led you to achieve such heights in both soccer and business?
There is no single formula for success that fits everyone, as each person has to follow their own unique path. Success itself can be defined in different ways—being a CEO, a sports star, or an entertainer does not necessarily make someone happy or fulfilled. For me, many of the values that shaped my journey came from my parents. My father was a bricklayer who left school early to work, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom who later moved into real estate. We grew up modestly, but my parents instilled important principles in me, like a strong work ethic and loyalty. My father often told me, “You are no better than anyone else, but you are just as good as anyone else.” That advice gave me both humility and self-confidence, which helped me navigate challenging situations.
These values—loyalty, teamwork, and a commitment to hard work—have guided me both on the field and in business. Leadership, whether in sports or at WWT, is not just about personal success but about creating an environment where others can succeed as well. I believe in building meaningful relationships, as they are key to both happiness and effective leadership. When people know that you are invested in their success, they are more likely to thrive.
WWT has come a long way since the early 90s. While you were not an AI-focused company back then, it seems that WWT was laying the groundwork for future technological advancements. What was your original vision when you started WWT, and did you foresee such rapid change?
To be honest, I did not have a grand, detailed vision of where WWT would end up. After my soccer career, I made a conscious decision to get into technology—not because I had a background in it, but because I believed it was a growing industry with a lot of potential. I started by working at a computer components distributor in Montreal, where I learned a great deal in about a year and a half. When the opportunity arose to start WWT with my co-founder Dave Steward, we saw a chance to build a systems integrator business, although we did not fully know what we were getting into at the time.
Looking back, one of the key lessons was the importance of continuous learning. We did not have everything figured out from the beginning, but by listening, adapting, and staying curious, we were able to navigate changes in the industry. Even today, there is no room for complacency. Success requires constant effort and adaptation. If you get too comfortable or believe you have made it, that is when you start to fall behind. The willingness to learn and grow has been essential to both our survival and success.
WWT has committed $500 million toward AI initiatives, including the Advanced Technology Center. What steps are you taking to ensure WWT remains at the forefront of this fast-evolving space?
It is an incredibly exciting time, both in the industry and the world at large. Fortunately, our structure allows us to partner with many of the top technology companies, and our relationships with innovators have grown over the years. Many of these innovators have moved through large companies like Microsoft, Cisco, and Dell, giving us a unique position to understand trends and opportunities. We began building a data science practice about ten years ago, working with areas like natural language processing and machine learning—long before we labeled it as artificial intelligence.
Our collaboration with NVIDIA has been particularly significant. We have been working with them for nearly a decade, long before generative AI exploded onto the scene. Even with all the progress we have made, there is still an urgency to keep moving faster. The landscape is changing quickly, and while it is exciting, it also requires constant vigilance. There is always more to learn and more ground to cover. Staying ahead in this field means balancing excitement with the pressure to evolve, ensuring we are delivering the best solutions to our customers.
As one of the largest private companies in the US, how do you attract top talent, especially in such a competitive landscape?
Attracting the best talent starts with creating a culture where people want to work. For us, it is not just about finding the smartest or most ambitious individuals—it is also about values and behaviors. We look for people who are not only talented but also team-oriented, respectful, and aligned with our principles. Even if someone is brilliant, if they do not fit into the culture of mutual respect and collaboration, they are not the right fit for our team. In addition to fostering a strong culture, we offer opportunities for continuous learning through our innovation ecosystem. Our Advanced Technology Center allows employees to work hands-on with the latest technologies, from AI to cybersecurity and data infrastructure. Talented individuals want to be challenged and collaborate with other experts, and we create an environment where they can do exactly that.
Many successful companies and individuals talk about the role of luck in their journeys. Do you believe luck plays a role, or is success purely the result of hard work and preparation?
Luck certainly plays a part, but I am a firm believer that the harder you work, the luckier you become. Take NVIDIA as an example—people may see their success with generative AI as luck, but in reality, they were working tirelessly for 25 years before this moment of opportunity arrived. Luck, in many ways, is about being prepared when the right moment presents itself. You cannot capitalize on opportunities if you are not in the game and working hard.
When those so-called lucky moments come, it is up to you to act decisively and make the most of them. I have a great deal of respect for leaders like Jensen Huang at NVIDIA, who balances ambition with humility. Even with their success, he remains focused and grounded, which is a trait I admire. Opportunities that look like luck from the outside are often the result of years of effort and preparation. It is about being ready, staying humble, and making the most of every chance you get.
With AI evolving so rapidly, what are WWT’s priorities over the next three to five years?
Our focus is on helping organizations build AI platforms that are purpose-built for their needs. Many companies are still figuring out how to implement AI effectively, and we are working with them to aggregate and organize their data into unified models. It is not enough to rely on prompts to large language models—true innovation comes from integrating structured and unstructured data into a coherent strategy that drives meaningful outcomes.
We are also investing heavily in automation, digital transformation, and operational efficiency. The goal is to create seamless experiences for customers, employees, and users. This journey is not linear—it is more like a marathon run in iterative sprints. There will be moments of rapid progress, followed by phases where it feels like things are moving slowly. However, when we step back in three to five years, the progress will be remarkable. Our ability to innovate, adapt, and scale will define our success in this evolving landscape.
Are there any AI applications or use cases that personally excite you, particularly in areas like healthcare or longevity?
I am particularly excited about AI’s potential in healthcare, especially in finding solutions to complex challenges like cancer. Having lost loved ones to cancer, I know how transformative these advancements could be. AI-driven platforms that aggregate data from wearable devices, continuous glucose monitors, and other sensors have the potential to provide highly personalized treatments. This shift from broad-stroke care to individualized medicine could be a game-changer.
However, collaboration will be essential. Hospitals and research institutions need to share data and insights to unlock AI’s full potential. If organizations remain siloed, they will limit what AI can achieve. I believe that AI, when used thoughtfully and collaboratively, will revolutionize healthcare and extend into areas like longevity and biohacking. The possibilities are immense, and I am excited to see how these advancements will shape the future.
Looking ahead, what milestones do you envision for WWT, and how will your customers interact with the company in the future?
Our vision is to continue building out our Advanced Technology Center and leveraging the data and insights within it to develop new solutions. We are focused on creating unified data fabrics that integrate structured and unstructured data—everything from videos and engineering drawings to voice and text. These platforms will empower our employees, partners, and customers to collaborate more effectively and solve complex problems in real time.
We are also working on deploying specific AI use cases that will have a significant impact on our customers’ businesses. The innovation process is iterative—it requires perseverance, grit, and determination. Some breakthroughs will happen quickly, while others will take time. However, in three to five years, we expect to look back and see just how far we have come. The journey may feel slow at times, but the cumulative progress will be extraordinary. Our goal is to remain at the forefront of technology, driving meaningful change for our customers and partners.
