10 Things You Didn't Know About Gartner CEO Gene Hall

One of the leading research and consulting companies in the information technology world is, without a doubt, Gartner, Inc. The company has been headed by CEO Eugene A. Hall since 2004, and brings in billions in revenue each year. Hall himself has been a wise and patient CEO, increasing profit margins and mixing up the company culture at Gartner. He is far from a corporate stiff – he has led an interesting life and has an attitude to match. If you want to learn more about this successful executive, read on to learn about Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Gene Hall.

He Helped to Design Helicopters

Gene Hall’s first employment was as an aerostructures engineer at Sikorsky Aircraft. It was here that he ended up designing several helicopters – including the famous Blackhawk army helicopter. The design that Hall contributed to was introduced in 1979, and remains in military use to this day.

He Likes to Exercise

Don’t let anyone tell you that Gene Hall isn’t into cardio. He tries to run about seven miles per day, with times of only six to nine minutes per mile. Looks like this CEO hustles in his day-to-day life just as much as he does at work.

He Is a Pilot

Gene Hall isn’t merely an aircraft engineer. After he took flying lessons with his oldest son several years ago, he learned how to operate an airplane – something that has likely been an interest of his ever since he worked at Sikorsky.

He Likes Heavy Metal

Many of the most prominent CEOs in business aren’t the typical metal head type. But Gene Hall loves this hardcore genre. It does pump a person up to get things done. Plus, Gene’s kids are big metalheads like he is.

He Uses Creative Management Methods

Gene Hall isn’t afraid to break tradition to provide the best work environment for his employees. For example, during his time working at Automatic Data Processing (ADP), he managed to completely flip the company culture of the IT department. When Hall arrived at the company, this department was stiff, traditional, and focused on legacy code. This left little room for his employees to work out non-traditional solutions to company problems. So, Hall encouraged a shift in company culture. Eventually, the IT department operated more like a fast-paced, innovative software company. This led to a bit of burnout among his employees, so he instated stress-reliving activities like Wednesday night movies to keep morale high. Hall is clearly a great manager who can think up the perfect solution to any sort of human resources problem.

He Was a First-Gen College Student

When Hall was in fifth grade, he decided that he wanted a bachelor’s degree from MIT with a master’s from Harvard. This was a distinct departure from family tradition – neither of his parents attended college nor earned any sort of degree. Hall was ultimately successful with his quest, achieving the goals he set for himself at such a young age.

He Likes to Build PCs and Networks

Gene Hall’s “home network” has ten custom-built PCs, all assembled himself. They are all interconnected, forming the backbone of Hall’s home “infrastructure”. He likes to tinker with these machines during his free time, and network management is one of his personal hobbies. This isn’t surprising in the least, considering the nature of the company he heads.

He Met His Wife During College

When Hall was attending MIT, his wife Beth was a student at Simmons College. They eventually met and fell in love, and have been married for almost 40 years. She holds a Ph.D. in economics, and occasionally teaches and publishes on the subject. These two are a great match, as they are both incredibly smart and driven individuals.

He Recognizes the Importance of Globalism

Gene Hall has often touted the benefits of having a globalized team at Gartner. With representatives from America, Denmark, Japan, Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, many perspectives are represented in any business move that the company makes. The CEO has cited this as being one of the reasons that the business works so well.

He Started Consulting Right After College

After receiving his MBA from Harvard University, Gene Hall began applying for consulting positions with various companies. He eventually scored a job at McKinsey & Company (one of the biggest consulting firms in the U.S.). He worked there for sixteen years, before transferring to ADP, and eventually to the leading position at Gartner.

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