10 Things You Didn’t Know about Alan Trefler
Alan Trefler is a renowned American billionaire and the founder and CEO of Pegasystems among other start ups. What began as a company that specialized in customer relationship management (CRM) software has now evolved into a platform for building intelligent business applications. Alan is a leading authority on business intelligence and data warehousing, and a very active technology pioneer; Pega describes him as a visionary leader, innovative philanthropist, and a technology change agent. He’s also trusted by business executives as the best advisor across the world. Alan Trefler is an independent software consultant and CEO of Pegasystems, Inc., a leading provider of products that enable enterprises to deliver personalized digital customer experiences.
1. He is a Generous Spender
Trefler is a generous man who enjoys giving back to the communities where he lives and works. According to Forbes, Alan Trefler and his wife Pamela founded the Trefler Foundation, an organization through which they donate to public healthcare and education in Boston. They also support organizations such as the Boston University School of Management, the Boston Medical Center, and the American Red Cross.Trefler is also actively involved in the business community and has spoken at events organized by organizations such as the Massachusetts High Technology Council and the MIT Enterprise Forum. He is also active on Twitter where he shares his thoughts and updates related to Pegasystems and other issues of interest to him.
2. He is a Cancer Survivor
In 2005, Trefler was diagnosed with a brain tumor that was subsequently removed in 2006. However, only four years later he was again diagnosed with cancer; this time it was advanced cancer of the kidney which required urgent treatment. Trefler underwent 12 weeks of chemotherapy and an additional two months of radiation therapy for kidney failure; fortunately he is now completely cancer-free.
3. His net worth is more than $3.1 Million
Trefler is one of the richest CEO in Boston, Massachusetts. His net worth is estimated at $3.1 billion. Based on a report by Forbes, Alan has a net worth of $3.1 billion, with Pegasystems being one of his fastest growing companies in North America.
4. Two of His Sisters Are Psychiatrists
Trefler is the youngest among four siblings; growing up he had two older sisters who are both psychiatrists. Alan credits his sisters with encouraging him to work in the IT industry and offering his first break into the field.
5. He is a Well-Known Philanthropist
Apart from being an active investor and donor, Trefler is also known for his philanthropy work in the areas of clean air and water, education, healthcare, and youth development. He is founder and board member at Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a registered charity established to support research on cystic fibrosis and improve the health of people with this disease.
6. He Is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering
Trefler is one of 17 members from 14 countries elected to this prestigious organization in 2014. Members are elected for their achievement in engineering research, practice, or education, for their innovation in engineering principles and practice and for their broader contributions to society.”
7. He Participated in the Development of a NoSQL Database
Trefler is also a leading pioneer in NoSQL database technology. In 2009 he contributed to the development of MongoDB, an open-source database system that uses documents rather than rows to store data, which is distributed over multiple servers. He has also been working on Schema.org, a collaborative effort by Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo, to organize data on the Web. According to Trefler, Schema.org will be beneficial in organizing information from the growing number of sources like data streams, sensors, and machine-to-machine communications.
8. He Has an MBA from Harvard Business School
Trefler attended Harvard Business School and received his MBA in 1986. After graduating, he joined the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as a management consultant where he spent five years before taking a leave of absence to start Pegasystems in 1986. In 1991, Alan rejoined BCG and worked there for eight years before leaving to become CEO of his own company.
9. He Has an Honorary PhD
Alan is a highly respected member of the business community and has received many honors that recognize his contributions to technology and business. In 2008, the University of Western Ontario in Canada honored him with an honorary doctorate of laws. He also received the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award from InformationWeek Magazine and was named one of the hundred most influential people in technology by CRN Magazine.
10. He Has a Passion for Playing Tennis and chess
Trefler is a tennis enthusiast who has played the sport since he was a teenager. He also enjoys playing chess, which he enjoys because it is a social game that offers an intellectual challenge. According to the DartMouth Alumni Magazine, Alan Trefler was a co-champion in the Chess Tournament of 1975.
Bottom Line
Alan Trefler is a well-known pioneer in the field of data warehousing and business intelligence, with more than 30 years of experience in the IT industry. He’s also an astute businessman; from his humble beginnings he has risen to be one of the most prominent figures in his field. He spent his childhood learning not only to build things but to make money. He was taught the value of hard work and having fun at the same time.
Today he has built more than $1 million in sales per year as an independent software consultant, which has given him enough money to give back to others. Alan Trefler is a well-known pioneer in the field of data warehousing and business intelligence, with more than 30 years of experience in the IT industry.
He’s also an astute businessman; from his humble beginnings he has risen to be one of the most prominent figures in his field. When speaking about his career and life, Alan Trefler says, “I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished… we’ve been able to build a platform for intelligent business applications.”
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