WWT CEO Jim Kavanaugh Honored With Best Of The Channel Lifetime Achievement Award
by Mark Haranas, CRN
It requires a certain level of fortitude to take a small IT startup and build it into a $20 billion solution provider powerhouse.
Jim Kavanaugh, co-founder and CEO of St. Louis-based World Wide Technology, has done just that, and he credits his parents for instilling in him the necessary values for success early on.
"Call it my DNA that I got from my parents and their approach around certain values: your grit, your determination, your fight, your work ethic—those were ingrained in me early and very much reinforced as an athlete," said Kavanaugh, who was a member of the U.S. Olympic soccer team and later a professional player in the 1980s prior to founding WWT in 1990.
Kavanaugh's drive for success, along with his business savvy, his commitment to building a world-class corporate culture and his philanthropic efforts, have earned him the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at CRN's Best of the Channel Awards. Jim Kavanaugh received the honor at a black-tie gala at Fox Theatre in Atlanta on Oct. 14.
The leadership attributes and drive necessary to be a successful CEO and professional athlete are similar, said Kavanaugh.
"You have to continue to step up your game," he said. "And if you don't continue to have a never-ending desire and willingness to put the time and effort in to improve yourself and have the spirit of continuous learning, continuous development—you'll plateau out. The same thing applies in sports. The same thing applies in business."
Michael Dell, founder, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, one of WWT's key technology partners, lauded Kavanaugh's ability to push the technology envelope and reinvent WWT again and again.
He described Kavanaugh as "an incredible partner over decades" for Dell Technologies.
"Jim has a keen understanding of business and how both our companies can grow and share in mutual success," said Dell, who has led Dell Technologies since its inception.
"His ability to anticipate market shifts—whether transitioning from reselling to services, investing in software development or embracing AI—has consistently positioned WWT at the forefront of the industry," Neri said in an email to CRN. "Jim's leadership is defined by a willingness to embrace change and a relentless focus on driving innovation."
Influencing The Channel At Large
In his role as the head of WWT—No. 9 on the 2025 CRN Solution Provider 500—Kavanaugh's influence is felt throughout the channel. The relationships he has built with executive leaders at companies such as Cisco Systems, Dell, HPE and NVIDIA, among many others, have helped shape how key technology vendors work with solution providers across the industry.
WWT has been selected to dozens of vendors' Partner Advisory Boards, which are typically tasked with shaping channel programs, partner incentives and overall go-to-market.
Michael Dell called Kavanaugh "one of the original innovators of the channel relationship."
"Many of [Kavanaugh's] innovations have fostered programs and policies that have become a blueprint for the industry," said Michael Dell.
Kavanaugh's forward-thinking strategy and commitment to WWT's innovation "have consistently inspired HPE to elevate our partner relationships," Neri said, calling Kavanaugh and WWT "instrumental in shaping HPE's approach to channel partnerships."
"Jim's leadership extends beyond the walls of WWT, driving collaboration and innovation across the broader partner ecosystem," HPE's CEO said. "His ability to inspire and unite people and teams around a shared vision is what truly sets him apart."
Not only has Kavanaugh shaped the channel and innovation road map for IT giants of the world, but WWT is now coaching emerging tech companies on how to treat and incentivize channel partners.
"We certainly contribute our ideas in shaping the channel programs that, not only the largest companies have like Dell, Cisco, NetApp, Pure, HPE, but I feel like we really do a good service to the industry by coaching and mentoring many emerging tech companies, especially around cybersecurity and AI where we're helping shape their channel programs and what success looks like," said Bob Olwig, executive vice president of global partner alliances at WWT.
"And that all starts from Jim in terms of what we have found to work," Olwig said. "I've never seen a more determined person."