Technology >> CEO Interviews >> December 1, 1998
JACK A. BLAESER is President and CEO of Concord Communications. Mr.
Blaeser's career spans a number of senior financial management, sales,
and marketing positions with various technology-oriented companies. He
began his career in 1964 with General Electric Company where he held
various marketing and sales roles. In addition to his early work at GE,
Mr. Blaeser worked at Modicon (an industrial automation company) as VP
of sales and marketing in 1973. He was later promoted to president in
1977. During his tenure he grew the company from $3 million to $100
million and sold the company to Gould Electronics in 1985. After the
sale, he grew the business division he managed from $100 million to $600
million through a combination of acquisitions and mergers. In 1986, Mr.
Blaeser joined EG&G Venture Management, a $47.5 million capital fund
focusing on high technology companies. Shortly after joining EG&G as a
managing partner, he was asked to join Concord's Board of Directors. In
1995, he stepped in as Concord's President and CEO. By 1997, he had
transformed Concord from an aging hardware to an all-software company
with the market-leading network reporting and analysis software embraced
by more than 400 of the Fortune 1000 companies. Revenues grew from 20%
from quarter to quarter and margins currently approached the 80-90%
mark. Much of Mr. Blaeser's success in his career and in his turnaround
of Concord Communications has been due to his application of business
knowledge to technology. Mr. Blaeser is dedicated to shaping technology
into market solutions that address business problems. He adheres to the
classic principals good managers follow when hiring good people,
eliminating obstacles affecting their productivity and letting them do
their jobs without interference. As a former salesperson, Mr. Blaeser
has been in the trenches and has a good sense of what works and what
does not in the market place. He is able to throw away bad ideas without
emotion. Moreover, he has not fallen into the trap of fixating on a
technology or business space to the extent that he cannot see and take
advantage of other opportunities. Mr. Blaeser holds a BSEE from
Northwestern University and lives with his wife and six children in
Massachusetts. Profile
Communications and a little bit of a history of the company, so
everybody knows what it's all about.
Mr. Blaeser: Concord is in
