{{about ||the politician|Chip Pearson (politician)}} {{short description|American entrepreneur and business executive}} {{use mdy dates|date=January 2021}} '''Chip Pearson''' is an American entrepreneur and business executive. He is best known as a founder and former CEO of JAMF Software.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bridge|first=Author Tom|date=2017-05-10|title=Episode 35: Into the Past with Chip Pearson|url=https://podcast.macadmins.org/2017/05/10/episode-35-into-the-past-with-chip-pearson/|access-date=2021-01-29|website=Mac Admins Podcast|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Biography == Pearson is a longtime resident of St. Paul, Minnesota. He co-founded JAMF Software (now Jamf) with Zach Halmstad in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dunn|first=Darrell |date=2007-05-31|title=Apple continues to mostly ignore the enterprise, observers say |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2541421/apple-continues-to-mostly-ignore-the-enterprise--observers-say.html |access-date=2021-01-29|website=Computerworld|language=en }} </ref> At the time Pearson owned an IT services company<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Edge|first1=Charles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1frEDwAAQBAJ&q=%22chip+pearson%22+Jamf&pg=PA23 |title=Apple Device Management: A Unified Theory of Managing Macs, iPads, iPhones, and AppleTVs |last2=Trouton|first2=Rich |date=2019-12-17|publisher=Apress|isbn=978-1-4842-5388-5|language=en }} </ref> that could use the work being done by Halmstad at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to streamline information technology administration. Those tools became a product known as Casper, sold by a company formed to support the product called Jamf Software.<ref>{{Cite web |title=iPad, iPhone Challenge Management Orthodoxy|url=https://www.eweek.com/mobile/ipad-iphone-challenge-management-orthodoxy|access-date=2021-01-29|website=eWEEK|date=March 2011}}</ref>
== Jamf Software == Pearson ran Jamf with Halmstad until 2016, taking $30 Million in Venture capital financing from Summit Partners.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-11-02 |title=JAMF Software Receives Established Software Company Award at the 2012 Tekne Awards |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2012/11/02/jamf-software-receives-established-software-company-award-at-the-2012-tekne-awards.html |access-date=2021-01-29 |website=CNBC|language=en}}</ref> Pearson and Halmstad recruited and hired Dean Hager as the CEO prior to leaving the organization.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/morning_roundup/2015/06/jamf-software-ceos-step-down-dean-hager-ceo.html |access-date=2021-01-29 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}</ref> In 2017, Jamf was acquired by Vista Equity Partners and the founders departed the company.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MacIT 2013 kicks off with admin overview, nostalgia |url=https://www.engadget.com/2013-01-31-macit-2013-kicks-off-with-admin-overview-nostalgia.html|access-date=2021-01-29|website=Engadget|date=January 31, 2013 |language=en}}</ref>
Prior to selling Jamf, the organization generated over $52 million in annual revenue, served more than 5,500 customers,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Strauss|first=Karsten |title=No Money, No Problem: Bootstrapping Off Of Apple |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2014/11/05/no-money-no-problem-bootstrapping-off-of-apple/|access-date=2021-01-29|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref> had nearly 500 employees,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wakabayashi|first=Daisuke |date=2014-01-10|title=Apple Devices Flow Into Corporate World|language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304244904579278560822979176.html|access-date=2021-01-29|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> and had just opened its eighth global office. At that point, JAMF had an estimated valuation of $225 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Two IT Guys Turned Their Love For Apple Products Into A Multi-Million Company |url=http://news.yahoo.com/two-guys-turned-love-apple-190839305.html |access-date=2021-01-29|website=news.yahoo.com|date=December 10, 2013 |language=en-US}}</ref> Since the sale, Jamf has grown to over 1,500 employees.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kapko|first=Matt|date=2015-09-17|title=Why Apple and Microsoft are suddenly playing nice|url=https://www.cio.com/article/2984576/why-apple-and-microsoft-are-suddenly-playing-nice.html|access-date=2021-01-29|website=CIO|language=en}}</ref> Jamf is now traded on NASDAQ under the symbol JAMF.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2017/04/21/jamf-co-founder-pearson-joins-when-i-works-board.html |access-date=2021-01-29 |website=www.bizjournals.com |title=Jamf co-founder Pearson joins when I Work's board }}</ref>
Following Jamf, Pearson was involved in the 2017 project DocuMNtary about software companies in Minnesota.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Ojeda-Zapata|first1=Julio|last2=Sep 22nd 2016 - 12pm|first2=St Paul Pioneer Press {{!}} |title=Minnesota tech scene on display in 'DocuMNtary' |url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/lifestyle/4120827-minnesota-tech-scene-display-documntary|access-date=2021-01-29 |website=Duluth News Tribune|language=en }}</ref> He also runs the Minnesota investment firm Bootstrappers and served on the Board of Directors at software companies like When I Work and Kipsu.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bort|first=Julie |date=2013-12-11 |title=How Two IT Guys Turned Their Love For Apple Products Into A Multi-Million Company |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/it-guys-who-love-apple-make-millions-2013-12|access-date=2021-01-29|website=Business Insider Australia|language=en}}</ref>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearson, Chip}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:21st-century American businesspeople Category:American chief executives Category:American technology company founders Category:Businesspeople from Saint Paul, Minnesota Category:Businesspeople in the software industry