July 2017
And the Winner is…
Last week I had the honor of winning an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 Award from EY.
When I co-founded Rocket Software 27 years ago I wasn’t trying to be an entrepreneur – I just wanted to build great software that would help organizations solve big problems. Along the way, even as Rocket grew in every dimension, I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur. I was a programmer, a coder. No, being an entrepreneur was never my plan, and I suspect that all of the other finalists that night felt the same way. We just wanted to do something we loved, something that we were good at, and something that we hoped would make a difference here in Boston and all around the world.
So that’s what we did. All of us at Rocket, all of us Rocketeers, live by a set of Core Values and we strive to deliver Category of One – exceptional and differentiated – customer experiences. Our values have served us well since our first day, and have allowed us to become a trusted advisor to our customers and partners.
So I want to thank all of our Rocketeers who contribute so much each and every day to make Rocket who we are and the best that we can be for our customers and partners and living our core values. And I want to thank our customers and partners for your trust and your love throughout the past 27 years.
Last week was a great moment for me personally, but most importantly it was a testament to everything that Rocket is and what Rocket stands for. This award is truly shared by our entire Rocket community.
If you set out to build a business that stands for something and stay true to those values – what really matters to you – and do the right thing – always – for your customers, partners, and employees, success is an outcome; success will take care of itself. That’s what being an entrepreneur is all about.
Andrew J. Youniss
President and CEO, Rocket Software, Inc.
PS. See you in Providence, RI next month at SHARE!

"Rock and Roll Band." There may have been four other guys in “just another band out of Boston,” but it was really all about their drummer’s mighty hair.

"Don’t Stop Believin’" Anyone from Michigan will immediately let you know that there’s no such thing as "South Detroit," but this ultimate power ballad about a city boy from that fictitious neighborhood helped Journey Escape go 13x platinum.

"Life’s Been Good." Joe Walsh has had nine musical lives…and all of them are awesome. This 1978 ode to excess might be his best work.

"Celebration." Kool and the Gang had tons of great songs, but this infectious party anthem was their only #1 hit.
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