Jim Whitehurst
CEO of Red Hat
Jim Whitehurst was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Red Hat in December 2007.
Whitehurst joined Delta Air Lines in 2002, serving in various roles, most recently as Chief Operating Officer, responsible for Operations, Sales and Customer Service, Network and Revenue Management, Marketing and Corporate Strategy. Prior to joining Delta, Whitehurst served as Vice President and Director of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and held various leadership roles in their Chicago, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Atlanta offices.
A native of Columbus, Ga., Whitehurst graduated from Rice University in Houston, Texas, with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Economics. He also attended Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany, holds a general course degree from the London School of Economics and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Blog Posts by Jim Whitehurst
How Red Hat found its mission—the open source way
One of the things that attracted me to Red Hat in the first place was that it was a company with a strong sense of purpose. Red Hat was a company full of believers, people who felt that the open source development model was simply a better way.
During my first few months as CEO, I traveled to Red Hat offices around the world and was often floored by the passion people felt about the company. I began to ask myself, how can we bottle this passion? Can we channel all of this energy and point it in the same direction?
Meet the Other Mavericks
What is the MIX?
My Videos
Jim Whitehurst: How do you cultivate trust?
MIX Maverick Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehust discusses the value in letting people speak freely and without repercussions.
Jim Whitehurst: How do you cultivate trust?
by Jim Whitehurst
5:56
MIX Maverick Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehust discusses the value in letting people speak freely and without repercussions.
Jim Whitehurst: What are the limits of open innovation?
by Jim Whitehurst
3:54
MIX Maverick and Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst says open innovation works better than coordinated innovation in areas where problems can be modular and where the innovation can be iterative.
Jim Whitehurst: How does open-source software change the game?
by Jim Whitehurst
3:06
MIX Maverick and Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst explains the impacts open-source software has had on the computer industry, including how it has encourages new innovation.
Jim Whitehurst: What is the role of a leader in an open world?
by Jim Whitehurst
5:00
MIX Maverick Jim Whitehurst says that when you're asking people to innovate rather than just turn a crank faster, the way to motivate them has to be different. Leaders in open organizations need to be inspiring, inclusive, and hands-on.
