Alumni Becomes Software Entrepreneur of the Year

The 1996 Alumna of the Year continues to rake in awards. In addition to receiving the Earle C. Williams Leadership in Technology Award last year from the Northern Virginia Technology Council, Katherine Clark (Executive M.B.A. '95) received the 1998 Ernst & Young Software Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Greater Washington area.

Clark is cofounder and chief executive officer of Landmark Systems Corporation, which produces and provides support for performance management software systems. As regional winner, she will be eligible to compete for the opportunity to join the ranks of national Ernst -- Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award winners, including Michael Dell of Dell Computer Corporation and Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee.

Clark was working for Blue Cross and Blue Shield as a computer programmer when she and colleague Patrick H. McGettigan teamed up to develop a performance management software application. The application was so well received that Clark and McGettigan negotiated with Blue Cross to obtain the rights to it. In 1983, they founded Landmark, and that application became the company's first product.

Today, Landmark is a $43-million, publicly traded company with 250 employees and more than 39,000 customers. The company has sales offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Austria, Hong Kong, and Australia.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes entrepreneurs whose companies have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in areas such as innovation and financial performance, and who have personally demonstrated commitment to their businesses and communities.

According to McGettigan, who is now chairman of the board of Landmark, Clark is eminently deserving. "This award is a testament to Kathy Clark's commitment, success, and diverse talents. For 15 years, she has met the challenge of positioning Landmark strategically and financially for the future," he says. "Kathy also has taken an active role in the community. Through her work with the Northern Virginia Technology Council, Kathy is leading the charge to make the region an epicenter for high-tech companies."