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MAY-JUNE 2009 |
Mu Sigma Consulting Adds Pazzaz to Their Community Service SDSU Grad and First American Financial CEO, Gilmore, Visits Campus U.S. News & World Report Ranks SDSU IB Program Top 20 Accounting Students Honored SDSU Team Takes First Place at Business Strategy Competition SDSU Accounting Students Operate Free Tax Clinic SDSU’s CGI Hosts Corporate Governance Symposium Stephen Coslik Wins 2009 Monty Award SDSU Finance Major and Compact Scholar, Lauren Zimmerman CBA Announces 2009 Lamden Rising Stars Award Winners Varaiya Discusses Economic Climate SDSU SIFE Team Wins Regional Competition SDSU Accounting Students Lobby Sacramento Naughton Participates In AACSB Peer Review 2009 Undergraduate Career Fair SDSU Students Compete in Nissan Cube Collegiate Challenge Future Rising Business Leader Awards Accounting Students to Participate in KPMG Programs Dr. Richard Dalbey Bequests Estate to SDSU 2009 Student Research Symposium |
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Ever heard of Google? Okay, a better question might be: Who HASN’T heard of Google?
SDSU alumnus Scott Petry (marketing, ’86) has not only heard of Google, but it was Google that purchased Postini, the company Petry founded in 1999, for approximately $625 million in 2007.
Postini services provide e-mail message security, archiving, encryption, and spyware and virus protection. Postini was so respected that Google’s website still uses the Postini name to offer those services.
But Postini didn’t just happen overnight – Petry’s expertise and experience were solidly grounded in his education at SDSU, followed by an internship at Apple which blossomed into a full-time job.
The San Jose-raised Petry came to SDSU following in his older sister’s footsteps. “I came down to visit her in the fall of my senior year [of high school] and decided San Diego is where I needed to be,” he said.
While he was at SDSU pursuing his bachelor’s degree in business administration (marketing emphasis), the late Peter Drucker, a well-known management consultant, visited Petry’s class. His words struck a chord with Petry. “I came to appreciate Drucker’s philosophies of social good and organizational structure when I started my own company and I needed to impart a cultural tone or lead teams,” said Petry.
But starting his own business didn’t happen right away. In 1987, Petry moved back to the Bay Area and landed an internship with Apple Computer. The internship turned into a full-time position as a network administrator.
By the time the high tech movement was in full-swing in 1999, Petry came to the realization that there was a demand for more robust e-mail services and he used his networking expertise to form Postini. In addition to founding the company, Petry served as the company’s senior vice president of products and engineering. Postini became a leader in the field of integrated message management and was in use by more than 35,000 business and 10 million users at the time of the Google transaction.
Business is not the only area of success for Petry in that he was a four-year member of the SDSU rowing team which came in second at the NCAA championships in 1986. He also accomplished his dream of making the U.S. rowing team in 1987. After his team captured a bronze medal at the 1987 world championships, Petry left the rowing world for good to concentrate on business.
And business is still Petry’s passion. After leaving Postini, Petry has moved into the world of venture capitalists and is an investor and a board member of three different companies. He’s also an advisor for several small start-up organizations and enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.