James P. "Jim" Kavanaugh (born 1963) is an American businessman who is known as the CEO and co-founder of World Wide Technology.
Early life
Kavanaugh received his Bachelor of Science in business administration from Saint Louis University in 1986.
Sports
Kavanaugh played soccer at Saint Louis University. In 1983, he was selected as Missouri amateur player of the year and competed for the United States in the 1983 Pan American Games.
In 1986, Kavanaugh was drafted to the Los Angeles Lazers, a Major Indoor Soccer League team, as the second overall pick. The following year, he was traded to the St. Louis Steamers. Kavanaugh served as CEO of the United Soccer League’s Saint Louis FC from 2014 – 2020, as well as president of the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club. In 2012, Kavanaugh purchased a minority stake in the St. Louis Blues hockey team. He is also a minority investor in St. Louis City SC, a Major League Soccer franchise launching in 2023.
Career
Kavanaugh worked as a sales manager for Future Electronics. In 1990, Kavanaugh and David Steward co-founded World Wide Technology (WWT), a company that provides technology products and services. He served as chief executive officer (CEO), while the company grew to billions of dollars in revenue. By 2015 it had become one of the largest companies in the St. Louis area. In 2021, WWT revenues were over $13 billion.