David Steward, founder and chairman of World Wide Technology, Inc., should require no introduction to readers of the St. Louis American. He sits at the head of the most profitable black-owned business in the U.S., which is headquartered in St. Louis County (with offices everywhere from Honolulu to Anchorage to Dallas to South Korea); and (among his more visible board commitments) he chairs the Board of Directors of the United Way of Greater St. Louis.
The American spoke with Steward recently just before the kickoff of the 2008 campaign for the Charmaine Chapman Society, the largest African-American Leadership Giving Initiative in the nation (recognizing black folks who give at least $1,000 to the United Way’s annual campaign). When told this interview was intended as more of a character piece than for business news, Steward said, “I’m a character, all right.”
What do you expect this year for the Charmaine Chapman Society?
I’ve got to tell you, it was an historic year last year. We set records for membership and funds raised, and we remained the largest African-American Giving Initiative. (Co-chairs) Deborah (Patterson) and Larry (Thomas) are a unique combination – they always find something unique to do.
This year, I expect we will find both more members of the (Alexis de) Tocqueville Society (comprised of philanthropists who contribute an annual gift of $10,000 or more to the United Way) and a larger and wider participation in the Charmaine Chapman Society.
In my last year as United Way board chair, I could not be more proud of the leadership of the organization, and I look forward to working with them again this year.
Thoughts on the Call To Oneness?
I’ve been talking about that sort of thing for a number of years. The media tends to focus a lot on negative things, but there are a lot of good, positive family men stepping up and accepting the burden to help the next generation.
The way we grew up, we understood responsibility, and as adults we are responsible for making the right decisions in order to move the whole community forward. So I was excited to see men recognizing the unique responsibilities we have for this society.
Some of us are falling short, but there are glimmers of light, and that particular movement is one of them. I am hopeful that people will see in it something worth sustaining, and not just for a short period of time.
And on the Obama campaign?
I can’t help but admire and respect him. It appears America has grown substantially and is getting beyond some historic things that have traditionally gone on – for a person of color to lead the Democratic Party!
A lot of things, in the course of the campaign, have been pretty down and dirty, but we have seen him prevail – we have seen him try to prevail and get above the dirt, and he has had the patience to do that. It says a lot about the character of the man. We need to see more and more of his kind of leadership.
Where is your home church?
Salem United Methodist Church. I have been a United Methodist all my life. I grew up in Clinton, Mo. in St. James United Methodist Church, which was all black, then moved to Clinton United Methodist Church. I was a member of Union Memorial United Methodist Church for 25 years; that’s where my children grew up.
Within the past five to six years I have moved to Salem, because it’s a lot more convenient to where I live. I live in Town & Country, and Salem is in Ladue. I grew up in a small town, and Salem is very, very similar to the kind of people in the congregation at Clinton United Methodist Church. They have received me with open arms. David Kerr is the minister; he conducted the wedding ceremony for my daughter Kimberly two years ago.
What’s ahead for World Wide Technology?
We’ll see continued growth for World Wide Technology. We’ll become much more visible around the world. We just opened up in San Paolo, Brazil, and soon you will see us in Penang, Malaysia. In the first quarter of next year we will have tentancles in China and India.
People everywhere are looking for technology to use in different ways to give them a capital advantage in business. The best supply chain wins! Nimbleness, creativity and entrepreneurship give unique advantages in this environment, and people are looking for that advantage to differentiate themselves – in the government space and in every sector of business. It was recently acknowledged in the Wall Street Journal some of the programs we are supplying to AT&T; we were extremely excited to see that acknowledgement in the Wall Street Journal.
We expect to exceed $3 billion in revenue this year, which would be historic for a black-owned business. We continue to hire people, and we are hiring across the spectrum in 26 cities across the globe. I’m very bullish on business, I’m very bullish on our opportunities, which are unprecedented in the history of our business.
What do you think about proposed developments in North City?
I think there are a lot of possibilities here in St. Louis, in North St. Louis. Paul McKee is bold and courageous and fearless. He has a vision of what is possible that he has been working on for years. He believes in the intellectual capital and the geographic location of St. Louis, which is in a unique position, with carriers in every mode – rail, truck, barge, air.
There are enormous opportunities that for whatever reason have gone unrealized in this community. The huge upside is that there are development opportunies in St. Louis. That’s the reason we’re here. I’m very optimistic about the possibilities, but we have to be bold and courageous and take a leap of faith.