Red Hat CEO receives William C. Friday Award

Jim Whitehurst, chief executive officer at Red Hat, is the 2014 William C. Friday Award winner.

The award, which dates back to 2000, is selected by NCSU’s Park Scholars.

“From a long list of candidates, we chose Mr. Whitehurst because he emulates excellence in leadership, scholarship, character, and service. It’s an honor to get to recognize him and all of his accomplishments,” said Alex Chin, chair of the Park Scholarships William C. Friday Award Committee.

Whitehurst’s selection was announced Wednesday morning.

“It is a privilege to receive the 2014 William C. Friday Award. Reflecting on the past recipients – including General Hugh Shelton, chairman of Red Hat’s board of directors – it is an incredible honor to be held in the same regard as leaders of such caliber,” Whitehurst said in a statement. “I sincerely thank North Carolina State University and the Park Scholars for this award.”

The award honors the late William Friday, the longtime president of the University of North Carolina.

The senior class of Park Scholars, which is NCSU’s merit scholarship program, presents the award.

Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) is the global leader of development and services for Linux open source software.

Whitehurst is a strong advocate for improving education in North Carolina. He was named CEO of Red Hat in December 2007.

Notes his bio at Red Hat: “Before joining Red Hat, Whitehurst held various positions at Delta Air Lines, 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 a partner at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and held various leadership roles in its Chicago, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Atlanta offices.”

He is a native of Columbus, Georgia.

Previous award winners include Friday and: