Early Life
Scott David Cook was born in 1952 and grew up in an LA suburb after his parents emigrated from Wisconsin. He showed an early interest in economics and mathematics. Cook earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Mathematics from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Rise to Success
Cook started his career at Procter & Gamble, gaining experience in product development, market research, and marketing. He later worked in strategic consulting at Bain & Company. Inspired by his wife's difficulties with household finances, Cook saw an opportunity to create user-friendly software to manage personal finances. In 1983, Cook co-founded Intuit with Tom Proulx, initially launching Quicken, a software that revolutionized personal finance management. He served as the President and CEO of Intuit from 1983 to 1994 and as Chairman from 1993 to 1998.
Key Business Strategies
Intuit's success is rooted in its customer-centric approach, developing easy-to-use software, including TurboTax and QuickBooks. Cook's leadership emphasized innovation and addressing customer needs. Intuit has expanded through acquisitions, such as Credit Karma and Mailchimp. Intuit went public in 1993.
Philanthropy
Scott Cook and his wife, Signe Ostby, established the Valhalla family foundation, which supports various causes, including early childhood development, medical research, and education.