User:Christina-UPLD/draft-content

Formation and early years
The company was founded in Austin, Texas, in August 1997 by Bryan Menell. The first angel investors in the company were Steve Papermaster and David Lundeen. The company secured its first channel partnership with Vignette, a provider of content management systems.

'''Jack McDonald, a software entrepreneur and former Skadden Arps lawyer, served as CEO of Perficient from 1999 to 2009 and was the company’s chairman starting in 2001. '''

Led by McDonald, the company's held its initial public offering on July 29, 1999 and was issued at $8 per share, ending its first day of trading at $9.375 and closing at $11.75 by that Thursday. In December 1999, the company completed its first acquisition of LoreData based in New London, Connecticut. In May 2000, Perficient acquired Compete, Inc., an 80-person IBM-focused consulting firm, and its largest acquisition to date. '''In 2003, McDonald helped Perficient rebound during a recession by focusing on its relationship with IBM. That year, revenues grew 38%, and the company was profitable for the first time. In 2005, McDonald was recognized with an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. McDonald left the company in 2009. During McDonald’s tenure, Perficient grew from nine to more than 1,000 employees; made 16 acquisitions; opened offices in 22 locations across North America, India, and China; and achieved more than $200 million in annual revenue. '''

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