Where technology meets innovation, you’ll find Fred Luddy.
A serial entrepreneur and the founder and Chairman of the Board of ServiceNow, Luddy sees tomorrow while others are still figuring out today. His pioneering approach to programming helped him develop the concept of platform as a service in cloud computing, catapulting ServiceNow into a multi-billion dollar company and landing Luddy on the cover of Forbes Magazine as one of the top 100 innovators alive.
Behind the name: Meet Fred Luddy
Born in New Castle, Indiana, Luddy arrived on the IU campus in 1973 and immediately pursued his passion for programming. He saw the future in technology, and he found success beyond his wildest imaginations. When a setback in the early 2000s left him looking for a new path, his drive to identify the next revolution allowed him to see how ServiceNow could make an impact on the world.
The willingness to accept change has been a hallmark of his career.
The world today is so different than it was even 10 years ago. If the world and the human condition is going to change, and change radically, I surely would rather be part of the driving force of that change than to have it thrust upon me.
Luddy showcased his philanthropical vision when his generous gift served as a catalyst for the construction of spectacular Luddy Hall, the home of the then-School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. Luddy Hall quickly become an interdisciplinary hotbed of innovation on the IU Bloomington campus.
In 2019, Luddy bestowed a historic gift that will propel the school into the future. In honor of Luddy’s generosity—the second-largest private gift in IU history—the school was named the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. Along with support for faculty and both graduate and undergraduate students, Luddy’s gift will allow the creation and construction of the Luddy Center for Artificial Intelligence, which will have an initial focus on AI approaches to digital health.
“Predictions are that 2050 may not be recognizable from today,” Luddy says. “Medicine, energy, transportation, communication, sustenance will all surely be radically different than today. In 1948, a group of scientists were already dreaming of AI and autonomous transportation, the very beginnings of which are upon us today.
“More has changed in the human condition in the past 200 years than in the prior 12,000 years. This change is non-linear, ever accelerating. My family and I are so pleased to be a small part of realizing this great vision started by President Herman B Wells and now carried on by President Michael McRobbie, supercomputer Big Red 200, and the many fantastic faculty and students who will learn, research, and create a wonderful future here with a vision to improve the human condition.”