147:, afterwards working as a software engineer for Casher Associates and TMI Systems. Founding Pegasystems at the age of 27, he took the company Public in 1996, with Trefler remaining clerk and president until 1999 and afterwards becoming CEO. With a 52 percent ownership stake in Pegasystems, his net worth surpassed $ 1 billion in 2013 and in March 2017 he appeared on the
288:
for around $ 161.5 million, which gave
Pegasystems access to new markets such as telecommunications and healthcare. The Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council named him their Public Company CEO of the Year in 2011. With a 52 percent ownership stake in Pegasystems, his net worth surpassed $
248:
in April 1983, taking on the roles of CEO and chairman at the age of 27. Expressing frustration with the "primitive" computer systems available for companies such as banks and insurance companies, he states that "when I started Pega, it was with the vision that we could create a set of metaphors –an
441:
in 1995. They established The
Trefler Foundation in 1997, which seeks to improve urban public education in the Boston area. The Treflers were early supporters of the nonprofit Year Up, and in 2015 they founded Union & Fifth, where proceeds raised from donated clothes benefit various charities.
227:
Although he attained the level of chess master and considered going professional, after
Trefler graduated from Dartmouth he moved into software engineering instead. In the early 1980s he developed computer systems that could play chess, later applying the same business techniques to teaching
182:, owned and operated Trefler's, a restorer of art and furniture. This business is still family owned and operating as of 2021. Working at his family's store while young and starting to play chess around the age of seven, Trefler would later become high school chess champion of
249:
intermediate visual language that would enable business people to more directly instruct the machine... get the computer to really understand how business people wanted things to work.... And it turns out to be a fairly hard problem to solve." Basing the company in
311:
Pegasystems had 3,000 employees, 30 offices, and "more than half a billion dollars in revenue" by early 2015. In 2015, courts ruled in
Trefler's and Pegasystems' favor in a copyright infringement suit filed by YYZ, a company the press described as a
1131:
272:. Inventing a number of patents for use in Pegasystems' software architecture, in 1998 Trefler was granted a United States patent for Pegasystems' distinctive rules-based architecture, which provides the framework for Pegasystems'
1278:
1246:
643:
276:(BPM) solutions. Trefler remained clerk of Pegasystems Inc. until June 1999, and president until October 1999. He remained CEO and chairman of the company's board of directors.
596:
1390:
1106:
308:
contributor related that the book made "a convincing argument" that companies needed to prepare for changes in customer behavior, or face negative repercussions.
1205:
1256:
284:
In 2009 Trefler won the Stevie Award for
Computer Software CEO of the Year at the American Business Awards. In March 2010, Pegasystems acquired
1335:
1469:
781:
719:
511:
320:, and he speaks publicly on business and software topics at various events and conferences. Among other publications, he has appeared in
606:
1226:
228:
computers how to process business rules. Between 1978 and 1980 Trefler was a senior project manager for Casher
Associates Inc., a
544:
135:(born March 10, 1956) is an American billionaire businessman and chess master best known as the chief executive officer (CEO) of
1014:
236:, Massachusetts. He then worked at TMI Systems, where he led the development of their funds transfer product from 1980 to 1983.
434:
1484:
450:
Trefler married his wife Pamela
Reinhard in 1992, who at the time was working as an investment banker. The couple reside in
174:
with his brother Leon. His mother, a daughter of immigrants from
Eastern Europe, worked as a schoolteacher. His father, a
1489:
1454:
257:
as his first client, during the company's early years
Trefler focused on providing case management for companies such as
139:, a multinational software company he founded in 1983. Prior to Pegasystems, in 1975 Trefler tied for first place in the
1188:
477:
158:, which addresses changing consumer markets. Involved in philanthropy, in 1997 he established the Trefler Foundation.
1474:
1464:
889:
1459:
1479:
980:
394:-rated player, ranking him 115th overall in the tournament. He went on to be crowned co-champion along with
839:
410:
233:
1363:
383:
382:
A master-level chess player who had been playing chess since his childhood, Trefler competed in the 1975
371:
273:
229:
199:
151:
140:
1126:
1174:
395:
666:
451:
250:
171:
1307:
1251:
1019:
985:
671:
350:
322:
1449:
1082:
946:
386:
in New York City. Still a college student at
Dartmouth, he entered the tournament with a 2075
289:
1 billion on November 25, 2013. His Pegasystems salary was $ 751,526 in 2014. That year,
1145:
187:
1444:
1180:
469:
362:
1129:, Alan Trefler, "Rules bases and methods of access thereof", issued 1988-10-20
170:, Massachusetts, the son of Dorothy (née Pugatch) and Eric Trefler. Trefler was raised in
8:
414:
211:
554:
516:
438:
344:
338:
198:
and remained active in chess. At the age of 19, in 1975 he tied for first place in the
1419:
1368:
1184:
473:
406:
191:
113:
59:
1283:
844:
648:
291:
258:
195:
1227:"Pegasystems CEO Alan Trefler plans his next move for the $ 500m software company"
1312:
1231:
1210:
951:
894:
750:
1340:
725:
602:
422:
418:
317:
265:
207:
1438:
1107:"Alan Trefler's Pegasystems Is on a Mission To Transform Customer Engagement"
921:
402:
183:
401:, who was rated at 2504. Trefler also placed ahead of Grandmasters such as
391:
313:
179:
1047:
302:, a book focused on the management of customers and business processes. A
245:
136:
85:
890:"From chess to ping pong: How Pegasystems is capturing the Fortune 500"
387:
398:
285:
203:
175:
144:
1391:"The Industrial Revolution of software: Alan Trefler, CEO, Pegasys"
1053:
413:. Trefler competed in a charity chess tournament in 2010 alongside
254:
1336:"Pegasystem's Trefler on Company's Earnings, Stock Up 8% (Audio)"
356:
1424:
813:
1111:
786:
755:
549:
368:
332:
304:
269:
167:
148:
47:
922:"Alan Trefler: The chess master turned global chief executive"
1308:"'Patent trolls' on the prowl for 'smart' product providers"
947:"Best of Boston 2013 BEST Furniture Restoration – Trefler's"
295:
ranked him the eighth lowest paid CEO in the tech industry.
720:"Billionaire Chess Master Found as Pegasystems Leaps 122%"
925:
327:
186:
and win various regional competitions. He graduated from
178:
survivor who came to the United States from Poland after
1429:
512:"A Wall Street Presence in the World of Chess Politics"
318:
Babson College Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs
1008:
1006:
1004:
782:"Next Generation Customers Will Test Every Business"
166:
Alan Trefler was born to a Jewish family in 1956 in
745:
743:
1206:"Pegasystems To Buy Chordiant For $ 161.5 Million"
718:
1001:
644:"Seven things you should know about Alan Trefler"
433:Trefler and his wife donated $ 1 million to
154:for the first time. In 2014 he authored the book
1436:
883:
740:
539:
537:
535:
881:
879:
877:
875:
873:
871:
869:
867:
865:
863:
712:
710:
637:
635:
633:
631:
629:
627:
625:
623:
1430:Trefler's & Sons Antique Repair since 1921
1279:"The Most Overpaid And Underpaid CEOs in Tech"
1218:
775:
773:
708:
706:
704:
702:
700:
698:
696:
694:
692:
690:
206:. Also at Dartmouth, he was the winner of the
104:Stevie Award – Software CEO of the Year (2009)
1197:
1168:
1166:
1164:
1077:
1075:
1073:
1071:
1069:
1041:
1039:
1037:
974:
972:
970:
915:
913:
911:
909:
907:
905:
532:
505:
503:
501:
499:
497:
279:
1247:"Pegasystems CEO Reported Less Compensation"
1119:
860:
620:
509:
1383:
939:
808:
806:
804:
770:
687:
661:
659:
161:
1355:
1271:
1161:
1066:
1034:
967:
902:
834:
832:
494:
1327:
1305:
1299:
1100:
1098:
1096:
1094:
1092:
591:
239:
1203:
801:
779:
656:
589:
587:
585:
583:
581:
579:
577:
575:
573:
571:
210:prize in computing. He graduated with a
1306:Twentyman, Jessica (January 24, 2016).
1224:
1172:
1013:Resende, Patricia (November 15, 2012).
1012:
978:
887:
829:
641:
463:
222:
1437:
1361:
1239:
1138:
1104:
1089:
716:
717:Coffey, Brendan (November 26, 2013).
568:
457:
316:. Trefler has been recognized by the
1470:American technology chief executives
1334:Hays, Kathleen (February 26, 2016).
1333:
919:
642:Farrell, Michael B. (July 5, 2014).
510:Loeb McClain, Dylan (May 18, 2010).
1364:"A Million Reasons to Go to School"
1225:Goodwin, Bill (November 21, 2013).
1105:Rogers, Bruce (February 24, 2015).
1045:
920:Wall, Matthew (November 18, 2013).
13:
1362:Mehren, Elizabeth (May 12, 1998).
780:Zwilling, Martin (June 13, 2014).
298:In 2014 he authored and published
217:
14:
1501:
1413:
1204:Henschen, Doug (March 18, 2010).
1150:, Stevie Awards, October 11, 2009
981:"Alan Trefler – Making his moves"
194:, where he studied economics and
1420:Trefler's Profile at Pegasystems
445:
409:, as well as future Grandmaster
16:American businessman (born 1956)
979:Wallack, Mark (July 30, 2007).
428:
377:
1173:Trefler, Alan (June 3, 2014).
675:. Biz Journals. April 10, 2002
464:Trefler, Alan (June 3, 2014).
390:, 125 points below the lowest
1:
1086:, September 1975, pp. 586–87.
1015:"Tech Luminary: Alan Trefler"
667:"SEC drops Pegasystems probe"
487:
384:World Open Chess Championship
202:in New York with grandmaster
200:World Open Chess Championship
141:World Open Chess Championship
1485:Brookline High School alumni
1255:. April 2015. Archived from
190:in 1973. Trefler went on to
7:
888:Goodwin, Bill (July 2013).
840:"Dorothy (Pugatch) Trefler"
274:business process management
230:business process management
10:
1506:
1490:21st-century American Jews
1455:Businesspeople from Boston
280:Recent work at Pegasystems
1125:
396:International Grandmaster
108:
100:
92:
81:
73:
65:
55:
30:
23:
1475:Dartmouth College alumni
1465:American philanthropists
452:Brookline, Massachusetts
251:Cambridge, Massachusetts
172:Brookline, Massachusetts
162:Early life and education
1252:Boston Business Journal
1127:US patent 5,826,250
1083:Chess Life & Review
1020:Boston Business Journal
986:Boston Business Journal
672:Boston Business Journal
351:The Wall Street Journal
1460:American chess players
545:"Alan Trefler Profile"
435:Dorchester High School
240:Founder of Pegasystems
1480:American billionaires
1049:Alan Trefler Timeline
188:Brookline High School
50:, Massachusetts, U.S.
1147:Stevie Awards Listed
818:, Trefler Foundation
598:Alan Trefler Profile
363:Bloomberg Television
223:Software engineering
93:Board member of
609:on November 9, 2013
1425:Trefler Foundation
517:The New York Times
458:Publishing history
439:Dorchester, Boston
372:Billionaire's List
345:The New York Times
152:Billionaire's List
69:Business executive
1369:Los Angeles Times
751:"Alan N. Trefler"
407:Nicolas Rossolimo
367:Trefler made the
192:Dartmouth College
143:with grandmaster
130:
129:
74:Years active
60:Dartmouth College
1497:
1407:
1406:
1404:
1402:
1387:
1381:
1380:
1378:
1376:
1359:
1353:
1352:
1350:
1348:
1331:
1325:
1324:
1322:
1320:
1303:
1297:
1296:
1294:
1292:
1284:Business Insider
1275:
1269:
1268:
1266:
1264:
1243:
1237:
1236:
1222:
1216:
1215:
1201:
1195:
1194:
1176:Build for Change
1170:
1159:
1158:
1157:
1155:
1142:
1136:
1135:
1134:
1130:
1123:
1117:
1116:
1102:
1087:
1079:
1064:
1063:
1062:
1060:
1043:
1032:
1031:
1029:
1027:
1010:
999:
998:
996:
994:
976:
965:
964:
962:
960:
943:
937:
936:
934:
932:
917:
900:
899:
885:
858:
857:
855:
853:
848:. August 4, 2011
845:The Boston Globe
836:
827:
826:
825:
823:
810:
799:
798:
796:
794:
777:
768:
767:
766:
764:
759:, March 20, 2017
747:
738:
737:
735:
733:
722:
714:
685:
684:
682:
680:
663:
654:
653:
649:The Boston Globe
639:
618:
617:
616:
614:
605:, archived from
593:
566:
565:
564:
562:
553:, archived from
541:
530:
529:
527:
525:
507:
483:
466:Build for Change
300:Build for Change
292:Business Insider
259:American Express
196:computer science
156:Build for Change
126:
123:
121:
119:
117:
115:
44:
40:
38:
21:
20:
1505:
1504:
1500:
1499:
1498:
1496:
1495:
1494:
1435:
1434:
1416:
1411:
1410:
1400:
1398:
1389:
1388:
1384:
1374:
1372:
1360:
1356:
1346:
1344:
1332:
1328:
1318:
1316:
1313:Financial Times
1304:
1300:
1290:
1288:
1277:
1276:
1272:
1262:
1260:
1259:on May 12, 2015
1245:
1244:
1240:
1232:Computer Weekly
1223:
1219:
1211:InformationWeek
1202:
1198:
1191:
1171:
1162:
1153:
1151:
1144:
1143:
1139:
1132:
1124:
1120:
1103:
1090:
1080:
1067:
1058:
1056:
1046:Trefler, Alan,
1044:
1035:
1025:
1023:
1011:
1002:
992:
990:
977:
968:
958:
956:
952:Boston Magazine
945:
944:
940:
930:
928:
918:
903:
895:Computer Weekly
886:
861:
851:
849:
838:
837:
830:
821:
819:
815:Home / Grantees
812:
811:
802:
792:
790:
778:
771:
762:
760:
749:
748:
741:
731:
729:
715:
688:
678:
676:
665:
664:
657:
640:
621:
612:
610:
595:
594:
569:
560:
558:
557:on June 1, 2012
543:
542:
533:
523:
521:
520:. New York City
508:
495:
490:
480:
460:
448:
431:
380:
374:in March 2017.
282:
242:
225:
220:
218:Business career
164:
133:Alan N. Trefler
112:
56:Alma mater
51:
45:
42:
36:
34:
26:
25:Alan N. Trefler
17:
12:
11:
5:
1503:
1493:
1492:
1487:
1482:
1477:
1472:
1467:
1462:
1457:
1452:
1447:
1433:
1432:
1427:
1422:
1415:
1414:External links
1412:
1409:
1408:
1397:. July 1, 2015
1382:
1354:
1326:
1298:
1270:
1238:
1217:
1196:
1190:978-1118930267
1189:
1160:
1137:
1118:
1088:
1065:
1033:
1000:
966:
955:. Boston. 2013
938:
901:
859:
828:
800:
769:
739:
686:
655:
619:
567:
531:
492:
491:
489:
486:
485:
484:
479:978-1118930267
478:
459:
456:
447:
444:
430:
427:
423:Boaz Weinstein
419:Garry Kasparov
379:
376:
281:
278:
241:
238:
224:
221:
219:
216:
208:John G. Kemeny
163:
160:
128:
127:
110:
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
94:
90:
89:
88:(CEO, founder)
83:
79:
78:
75:
71:
70:
67:
63:
62:
57:
53:
52:
46:
41:March 10, 1956
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1502:
1491:
1488:
1486:
1483:
1481:
1478:
1476:
1473:
1471:
1468:
1466:
1463:
1461:
1458:
1456:
1453:
1451:
1450:Living people
1448:
1446:
1443:
1442:
1440:
1431:
1428:
1426:
1423:
1421:
1418:
1417:
1396:
1392:
1386:
1371:
1370:
1365:
1358:
1343:
1342:
1337:
1330:
1315:
1314:
1309:
1302:
1286:
1285:
1280:
1274:
1258:
1254:
1253:
1248:
1242:
1234:
1233:
1228:
1221:
1213:
1212:
1207:
1200:
1192:
1186:
1182:
1178:
1177:
1169:
1167:
1165:
1149:
1148:
1141:
1128:
1122:
1114:
1113:
1108:
1101:
1099:
1097:
1095:
1093:
1085:
1084:
1078:
1076:
1074:
1072:
1070:
1055:
1051:
1050:
1042:
1040:
1038:
1022:
1021:
1016:
1009:
1007:
1005:
988:
987:
982:
975:
973:
971:
954:
953:
948:
942:
927:
923:
916:
914:
912:
910:
908:
906:
897:
896:
891:
884:
882:
880:
878:
876:
874:
872:
870:
868:
866:
864:
847:
846:
841:
835:
833:
817:
816:
809:
807:
805:
789:
788:
783:
776:
774:
758:
757:
752:
746:
744:
728:
727:
721:
713:
711:
709:
707:
705:
703:
701:
699:
697:
695:
693:
691:
674:
673:
668:
662:
660:
651:
650:
645:
638:
636:
634:
632:
630:
628:
626:
624:
608:
604:
600:
599:
592:
590:
588:
586:
584:
582:
580:
578:
576:
574:
572:
556:
552:
551:
546:
540:
538:
536:
519:
518:
513:
506:
504:
502:
500:
498:
493:
481:
475:
471:
467:
462:
461:
455:
453:
446:Personal life
443:
440:
436:
426:
424:
420:
416:
412:
411:Michael Rohde
408:
404:
403:Walter Browne
400:
397:
393:
389:
385:
375:
373:
370:
366:
364:
359:
358:
353:
352:
347:
346:
341:
340:
335:
334:
329:
325:
324:
319:
315:
309:
307:
306:
301:
296:
294:
293:
287:
277:
275:
271:
267:
262:
260:
256:
252:
247:
237:
235:
234:Chestnut Hill
231:
215:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
184:Massachusetts
181:
177:
173:
169:
159:
157:
153:
150:
146:
142:
138:
134:
125:
124:/alan-trefler
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
64:
61:
58:
54:
49:
43:(age 68)
33:
29:
22:
19:
1399:. Retrieved
1394:
1385:
1373:. Retrieved
1367:
1357:
1345:. Retrieved
1339:
1329:
1317:. Retrieved
1311:
1301:
1289:. Retrieved
1282:
1273:
1261:. Retrieved
1257:the original
1250:
1241:
1230:
1220:
1209:
1199:
1175:
1152:, retrieved
1146:
1140:
1121:
1110:
1081:
1057:, retrieved
1048:
1024:. Retrieved
1018:
991:. Retrieved
984:
957:. Retrieved
950:
941:
929:. Retrieved
893:
850:. Retrieved
843:
820:, retrieved
814:
791:. Retrieved
785:
761:, retrieved
754:
730:. Retrieved
724:
677:. Retrieved
670:
647:
611:, retrieved
607:the original
597:
559:, retrieved
555:the original
548:
522:. Retrieved
515:
465:
449:
432:
429:Philanthropy
415:grandmasters
381:
378:Chess career
361:
355:
349:
343:
337:
331:
321:
314:patent troll
310:
303:
299:
297:
290:
283:
264:The company
263:
243:
226:
180:World War II
165:
155:
132:
131:
77:1977–present
18:
1445:1956 births
268:in 1996 on
266:went public
246:Pegasystems
244:He founded
232:company in
137:Pegasystems
122:/leadership
96:Pegasystems
86:Pegasystems
82:Employer(s)
1439:Categories
488:References
388:Elo rating
66:Occupation
37:1956-03-10
1341:Bloomberg
726:Bloomberg
603:Bloomberg
399:Pal Benko
286:Chordiant
214:in 1977.
204:Pal Benko
176:Holocaust
145:Pal Benko
1054:LinkedIn
989:. Boston
417:such as
323:Barron's
255:Citibank
1401:July 8,
1375:July 5,
1347:July 8,
1319:July 5,
1291:July 8,
1263:July 4,
1154:July 5,
1059:July 7,
1026:July 8,
993:July 5,
959:July 7,
931:July 7,
852:July 7,
822:July 5,
793:July 7,
763:July 8,
732:July 5,
679:July 7,
613:July 5,
561:July 5,
524:July 7,
357:Reuters
339:Fortune
109:Website
1287:. 2014
1187:
1133:
1112:Forbes
787:Forbes
756:Forbes
550:Forbes
476:
392:master
369:Forbes
360:, and
333:Forbes
326:, the
305:Forbes
270:NASDAQ
168:Boston
149:Forbes
120:/about
101:Awards
48:Boston
1181:Wiley
470:Wiley
253:with
116:.pega
1403:2017
1377:2017
1349:2017
1321:2017
1293:2017
1265:2017
1185:ISBN
1156:2017
1061:2017
1028:2017
995:2017
961:2017
933:2017
854:2017
824:2017
795:2017
765:2017
734:2017
681:2017
615:2017
563:2017
526:2017
474:ISBN
421:and
405:and
118:.com
31:Born
1395:CIO
926:BBC
454:.
437:in
330:,
328:BBC
114:www
1441::
1393:.
1366:.
1338:.
1310:.
1281:.
1249:.
1229:.
1208:.
1183:.
1179:.
1163:^
1109:.
1091:^
1068:^
1052:,
1036:^
1017:.
1003:^
983:.
969:^
949:.
924:.
904:^
892:.
862:^
842:.
831:^
803:^
784:.
772:^
753:,
742:^
723:.
689:^
669:.
658:^
646:.
622:^
601:,
570:^
547:,
534:^
514:.
496:^
472:.
468:.
425:.
354:,
348:,
342:,
336:,
261:.
212:BS
39:)
1405:.
1379:.
1351:.
1323:.
1295:.
1267:.
1235:.
1214:.
1193:.
1115:.
1030:.
997:.
963:.
935:.
898:.
856:.
797:.
736:.
683:.
652:.
528:.
482:.
365:.
35:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.