Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Doug Burgum
How Doug Burgum built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Doug Burgum is an American businessman and politician. He served as the 33rd Governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2024. Currently, he holds the position of the 55th United States Secretary of the Interior since February 1, 2025, under President Donald Trump. Burgum is a member of the Republican Party.
1980: Completed MBA
In 1980, Burgum completed his MBA from Stanford's Graduate School of Business.
March 1983: Invested in Great Plains Software
In March 1983, Burgum mortgaged farmland for $250,000 to invest in Great Plains Software in Fargo.
1984: Became President of Great Plains Software
In 1984, Burgum became the president of Great Plains Software and led a group of investors to purchase a controlling interest in the company.
1989: Great Plains Software Growth
By 1989, Burgum had grown Great Plains Software to about 250 employees.
1997: Great Plains Software Goes Public
In 1997, Great Plains Software went public.
1999: Acquired Match Data Systems
In 1999, Great Plains Software acquired Match Data Systems, a development team in the Philippines.
2001: Sold Great Plains Software to Microsoft
In 2001, Burgum sold Great Plains Software to Microsoft for $1.1 billion in stock.
2005: Expressed Interest in Stepping Down
In 2005, Burgum expressed interest in stepping down as senior vice president to become chairman of Microsoft Business Solutions.
September 2006: Announced Departure from Microsoft
In September 2006, Burgum announced that he planned to leave Microsoft entirely by 2007.
2007: Chair of SuccessFactors
In 2007, Doug Burgum became the chair of the board for SuccessFactors, a role he held until the company's sale in 2011.
2008: Co-founded Arthur Ventures
In 2008, Burgum co-founded Arthur Ventures, a venture capital company.
2008: Started Doug Burgum Family Fund
In 2008, Doug Burgum started the Doug Burgum Family Fund, which focused its charitable giving on youth, education, and health initiatives.
2011: Interim CEO of Intelligent InSites
During 2011, Doug Burgum spent several months as the interim CEO of Intelligent InSites.
2011: Sale of SuccessFactors
In 2011, SuccessFactors was sold to SAP, marking the end of Doug Burgum's tenure as chair of the board.
2011: Donation to Plains Art Museum
In 2011, the Burgum family donated approximately $800,000 to the Plains Art Museum in Fargo to support its Center for Creativity, which was named in honor of Burgum's mother.
2012: Chairman of the Board for Atlassian
In 2012, Doug Burgum became the first chairman of the board for Atlassian after it expanded its board membership.
2013: Kilbourne Group Plans Tallest Building
In 2013, Burgum's Kilbourne Group created plans to build the tallest building in Fargo.
2014: Interim CEO of Intelligent InSites
In 2014, Doug Burgum again spent several months as the interim CEO of Intelligent InSites.
December 15, 2016: Sworn in as Governor
On December 15, 2016, Burgum was sworn in as the governor of North Dakota.
2019: Signed legislation to develop cybersecurity center
In 2019, Doug Burgum signed legislation to develop a central cybersecurity operations center for North Dakota's network.
2020: Burgum Reelected
In 2020, Burgum was reelected as governor of North Dakota.
2020: RDO Building Completed
In 2020, the 23-story mixed-use building planned by the Kilbourne Group was completed as the RDO Building.
2021: Carbon Neutral Announcement
In 2021, Burgum announced a goal for North Dakota to become carbon-neutral by 2030, sparking $25 billion in private sector investment.
2021: Exempted Social Security from state income tax
In 2021, Doug Burgum signed a bill into law that exempted Social Security from North Dakota's state income tax.
April 2022: Created American Governors' Border Strike Force
In April 2022, Doug Burgum and 25 other governors created the American Governors' Border Strike Force to address border defense against illegal immigration and human trafficking.
March 2023: Expressed Interest in Presidential Run
In March 2023, Burgum expressed interest in running for president in the 2024 United States presidential election.
June 5, 2023: Teased Announcement
On June 5, 2023, Burgum teased a "big announcement" on his Twitter X account.
July 10, 2023: Offered Gift Cards for Donations
On July 10, 2023, Burgum began offering $20 gift cards for donations to his primary campaign.
2023: Signed House Bill 1398 for cybersecurity education
In 2023, Doug Burgum signed House Bill 1398, which mandated cybersecurity education for all K-12 students in North Dakota, making it the first state to do so.
January 22, 2024: Burgum Not Running
On January 22, 2024, Burgum announced that he would not run for a third term as governor.
November 15, 2024: Nomination for Secretary of Interior Announced
On November 15, 2024, President-elect Trump announced his intention to nominate Burgum as the United States Secretary of the Interior.
January 14, 2025: Confirmation Hearing Scheduled
Burgum's confirmation hearing before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee was scheduled for January 14, 2025.
February 18, 2025: Named to Lead National Energy Dominance Council
On February 18, 2025, Trump announced that Burgum would lead his "National Energy Dominance Council".
2030: Goal to Become Carbon Neutral
Burgum set a goal for North Dakota to become carbon-neutral by 2030.
