Kent O. Hudson
Kent Hudson, recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus by the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in 2017 and by the College of Natural Resources in 2025, received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a B.S. in Pulp and Paper Science and Technology from NC State University in 1975, both with honors. After graduation, he worked as an engineer with the Federal Paper Board Company in Riegelwood, NC. In 1979, he joined AccuRay, where he specialized in computer control and optimization of paper machines working in various locations in the southeast. In 1986, he joined Devron-Hercules as Executive Vice President of Sales and Services, holding global responsibility for highly specialized paper machine equipment and associated computer automation.Kent’s interest in automating business processes, along with a chance meeting with the head of North Carolina K-12 facilities, triggered an idea to design software for the unique needs of school maintenance and operations. Applied Computer Technology (ACT) was formed to market enterprise asset management software for educational facilities and quickly became the national market leader. Kent next became Chief Executive Officer of Indus International, a Nasdaq company and global leader in enterprise asset management for the global utility industry.
As the internet emerged, Kent saw the opportunity to reinvent the software model with what is now known as Software as a Service (SaaS). He co-founded a new company, Dude Solutions, serving as its Chief Executive Officer and later as Executive Chairman. As of 2025, Dude Solutions has grown to provide cloud solutions to over 10,000 entities in education, government, healthcare, membership and manufacturing, making it the largest SaaS Enterprise Asset Management company in the world with approximately 17% market share.