Ray Stata Leadership & Innovation Award
The Ray Stata Leadership & Innovation Award
Ray Stata, founder of Analog Devices and co-founder and first president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council, served continuously as a member of the Council’s Board of Directors for 40 years until his retirement in 2017. He served in various Council leadership positions and earned a global reputation as a dedicated, successful industry leader and an ardent advocate for cultivating talent and investment in research and innovation. His many academic and philanthropic engagements reflect these qualities.
Award Selection Criteria
In recognition of the Council’s 40th anniversary in 2017, Council Directors established the Ray Stata Leadership and Innovation Award, presented from time to time to a technology industry leader currently active in Massachusetts who exhibits: 1) the key leadership qualities possessed and demonstrated by Ray Stata; and 2) the commitment to the core beliefs and fundamental values of the Council.
The ideal candidate reflects Ray Stata’s example as closely as possible. A leader of exceptional talent and character, Ray co-founded Analog Devices in 1965, and the company remains an independent traded company on NASDAQ. Beyond his achievements as an entrepreneur, he has also been one of the most active angel investors in the technology sector. Recognizing the need for world-class engineering talent and brainpower to support Massachusetts’ high-tech economy, Ray co-founded the Massachusetts High Technology Council in 1977. The Council works to make Massachusetts a magnet for top talent, a hub for innovative businesses, and the best place to live and work, and to create, operate, and grow technology-driven companies.
Recognizing Individuals Whose Leadership, Innovation, & Contributions Reflect the Legacy of Ray Stata
Recipients of the Ray Stata Leadership & Innovation Award
2026 Recipient
During the Council’s 49th Annual Meeting on June 2, 2026, Members presented Matt Hicks, President and Chief Executive Officer of Red Hat, with the Ray Stata Leadership & Innovation Award in recognition of his exceptional leadership, commitment to innovation, and contributions to the global technology industry.
As President and CEO of Red Hat, Matt leads one of the world’s most influential technology companies and one of the most important success stories in modern enterprise computing, advancing the open innovation, collaboration, and technological excellence that help organizations around the world accelerate digital transformation.
What sets him apart, though, is a leadership philosophy that mirrors Ray Stata’s own: that innovation thrives when talented people are empowered, diverse perspectives are welcomed, and organizations remain committed to continuous learning and adaptation.
Those principles have helped Red Hat build a culture widely regarded as a model for innovation leaders around the world, and they reflect the vision, stewardship, and commitment to building strong organizations that the Ray Stata Award celebrates.
Previous Recipients
2023 Recipient
Robert L. Reynolds
Putnam Investments
2022 Recipient
L. Rafael Reif, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2021 Recipient
Dan Barouch, M.D., Ph.D.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
2021 Recipient
Stéphane Bancel
Moderna
2020 Recipient
Megan Greenfield, Ph.D.
McKinsey & Company
2020 Recipient
Stephen Pagliuca
Bain Capital; Boston Celtics
2019 Recipient
Jacqueline Moloney, Ed.D.
University of Massachusetts, Lowell
2017 Recipient
Inaugural Award Recipient
Aron Ain
UKG
Inaugural Award Recipient
2017 Honorary Recipient
John Bertucci
MKS Instruments
2017 Honorary Recipient
In Memoriam
Pete Nicholas
Boston Scientific
About Ray Stata
Ray Stata is a co-founder of Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) served as President from 1971 to 1991 and as Chief Executive Officer from 1973 to 1996. He served as Chairman of the Board beginning in 1973. ADI is recognized for leadership in the design and manufacture of analog and digital signal processing semiconductor solutions. Ray is active as an investor in and board member of more than 40 early-stage technology-based new ventures.
As co-founder and the first president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council, Ray advocated that engineering education and university research funding are a shared responsibility of government and industry. He is an active investor in and board member of numerous early-stage, technology-based ventures.
Ray earned BSEE and MSEE degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.