Greg Whitten

Greg Whitten is a former Microsoft Chief software architect where he worked from 1979 to 1998. Whitten graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in mathematics and from Harvard University with a Ph.D. in applied mathematics. At Microsoft, he developed the standards for the company's BASIC compiler line. , he has been CEO of Numerix. He is also a vintage car enthusiast.

"GW" in the name of the GW-BASIC dialect of BASIC developed by Microsoft may have come form Greg Whitten's initials:

"'The GW-BASIC name stands for Gee-Whiz BASIC. The GW- name was picked by Bill Gates. He is the one who knows whether it was Gee-Whiz or after me because it has been used both ways. I did set the directions for the BASIC language features after joining the company in 1979."
 * - Greg Whitten, 13 Apr 2005