Sterling Commerce CEO dies at 47

Samuel Starr, CEO of AT&T subsidiary Sterling Commerce, died Sunday at age 47.

Candace Lombardi

In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET.

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Candace Lombardi

Jan. 3, 2007 8:22 a.m. PT

Samuel Starr, president and CEO of AT&T subsidiary Sterling Commerce, died Sunday at age 47, the company announced Tuesday. Before taking his position as CEO, Starr served as Sterling's chief operating officer and its chief delivery officer. Prior to joining Sterling in 2000, Starr worked at Bank One and the Claremont Technology Group. Starr was an Ohio State University alumnus.

The Columbus, Ohio-based company, which has about 2,000 employees and focuses on business collaboration software and services, said that Starr's death will not affect any of Sterling's "ongoing acquisition discussions" or daily operations. Starr was admitted to the hospital on Dec. 24 with a "sudden, serious illness," the company said. The details of Starr's hospitalization and death were not disclosed. Starr is survived by his wife and six children. Bob Irwin, the company's senior vice president of global sales, has been named acting president and CEO.