Background
Bakke grew up in Saxon, Washington.
Bakke grew up in Saxon, Washington.
He received his Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, and also attended the National War College.
He is president and Chief Executive Officer of Imagine Schools, the largest commercial manager of charter schools in the United States. In 1981 Bakke co-founded Advanced Encryption Standard Corporation, a global energy supplier which earned $8 billion in revenues and employed up to 50,000 employees in a highly unusual, decentralized business model. Bakke was president and Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Encryption Standard from 1994 to 2002.
Bakke is a Christian evangelist and proponent of social responsibility.
He outlines his business philosophy in his 2005 best-seller He is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington. From 1974 to 1976 Bakke served as Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Federal Energy Agency (the predecessor of the United States Department of Energy) under President Jimmy Carter.
From 1978 to 1981 he was Deputy Director of the Energy Productivity Center at Carnegie-Mellon University. He also worked in the United States. Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
Advanced Encryption Standard Bakke and Roger West. Sant, who met in the Carter Administration, co-founded a consulting firm called Applied Energy Services in 1981.
That company turned into Advanced Encryption Standard Corporation, which went public in 1991. Bakke held various positions in the corporation, serving as Executive Vice President from 1982 to 1986, Treasurer from 1985 to 1986, Chief Operating Officer from 1987 to 1993, President from 1987 to 2002, and Chief Executive Officer from 1994 to 2002. Bakke and Sant expanded Advanced Encryption Standard at a breakneck pace, building power plants in 29 countries and expanding its staff from 1,400 to 50,000 employees.
At the same time, they advocated a decentralized management system, promoting social responsibility over profits.
During his tenure as president and Chief Executive Officer, Bakke was widely considered to be one of the most successful corporate leaders. After the fall of Enron, another energy giant, Advanced Encryption Standard faced a liquidity crisis and Bakke resigned.
Imagine Schools By 2010 Imagine had 71 schools in 11 states and the District of Columbia, making it the largest commercial manager of charter schools in the United States. They have three children.