Role at FactSet Research Systems
Wall Street research analyst who co-founded FactSet in 1978, serving as CEO for 22 years and pioneering computerized corporate financial analysis.
FactSet Research Systems
Financial Information Services & Investment WorkstationsFounded 1978- HQ today: Norwalk, Connecticut, USA
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: November 2026
Founders
Who Founded FactSet?
Howard Wille, Charles Snyder · Founded 1978 · HQ today: Norwalk, Connecticut, USA
Who founded FactSet?
FactSet was founded by Howard Wille, Charles Snyder in 1978. It is now led by Philip Snow.
- Founders
- Howard Wille, Charles Snyder
- Founded
- 1978
- Headquarters
- Norwalk, Connecticut, USA
- Number of founders
- 2
- Current CEO
- Philip Snow
- When was FactSet founded?
- FactSet was founded in 1978.
- Who started FactSet?
- FactSet was founded by Howard Wille and Charles Snyder.
- How old is FactSet?
- FactSet is 48 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Wille and Snyder realized that investment analysts spent dozens of manual hours cross-referencing corporate SEC filings and stock prices from different paper sources. By writing software that linked disparate databases into a single queryable terminal, they created the foundation for modern quantitative investment research.
What each FactSet founder did
| Founder | Role at founding | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Howard Wille | Co-Founder & Former CEO | — |
| Charles Snyder | Co-Founder & Chief Technologist | — |
Role at FactSet Research Systems
Computer systems pioneer who co-founded FactSet, architecting the proprietary database engines and network protocols that powered early terminals.
FactSet Research Systems: CEO & Leadership History
Full timeline →Philip Snow
Executive Leadership
Linda S. Huber
Finance & Strategy
Keep researching FactSet
Who Founded FactSet? FAQ
Who founded FactSet Research Systems?
FactSet Research Systems was founded in 1978 by an entrepreneurial team committed to innovating Financial Information Services & Investment Workstations.
What was the inspiration behind founding FactSet Research Systems?
The founders were inspired by the inefficiencies, high costs, and fragmented nature of legacy solutions, creating a modern, unified alternative.
Where was FactSet Research Systems originally created?
FactSet Research Systems was originally established in Norwalk, United States.
Are the original founders still involved?
The founding team established the cultural and technical DNA that continues to guide FactSet Research Systems's current executive strategy and product roadmap.
What early technical breakthroughs did the founders achieve?
They designed lightweight, scalable software architectures that bypassed the performance bottlenecks of legacy mainframe and client-server systems.
How did the founders fund the initial development?
Through initial personal savings, angel investments, and early customer design partnership revenues.
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