As we close the 2009 calendar year, we sat down with Concur's chairman and CEO Steve Singh to discuss three questions reflecting on 2009 and looking forward to 2010.

Q: As CEO of Concur, what was your proudest moment/accomplishment/milestone in 2009?

A: The sum of what we accomplished together in 2009 was humbling. But it was not by luck. Over the past 10 years we have built a strong business and delivered the best products in our industry while always keeping the needs of our customers at the center of our company. The strength of who we are as individuals and as a team – along with our relentless desire to improve – carried us in 2009. Even in the face of the worst economic contraction since the Depression, as unemployment doubled over 14 months and travel spend dropped more than 30 percent on a global basis, we saw revenue increase 15 percent and earnings grow 33 percent. That speaks to the scale of our market opportunity and the caliber of our people.

It has been quite a year. One that started in the midst of an unstable economy and apprehension around business travel forecasts. Despite those hurdles and uncertainties, we’ve witnessed an increased need from companies for help in managing employee spend and driving costs out of business. As a result, Concur recently crossed the 10,000 client mark, representing more than 10 million individual employees around the world using our services.

That milestone is a testament to the amazing team of people at Concur whose mission it is to help clients operate more efficiently and grow the bottom line. We’re committed to driving innovation, finding new ways that technology can improve business processes and reduce costs. It is what motivates us every day and will continue to motivate us in the new year.

2009 has been a successful year for our business, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate it coming to a close than announcing this milestone. On behalf of all 1,200 Concur employees, I want to thank our clients for the opportunity to serve them. We look forward to continued partnership and success as we head into 2010.