Name John Thompson | Role Businessman | |
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Born April 24, 1949 (age 75) ( 1949-04-24 ) Fort Dix, New Jersey, United States Alma mater Florida A&M University
MIT Sloan School of Management Occupation CEO of Virtual Instruments
Chairman of Microsoft
Illumio Board Member Education MIT Sloan School of Management (1983), Florida A&M University (1971) Awards The BET Honors Technology and Business Award Similar People Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, Geraldine B Laybourne, Paul Allen, Gary Hendrix | ||
John w thompson emc world 2015 thecube emcworld
John Wendell Thompson (born April 24, 1949) is an American CEO of privately held Virtual Instruments and the chairman of Microsoft. He is a former vice-president at IBM and the former chief executive officer (CEO) of Symantec. Thompson later became an independent director on the board of Microsoft, and on February 4, 2014, he was named the chairman of the board. He led the search for Microsoft's next CEO; as a result, Satya Nadella was selected.
Contents
- John w thompson emc world 2015 thecube emcworld
- John w thompson virtual instruments vmworld 2011 thecube
- Personal life
- Professional life
- Board memberships
- Political activity
- References
John w thompson virtual instruments vmworld 2011 thecube
Personal life
Born at Fort Dix, New Jersey, Thompson attended John F. Kennedy High School in Riviera Beach, Florida (now Suncoast Community High School). He received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Florida A&M University in 1971 and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management in 1983. A large advocate of outdoor conservation, he works largely with Ducks Unlimited.
Professional life
Before moving on to become Symantec's CEO in 1999, Thompson's 28-year career with IBM Corporation included senior executive positions in sales, marketing and software development, and lastly as general manager of IBM Americas as well as membership in the company’s Worldwide Management Council.
In September 2002, Thompson was appointed to the National Infrastructure Advisory Committee (NIAC) which makes recommendations regarding the security of the critical infrastructure of the United States.
Thompson purchased a 20 percent share of the Golden State Warriors NBA team in 2005 along with three other Silicon Valley businessmen under the umbrella of the Bay Area Basketball Partners, L.L.C.
In April 2006, Forbes published a list of the most highly compensated CEOs. Thompson was ranked #8 with a total compensation of US$71.84 million.
Thompson retired from his post as CEO of Symantec on April 4, 2009, turning the company's reins over to long-time Symantec executive Enrique Salem.
Board memberships
In 2010, Thompson was recognized for his commitment to education in Silicon Valley at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation's 2010 Pioneers & Purpose event. He received the Pioneer Business Leader award, which is awarded to individuals who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in business and education.
On February 4, 2014, Thompson was appointed as chairman of Microsoft, succeeding Bill Gates. Prior to being named chairman, Thompson had been a member of the Microsoft Board for two years. He stated that he joined the board because he had "admired Microsoft for many, many, many years". Thompson said he considered Microsoft to be "one of the true, iconic companies in our country".
Political activity
Thompson was a strong supporter of Barack Obama's campaign during the 2008 election cycle. In January 2009, news sources reported that President-elect Obama was considering Thompson to fill the Secretary of Commerce post in the Obama administration. Ultimately, Senator Judd Gregg was chosen for the post but withdrew his name on Thursday, February 12. Thompson again remained a potential candidate until the successful appointment of Gary Locke.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi appointed Thompson to the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in 2009.