When I was 14, I started caddying at the Country Club of Dayton. As three of my brethren, I went to school on a scholarship of Evans, which was established the golfer Chick Evans to help students in financial need.
While attending the Ohio State, I helped launch a number of student organizations, including the alumni Student Council, which still exists. I had a lot of fun in those years of college and learned many lessons in leadership by handling events like "the world's largest toga party" to raise money for the fight against muscular dystrophy.
One day, I was caddying for the owner of a business tool-and-die local success and asked where I was going to school and what I wanted to do next. When I said that I wanted to become a patent attorney, he said: "then you're an idiot. Want to get into the computer. "
When I graduated — with my computer science degree — I joined AT&T Bell Labs and networked systems in Columbus, Ohio, creating software telephone switching. It now seems quaint, but then it was an important development for operators to be able to search for phone numbers by name on a computer.
Three years later, I moved to Chicago, where he became Director of telephone switching software development and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago. I also met my wife, Ann Murphy, in Chicago.
Just as were emerging wireless communications, I joined Northern Telecom, later re-named Nortel Networks, in Raleigh, NC, in 1987 and has worked as a manager of strategic planning. Then I moved to Dallas to be in his new business of wireless networks, and in 1995 I was named its President.
In 1999, I went to London to perform International Nortel, but that was probably the smartest decision because I was in the running for the company's c.e.o. job. When another Executive got the job, it was decided that I must leave amicably, which I did in May 2000.
So I was in London and unemployed, just before the bubble burst telecom. But in 2002, I was selected as chief executive of Telcordia Technologies — formerly Bellcore, the search operation formed by former Regional Bell. I helped spin off Telcordia to a group of private equity.
New investors decided they wanted their management, and I found "the beach" back in 2005. While I was looking for the next opportunity, qualified for my commercial pilot license. Flying has been my passion since my first airplane ride at the age of 9 years. I earned my pilot's license in 18, but it took many years before I could afford to buy my Cessna six places.
In the autumn of 2006, I became chief executive of Iridium Satellite, the company of mobile satellite communications. Three years later, Iridium went public, and I became c.e.o. of Iridium communications renamed.
The original Iridium, created by Motorola, ended up in bankruptcy in 1999. Iridium new emerged from bankruptcy in 2000 and has been profitable and growing fast in recent years. We are moving forward to replace our network of 66 low Earth orbiting satellites and expand our bi-directional connections for activities such as identifying the position of staff in the field or by connecting the crews of vessels at sea with their families at home.
I'm proud to say that twice in my career I have lost my job. When I look back, I know that those were two important milestones that sent me to where I am today.
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