THE RED THREAD: My Fortunate Life in Telecommunications

by H. Brian Thompson

When most people are asked to name corporate CEOs, celebrity names come to Jack Welch, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs. But what about the other 5,000+ leaders of public companies? Who are they, and why don't we hear about them? These men and women run companies every single day - day in and day out. Some of them are millionaires, but many are not. They keep a low profile, growing their companies, building shareholder value and doing the right things for their employees. H. Brian Thompson is one of these people. Son of an Irish immigrant labor leader, Thompson epitomizes America's real CEOs. He's not flashy, and, unlike many celebrity CEOs, he admits to successes and failures. He comes from modest means, and still considers himself a working person who builds prosperous companies, provides employment and wants to leave a legacy for his community and his family. He's an ethical person who doesn't believe that business is just about money but helping people achieve goals they thought were unattainable. Despite what many Americans may believe, most CEOs are like Thompson. They are solid leaders who run their companies without a lot of pomp and spectacle. Thompson and his peers are the true pillars of the American economy who have made the United States the economic envy of the world. The Red Thread is the business memoir of one of America's real CEOs. ============================= H. Brian Thompson is one of the world's most successful telecommunications leaders, whose tenure has spanned from the start of the U.S.'s competitive telephone industry to today's internet connected world. A former Chairman of Comsat International, Thompson served as Chairman and CEO of LCI International, Inc., Non-Executive Chairman of Telecom Eireann, the Irish Telephone Company, Vice Chairman of Qwest and Executive Vice President of MCI Communications Corporation. In addition to serving on several boards of directors, he is a former Chairman of CompTel, Co-Chairman of the Global Information Infrastructure Commission and a member of the Irish Prime Minister's Ireland-America Economic Advisory Board. Currently, he is Executive Chairman of GTT, the premier cloud network provider to the world.

212 pages, Paperback

First published August 2, 2013

Reviews

[Dan Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Thompson's book is a micro MBA program. The stories and insight shared were invaluable. I was able to reflect on his experience and decisions and look at my life and define my own red thread moments. Having worked in Telecommunications it was refreshing to read about the early days of telecom and learn why and how our technology was shaped by Mr. Thompson and other business leaders over the last 40 to 50 years.