The Basics
Name of organization: The Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network
Title: President and CEO
Size of organization: $20 million
Education: Master’s degree in telecommunications
Previous job(s): WGBH/WGBY
On the job
Guiding business principles: Hire smart people and stay out of their way; Don’t spend more money than you have; Measure your success each week; Find a new partner tomorrow
Best way to keep your competitive edge: Read, work hard, ask for help, form another partnership.
Proudest accomplishment: Grandfather to five-year-old Madison Lee; Married my high school sweetheart. And 42 years later, she’s still my sweetheart.
Goal yet to be achieved: To get all of my staff to listen to me
Favorite part of the job: Closing the deal and developing a new project
Least favorite part of the job: Saying no
Most influential business book: I read 20 — 25 books a year — not one of them is for business. I did however enjoy “The One Minute Manager” by Kenneth H. Blanchard and Spencer Johnson.
Personal touch in your office: My cows and Madison Lee’s watercolor paintings
Judgment calls
Best business decision: Hiring Larry Rifkin and then promoting him three times; Introducing the Purple dinosaur to the world; Introducing UConn women’s basketball to the world; Developing our educational division where we are teaching high school students and training veterans; Saying goodbye to classical music and introducing news and public affairs on Connecticut Public Radio
Worst business decision: 26 years ago closing our Fairfield University office and moving to Stamford
Biggest missed opportunity: Suzanne Wright (wife of the president/chair of NBC) and Jack Welch hosted a party for me and my company could not keep pace with them
Best way to spot trends: Reading and talking to people who are smart and who are good leaders
Next big move: Implementing the recommendations from IDEO — a San Francisco/New York design consulting firm that has worked with major Fortune 500 companies helping to assure their future.
Your pet peeve: People who serve cheap gin at summer parties
Personal side
City of residence: Farmington
Favorite way to relax: Read; work on my farm — driving my bulldozer or excavator; herding my cows with my jeep; playing with Madison, working in my rose garden and cooking — I LOVE to cook!
Last vacation: Two weeks ago, on my farm. If my chairman doesn’t read this, I’ll be back there next month for two more weeks.
The car you drive: Hoffman Ford — 40,000 miles per year
Currently reading: Erik Larson’s “The Devil in the White City”
Favorite cause: Public broadcasting and my son’s foundation
Second choice career: To become president of a bank and to take the bank public and then to be sold to the highest bidder.
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