Board of Directors
Tom Guthrie
President and CEO
Tom Guthrie is responsible for Twisted Pair Solutions' internal operations. He has 20 years of management experience in technology engineering and operations for a wide variety of service providers. Prior to joining Twisted Pair Solutions, Tom was CTO for USA.NET, an outsourced provider of messaging services. In this role he was responsible for software development, operations, and professional services offerings for Microsoft Exchange as well as other outsourced messaging services for enterprise customers. Tom has led engineering and operations organizations for service providers such as MCI, U.S. WEST and Allied Riser Communications in support of local, long distance, internet, and wireless services. Tom holds a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University and Purdue University, respectively.
Shaun Botha
Chief Technology Officer
Shaun Botha is responsible for shaping the company's overall vision. He is a co-founder of Twisted Pair Solutions and one of the original developers of the WAVE technology. Shaun has extensive experience in software design and development, with a strong focus on communications infrastructure and technologies. Prior to co-founding Twisted Pair Solutions, Shaun spent more than a decade in the telecommunications industry leading Research and Development for Williams Communications, and developed financial trading software for IP Blue and database applications for Merrill Lynch. He also co-developed the world's first software for reading smart cards. Shaun is a graduate of Cape Technikon in South Africa and holds a graduate degree in Computer Science.
Tom Wheeler
Partner, Core Capital Partners
Prior to joining Core Capital Partners, Tom Wheeler was the president and CEO of the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA). CTIA is the international organization that represents all sectors of wireless communications: cellular, personal communication services, and enhanced specialized mobile radio. Members include the world's largest service providers, manufacturers, wireless data, and Internet companies and other contributors to the wireless universe. As president, Tom dealt regularly with the senior management of the leading telecommunications companies and worked at the forefront of telecommunications policy and business development.
Prior to his work at CTIA, Tom also served as president of the National Cable Television Association, the principal trade association of the cable television industry. NCTA represents cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks, as well as equipment suppliers and providers of other services to the cable industry.
Tom is also a frequent commentator on technology issues. His opinion columns have been widely published in major daily newspapers, including The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. In 2000, Doubleday published his first book, Take Command: Leadership Lessons of the Civil War on the confluence of business, technology and leadership. His next book, Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails: The Untold Story of How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War, was published by HarperCollins in 2006.
Tom is currently on the boards of Earthlink, Telephia and WiderThan. In addition, he is the co-founder of SmartBrief, an electronic information service for vertical markets.
Tom is a trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, chairman of the Foundation for the National Archives and a director of the Public Broadcasting Service
Adrian Smith
Partner, Ignition Partners
Adrian Smith invests in telecommunications and wireless companies and represents Ignition as a director on the boards of Wireless Services Corporation, Singlepoint, Melodeo and Xeround.
Prior to Ignition, Adrian spent 12 years in leading technology roles at Nextlink, AT&T Wireless, McCaw Cellular Communication, and British Telecom Research Laboratories. Adrian's responsibilities have included the radio architecture and evolution of the LMDS broadband fixed-wireless technology, the browser transport mechanism for integrated cellular voice and data solutions, and the TDMA air interface design and specification.
Adrian joined British Telecom Research Laboratories in the U.K. in 1989 and worked on the ETSI standards for the Digital European Cordless Telecommunication (DECT) technology, developing DECT testbeds for voice, data, and wireless video applications.
Adrian is the author of a number of patents associated with cellular technology, as well as co-author of the book IS-136 TDMA Technology, Economics and Services.
Ken Krieg
Principal, Samford Global Strategies
Ken Krieg runs Samford Global Strategies, a consulting practice focused on helping clients lead and manage through periods of strategic change. He serves on several CEO advisory boards and is a member of the Board of Trustees of LMI. He is also a distinguished fellow at CNA.He previously served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics from June 2005 to July 2007. In that role, Ken was responsible for advising the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense on all matters relating to the DoD acquisition system, research and development, advanced technology, developmental test and evaluation, production, logistics, installation management, military construction, procurement, environmental security, nuclear, chemical, and biological matters.
Before his appointment to USD (AT&L), Ken served at the Department of Defense as Special Assistant to the Secretary and Director for Program Analysis & Evaluation. In this capacity, he led an organization that provides independent advice to the Secretary of Defense in a range of areas including defense systems, programs and investment alternatives as well as providing analytic support to planning and resource allocation.
He joined the Department of Defense in July 2001 to serve as the Executive Secretary of the Senior Executive Council (SEC). The SEC, comprised of the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Service Secretaries and Under Secretary (AT&L), is responsible for leading initiatives to improve the management and organization of the Department of Defense.
Prior to joining the Department of Defense, Ken worked for International Paper, most recently as Vice President and General Manager of the Office and Consumer Papers Division. Before moving to industry, Ken worked in a number of defense and foreign policy assignments in Washington, DC, including positions at the White House, on the National Security Council Staff, and in Office of the Secretary of Defense.
