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.
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.
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
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.
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.