NEW EXECUTIVES - At the Helm

Thomas earned his undergraduate degree at Kenyon College (OH) before obtaining a law degree from the University of North Carolina. He says his idea of an effective executive requires someone who is determined and externally focused.

"In our business the pace of change is absolutely unbelievable," he stresses. "The one question I am constantly asked is, 'Where are we heading and what are we going to be when we grow up?' In a leadership position, you are the one person who can provide a destination or a clarity of purpose that your customers can understand and that your internal associates can understand."