John W. Thompson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John W. Thompson
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John W. Thompson
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John Wendell Thompson
April 24, 1949 Fort Dix, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Education | Florida A&M University (BBA, 1971) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MBA, 1983) |
| Occupation | Chair, Microsoft Corporation Chair, Illumina |
| Employer | IBM (1971–1999) Symantec (1999–2009) Microsoft (2014–2021) Illumina (2021–2023) |
John Wendell Thompson (born April 24, 1949) is an American business leader in the technology world. He was the chairman of Microsoft, a huge computer company, from 2014 to 2021. He also led another company called Illumina from 2021 to 2023. Before that, he was a top boss at companies like Virtual Instruments, IBM, and Symantec. John Thompson joined Microsoft's board of directors and later became its chairman. He helped choose Satya Nadella to be the new CEO of Microsoft.
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About John Thompson
John Thompson was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey. He went to John F. Kennedy High School in Florida. Later, he studied business at Florida A&M University. In 1983, he earned a master's degree from MIT Sloan School of Management. He also cares about nature. He has worked with a group called Ducks Unlimited to help protect outdoor spaces.
John Thompson's Career
John Thompson has had a long and successful career in technology.
Early Career at IBM
He worked at IBM for 28 years. During this time, he held many important jobs. He worked in sales, marketing, and software development. His last role at IBM was as a general manager.
Leading Symantec
In 1999, Thompson became the CEO of Symantec. This company is famous for its computer security software. He led Symantec for ten years. He retired from this role in 2009.
Helping the Government
In 2002, Thompson was asked to join a special committee. This group advises the U.S. government. They give ideas on how to keep important national systems safe.
Sports Team Ownership
In 2005, John Thompson bought a part of an NBA team. He became a co-owner of the Golden State Warriors. He joined three other business people to buy a 20 percent share.
Joining Microsoft's Board
Thompson joined the board of directors at Microsoft in 2012. He said he had admired Microsoft for many years. He thought it was a truly important company.
Becoming Microsoft Chairman
On February 4, 2014, John Thompson became the chairman of Microsoft. He took over from Bill Gates, who co-founded the company. On the same day, Satya Nadella became the new CEO. Thompson played a key role in choosing Nadella for the top job. He served as chairman until June 2021.
Other Leadership Roles
Thompson was also the CEO of Virtual Instruments. This company makes software for computer systems. Later, he became the chairman of Illumina from 2021 to 2023.
Board Memberships
John Thompson has been on the board of directors for many companies and organizations. These include:
- Microsoft
- Illumina
- Illinois Governor's Human Resource Advisory Council
- Teach For America
- Illumio
- Liquid Robotics
- Rubrik
- Seismic Software
- Inxeption
Political Involvement
John Thompson has also been involved in politics.
Considering a Cabinet Role
In 2008, he supported Barack Obama's presidential campaign. In 2009, there were talks that he might become the United States Secretary of Commerce. This is a very important job in the U.S. government. However, someone else was chosen for the role.
Financial Crisis Commission
In 2009, Nancy Pelosi appointed Thompson to a special group. This group was called the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. They looked into why the financial crisis happened.
