Tom Carroux

About Me

Why Did You Choose This Photo Of Jumping Out Of A Plane?

This photo represents my personal milestone for surviving the pandemic. Jumped from 18,000 feet / 5,500 meters altitude. Highest / longest sky jump in California. This was my first sky jump. After more than a year of voluntary lock down, I needed to push myself. Here's a video of the jump. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYVHNK8udIg

What Character Trait Makes You Most Proud?

Determinaton as defined by the Finnish word 'sisu' (my mother was from Finland). Sisu in the face of adversity helps individuals push through what first seems like the boundaries of their mental or physical capacities. Sisu is an action mindset to choose to take on challenges. It's why I simultaneously worked two jobs early in my career until I caught pneumonia twice. Why I applied to a top MBA program. What made me keep going after traveling so much that I used to sometimes open the curtains of my hotel window and look outside to remember what city I was in. Why I developed a demo for a core product to show how it still offered value as technology evolved, helping renew key multi-million dollar contracts.

What's Your Story?

Child of immigrants. My German father met my Finnish mother in London after World War Two and immigrated to America. French name. 100% American. Summer jobs since the age of 16. Attended a small private liberal arts college in New England, worked for seven years at the Young & Rubicam advertising agency on Madison Avenue, then enrolled in Columbia Business School. After graduation joined a local start-up, PanAmSat, founded by Rene Anselmo, who previously founded Univision and who became a billionaire with PanAmSat. I learned so much about business and leadership by watching Ed Ney of Y&R and Rene Anselmo of PanAmSat in action. Met Roseann who I married: best decision of my life. Still fascinated by challenging, complex work which helps provide meaning and purpose to my life.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
-Will Rogers