Alumni Snapshot: Chris Putnam

Title:
Executive Vice President of Sales

Current Organization:
Synchronoss Technologies (NASDAQ SNCR)

Perot Systems Experience:
Chris was with Perot Systems from April 1999 through January 2004. The last position he held at Perot Systems was Director of Sales for Telecommunications.

What do you like most about your current role?
I joined Synchronoss several years prior to the company going public and have been with the business through just a crazy amount of growth. The experience has provided me with an opportunity to personally manage the direction and future of the company. I take very seriously the fact that everything I do, every decision I make, has a material impact on the success of the company and our employees.  It is a demanding, high-risk, high reward career model but I like the challenge.

The whole IPO process was really exciting and educational, and my colleagues and I had the fantastic experience of ringing the bell at NASDAQ in 2006 when we went public, and again a year later on our 1 year anniversary.

Chris' sons and wife, Amy, with Governor Perry at the Andy Roddick Foundation fundraiser.

What experience did you gain from Perot Systems that helped lead you to where you are today?
Perot Systems had a big impact on developing my skills, and leading me to where I am today. While Perot Systems was a medium-sized company when I joined, it was full of entrepreneurial spirit and people. My 5 years with the company provided me the background necessary to successfully develop a less mature business model. When I joined Synchronoss, we went through an IPO, and then to a public company operating model. My time with Perot Systems uniquely positioned me to understand what’s necessary to build a new company and manage that evolution.  On the deal side, I was always free and even encouraged at times to use some creativity to design solutions and close business.  Having that experience translated very well to my role at Synchronoss.

Who was your role model or mentor during your career at Perot Systems?
Several different people had an impact on my career with Perot Systems, including John Vonesh, one of the 1st people I worked for at PSC. John is an experienced, very even-tempered sales guy, and I learned a lot from him early in my career at Perot Systems watching him design deals, manage the deal process internally, and translating client need into solutions.

Another person whose contributions helped mold my career, somewhat unknowingly, is Jeff Renzi. When Jeff joined Perot Systems to lead the sales group, he made a lot of fresh investments in the training of the sales staff. I aggressively adopted many of the processes, methodologies and disciplines he introduced to identify, qualify, advance and close deals. I have replicated the sales processes Jeff introduced to the company pretty closely with my current business, and I believe that it is because of this that we have been so successful in such a short amount of time. For that I am very appreciative!

Chris' eldest son, Tanner Putnam, and Sir Elton John on stage at the Andy Roddick Foundation fundraiser in October 2007.

Do you have any special memories that stand out of your time with Perot Systems?
Just the fact that I ended up at Perot Systems is no small coincidence! When I was in 8th grade I read On Wings of Eagles and was intrigued by Mr. Perot’s heroic actions, and the IT industry itself. I was always a big fan of Mr. Perot and the companies he built. I was working for IBM when I got the call from a colleague to discuss joining Perot Systems, and was thrilled to become a part of the company. I’ll never forget listening to Mr. Perot speak during orientation. As if it couldn’t get any better, I found myself sharing an office with Ron Davis, one of the very men I read about in 8th grade!

Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I graduated from Texas Christian University in 1992 with a Bachelors degree in Communications.

What do you like to do outside of work?
Well, work takes up most of my time these days! However, I make time to spend with my wife, Amy, and 3 boys, ages, 2, 6 and 9. The 2 oldest are into sports, so we spend a lot of our time at tennis matches and soccer games!

My oldest son, Tanner, is quite a tennis fan, particularly of Andy Roddick. When he found out that Andy leads the Andy Roddick Foundation, assisting underprivileged children, he opted to collect donations in lieu of birthday gifts from his friends. Andy invited our family to the fundraising gala event this month, and Tanner was able to present the check in person! He got to meet Governor Perry, Elton John, Lance Armstrong and other celebrities. What a night for the whole family!

As far as adult time, I consider myself lucky if I can get to the beach and the slopes once each year. My wife and I will be visiting Grand Cayman in January, and I plan to get some scuba diving squeezed in!