John Thompson, Commerce Secretary? Symantec CEO Top Contender

It has emerged that John Thompson, former CEO of the software company Symantec Corp., is the likely choice for Obama's Commerce Secretary, filling the void left by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson earlier this month. According to the LA Times:

John W. Thompson, the outgoing chief executive of network security firm Symantec Corp., has emerged as a leading contender to be Commerce secretary, a move that would give the high-tech industry a major voice in the Obama administration.

Over the last decade, Thompson led the Cupertino, Calif.-based company from a small software maker to the top provider of antivirus and security programs, known for its Norton brand of products. An African American, Thompson also has been active in trying to bring more people of color into the high-tech industry.

The choice is not final because Thompson is still in the vetting phase of the selection process. According to a Democratic source interviewed by Reuters, "He (Thompson) is the leading candidate...he is still being vetted."

Thompson would bring valuable experience to the Commerce department and thus is already drawing hopeful praise from many in Washington, including commerce committee member Barbara Boxer. According to the Symantec website, Thompson has dealt with federal government affairs before, during the Bush administration:

In September 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Thompson to the National Infrastructure Advisory Committee (NIAC), to make recommendations regarding the security of the critical infrastructure of the United States.

If chosen and confirmed, Thompson will play an integral role in infrastructure side of the economic stimulus process--presumably more so than past Commerce secretaries, given the circumstances.

The LA Times also notes that Thompson and his wife, Sandra, have been very munificent and loyal Democratic contributors in years past, including a $50,000 donation to Obama's inaugural committee.

Comments

[Happygeek]

05:56 PM on 02/13/2009

It doesn't appear John Thompson is a consideration. It would be the end of America's confidence in Obama if he made that appointment and then our country's National Security was compromised via Symantec software (created under JT's management). Which is entirely possible if Symantec's current development processes (or lack thereof) in India and China were exploited by al Queda. For cost, they do not make any reasonable effort to check their code coming from other countries to ensure it works properly and is safe. They also do not look at their customer contracts for terms that otherwise would limit overseas development; their business people and development people generally don't talk. This would be a bad appointment - JT should just retire as planned.

[sidehide]

03:29 PM on 01/30/2009

Symantec has horrible products

[MickleVonTickle]

09:02 PM on 01/28/2009

Symantec- that stock dropped to a quarter of its original worth due to JT's hubris and poor leadership (merge w/ Veritas). A lot of people, including many employees, lost a lot of money when that happened.

However, he has donated dutifully to the Dems, so maybe it's payback time ...

[tailgateshirts]

10:04 PM on 01/27/2009

Norton doesnt pick up virus's very well compared to some newer packages but he seems to have ran the company pretty well since they have been around for such a long time

[Knowledgeseeker]

09:25 PM on 01/27/2009

if John Thompson have been outsourcing Americans jobs, Obama should not appoint him to be secretary of commerce, we don't no need more jobs outsourced, this is the reason we don't have any jobs for our unemployed US workers.

[brighterlight]

09:05 PM on 01/27/2009

Yes, India.

"India is Semantec's Second Largest Engineering Site"
(http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20070212/market05.shtml)

and from their Semantec's site:
(http://www.symantec.com/en/in/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20070502_01)

[brighterlight]

09:11 PM on 01/27/2009

Their Earnings Conference Call is 1/28/09. See here for deets: http://investor.symantec.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=89422&p=irol-irhome

This investment in India (cheap labor, so much talent) should have reaped incredible rewards!!!
Now let's see what they can do to employ American high-tech workers.

[brighterlight]

09:20 PM on 01/27/2009

Also looks like they have federal government contracts for high-tech security sofware according to their customer list. I wonder what IP law keeps the high-tech security software secure to the U.S.

"Symantec signed new or extended agreements with customers including ... the United States Air Force, one of seven uniformed services of the United States ... United States Forest Service ..."
(http://investor.symantec.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=89422&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1219422&highlight=)

[shothot]

11:00 PM on 02/14/2009

You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all the people all of the time. Stop f-ing complaining and wait and see. If he chooses someone you want, someone else will piss and moan.

[LeRoyB]

02:55 PM on 02/20/2009

This possible appointment is a HUGE disappointment. John Thompson publicly says American corporations like Symantec must work to keep and add American jobs while at the very same time, outsources hundreds of IT workers and right now TODAY has employees from INDIA being trained by Symantec accounting employees to take over their jobs! Employees from India will be in Springfield Oregon for the next 2 months being trained by the accounting staff who will then be dismissed as their jobs will then be deemed "redundant." John Thompson runs a company that overworks employees and outsources them anytime financial profit is possible. He does NOT care how his actions affects American workers. He's proved it many times and as I said, he's doing it right now. Symantec may have a large employee base in India and that's just how large global corporations work. It's when non-Symantec employees in India or other countires TAKE AWAY JOBS where American workers are TERMINATED that I have a problem. JT can run his company any way he wants. It's the DOUBLE-SPEAK that I detest. Honesty in much of corporate business is MIA! LeRoyB

[hortonhearsawho2]

08:20 PM on 01/27/2009

Out sourcing to India?

[brighterlight]

09:07 PM on 01/27/2009

Here is the full paragraph:

"India is Symantec’s second largest engineering site and a good amount of innovation and R&D for all our products is happening here. About 30 percent of our 600 engineers are based in India. 30 percent of Data & Systems Management Group (DSMG) R&D happens in India. Significant work on Symantec’s Windows Protection product line is done in India. In the Data Security and Availability area work on Backup Exec happens in India. In System Security and Availability both PC Anywhere and LiveState are partly developed in the country."

[brighterlight]

07:14 PM on 01/27/2009

Well, now you've got two duplicate posts!

[msblkwidow]

07:14 PM on 01/27/2009

Am I right in saying that anyone who felt qualified for a position in the Obama administration could apply on-line? I think that opened the door for everybody or anybody who could qualify for a position. I don't know if the application included secretary positions; but, I guess it could.

I know that there are many many people who are qualified and maybe overly qualified to fill these positions. How does a President find the RIGHT people- especially people who would satisfy everyone?

I'm sure this person could not be any worse than any other Secretary of Commerce we've had in the past.. What does the Secretary of Commerce do anyway? That's a rhetorical question. I'm sure John Thompson can handle: trade, industry, minority business development, the NTIS, NTIA and PTO. How hard can this be?

What incredible job did the last Sec. of Commerce do? I can't remember. I'll have to ask Lou Dobbs:)

I really can do without Norton. I found an antivirus that cost me $29.00 and it is a wonderful antispyware/antivirus software. Got rid of Norton.

[brighterlight]

07:08 PM on 01/27/2009

He loves to gives his jobs to other countries: 30% of engineers outsourced to India along with R&D. California gets no tax revenue from this let alone the jobs. Silicon Valley ReThuglican tech leaders who want cheap tech labor and outsourcing will love him. If Obama picks Padmasree Warrior (chemistry major) from Cisco Systems for chief technology officer, American high-tech labor continues to be hosed.

[harrymellon]

11:38 PM on 01/27/2009

He with the others sold us out to Asia to line his own pockets.

[brighterlight]

07:07 PM on 01/27/2009

Will you please stop censoring my posts? They are backed up with facts.

[brighterlight]

07:05 PM on 01/27/2009

He loves to gives his jobs to other countries: 30% of engineers outsourced to India along with R&D. California gets no tax revenue from this let alone the jobs. Silicon Valley ReThuglican tech leaders who want cheap tech labor and outsourcing will love him. If Obama picks Padmasree Warrior (chemistry major) of Cisco Systems for chief technology officer, American high-tech labor continues to be hosed.

[brighterlight]

07:05 PM on 01/27/2009

He loves to gives his jobs to other countries: 30% of engineers outsourced to along with R&D. California gets no tax revenue from this let alone the jobs. Silicon Valley ReThuglican tech leaders who want cheap tech labor and outsourcing will love him. If Obama picks Padmasree Warrior (chemistry major) of Cisco Systems for chief technology officer, American high-tech labor continues to be hosed.

[planetjeffy]

06:44 PM on 01/27/2009

Actually new Norton security software is much better than it used to be. It is quick and unobtrusive. It is even the recommended security software by several leading publications.

That be said, I just removed mine and I'm now using AVG free.

[dutch163]

06:27 PM on 01/27/2009

hmm..I don't know him
but I know I don't like the Symantec products , have uninstalled them and won't use them