TOM SPRINGER

Tom is an experienced professional with over 20 years of expertise in providing strategic planning, business development, interim management, and technical advisory services to private equity firms, portfolio companies, and public and private enterprises. He has been involved in more than 30 transactions, including mergers and acquisitions at the enterprise level.

Tom is recognized for his ability to solve complex business problems by aligning technology with business and operations. As a former C-Level leader, he brings invaluable perspective to his management advice, particularly in maximizing enterprise value, preparing owners for liquidity events, transferring ownership, and navigating complex transactions.

Tom’s approach involves creating productive sales and service teams, developing new business lines, and building strong client relationships, which ultimately drive enterprise value. He has extensive knowledge in telecommunications, systems integration, software development, and network management, which he leverages to support private equity and operating companies to drive growth.

Before coming to Schneider Downs, Tom was a managing partner at his firm and supported international work assignments in Spain, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Ethiopia, and Costa Rica.

Education

B.S.—Business Administration and Computer Information Systems, North Carolina Wesleyan
M.S.—Telecommunications, Johns Hopkins University

Professional and Community Involvement

U.S. Airforce Veteran

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Do you have a hobby/personal passion? 
I enjoy helping develop young athletes. I’ve coached wrestling, soccer, and lacrosse. It is awesome to watch young people grow in their technical skills and field IQ, play at their highest level, and progress.

What was the best advice you’ve ever received? 
Never underestimate anyone, and never quit.

Who is your role model?
My grandmother was selfless and always happy.

What was your childhood dream?
To compete in a Supercross against Roger De Coster or Bob Hannah.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your college self? 
Give more appreciation to the humanities – not just math, the sciences and sports.

People would be surprised to know that I…
I spent time in Ethiopia working for the IMF.

What is the best or most interesting thing about your career? 
I’ve had a fantastic career as a business owner, professional consultant, Fortune 500 executive, and private equity portfolio CEO, spending significant time working internationally.

What was your first job? 
Bailing hay and cutting wood for a farmer.

Do you have a “motto”? (spoken or unspoken)
Time kills all deals!

When you have an hour of free time, what do you like to do? 
Spending time with my family.

Do you have advice for young professionals? 
Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good, take risks, and lift everyone around you.

Our Thoughts On

FEATURED

Big Problem: Cybersecurity Defenses Compromised By Employees’ Passwords


Big Thinking: Significant Updates To The Cybersecurity Environment.

Shareholder ERIC WRIGHT has been involved with Information Technology with Schneider Downs since 1983 and oversees the firm’s thriving Technology Consulting and IT Audit & Compliance practices. Through this role, Eric brings extensive experience in assessing IT infrastructure and identifying cybersecurity risk and exposure.
One of our clients felt fairly good about their existing cybersecurity defenses. But they were still afraid of the unknown and newer cyber attack techniques. Through our regular audit procedures, we inquired about their current cyber controls and their confidence in withstanding an attack. We then performed a network penetration test which simulates an external adversary hacking their network. This procedure identified the client's unknown weaknesses in their defenses through a live test. “Within 48 hours, we were able to guess the passwords of close to 10% of their employees, effectively giving us VPN access to their corporate network and certain employee utilities, like email.” Eric said. "We also found that their corporate intranet site was visible over the internet and susceptible to login via the bad passwords. After identifying these issues, we worked with the client to make significant changes to their environment to make it harder for an attacker to break in." Schneider Downs provides Big Thinking and Personal Focus in delivering a variety of services for large and small businesses, both publicly and privately held, as well as nonprofit organizations, government entities and more. Through our commitment to thought leadership and knowledge management, we deliver the solutions our clients need with a personal commitment to service.

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