Tom McGrath: Channel Exec of the Year Finalist

Tom McGrath, Qwest Communications International Inc.

Title: Senior Vice President, Alternate Channels

Years in current position: 3

Years with current company: 6

Years in the indirect channel: 10

Past jobs in the indirect channel: President, SBC DataComm

Main channel goal: “[The main channel goal is] to work strategically with the channel to provide full-service business solutions and perfect the customer experience.”

To what extent do you, personally, show leadership within the companies you have worked for, the business community at large, the communications industry and the channel? “Professionally, I have held leadership positions in senior management for almost 20 years across four major corporations. I’ve also held positions in public office and served on numerous boards. Outside of my work life, I’ve coached football and baseball and have refereed for several years.”

How do you think our country’s economic downturn has affected the telecom industry, the indirect channel and your company’s channel operations? “There are both positive and negative effects of the current economy. In some ways it has helped because people are looking for innovative ways to save on their telecom costs, and Qwest and our partners can offer a lot of value-add there. It has also hurt in some areas though as companies postpone network upgrade decisions until the economy rebounds.”

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What others are saying about Tom:

“Qwest, Tom McGrath, Sandy Spencer and their entire team have done an exceptional job with the agent channel. In addition to delivering quality products and services all year, what Q.Marketplace does for the agents, is second to none. They provide technical training, marketing assistance and sales expertise to help each agent become more successful.”

— James Lockhart, President, Telecom Management Inc., Independent Agent/Consultant