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ACGSD February Program: M&A "GroundBreaker Series: John Thornton"
Tuesday, February 21, 2017 / 7:00 - 9:00am / Lomas Santa Fe Country Club
Join us to hear the history of one of the region’s most celebrate careers, that of M&A Groundbreaker John Thornton. After leaving the service as a naval officer John started a manufacturing company, a real estate development and all before becoming the President of Wavetek. Wavetek, electronic instrument company went public, grew exponentially before selling the Company. The other success stories would include Micom Systems, Mitek Systems and anyone who has driven into Temecula makes it a point to spot at the Thornton Winery.
This promises to be a discussion filled with revelations of company formations, growth and development prior to a number of successful exits. A model for all M&A Groundbreakers.
Paul Thiel, BNY Mellon will be the interviewer for this program in the fireside chat format.
SPEAKER:
John Thornton
John McBride Thornton, a native of Long Beach, California, received a B.A. from Pomona College, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. As a naval officer, he served aboard a destroyer picket ship off Korea and the Formosa patrol with a final rank of lieutenant. After leaving the service, John held various positions. He started a small manufacturing company, a real estate development company and taught at UC Extension.
In 1965, John Thornton became President of Wavetek, a small electronic instrument company. Over the next 20 years, while he served as President and Chairman of the Board, he took the company public, grew the company exponentially and in the late 1980’s sold the company. In 1976, Thornton became the largest stockholder of Micom Systems and John held directorship, including Chairman of the Board roles, with Micom through the late 1980’s at which time the company was sold in a significant transaction. Another successful company that John invested in was Mitek Systems, which began as a developer of tempest technology (technology designed to shield the transmission of data from telephones, facsimile machines and the like). In the early 1990’s Mitek began exploiting technology developed for character recognition of data on a printed medium. This business has soared placing Mitek at or near the top of companies marketing related technologies to the banking industry to permit remote banking transactions via a cell phone or other similar electronic device. For many years John was Mitek’s largest shareholder. In 2015, John sold his holdings in the company and retired as the Chairman of the Board and Director of Mitek. In the early 1980’s the Thornton family invested in and purchased, and John and son Steve still operate, the Thornton Winery, a producer of award winning sparkling and still wines, located in Temecula. His son is President of the winery. John is a Trustee Emeritus of the San Diego Zoological Society and has been honored countless times, most recently by the Boy Scouts of America. Throughout his business career, John partnered in these many endeavors with his late wife Sally Thornton.
MODERATOR
Paul Thiel, Regional Managing Director, BNY Mellon
As the Regional Managing Director for BNY Mellon in San Diego, Paul Thiel leads a team of banking and investment professionals in meeting the long-term financial and fiduciary needs of highly affluent families and individuals, as well as in managing assets for select operating businesses, foundations and endowments. Thiel brings an unusual background to his role, having started his career as a financial journalist writing for media such as The Washington Post, Business Week, and the New York Times. He later founded Freedom Interactive OC Inc. and McClain Publishing Co., and served as CEO for a San Diego-based information services company serving the hospitality industry.
A native of Boston, Thiel moved to California in 1999 to join the Orange County Register as Vice President of Marketing, and for several years served as Programs Chair for the Association for Corporate Growth - Orange County. Since moving to San Diego in 2013, Thiel has been active member of the community and is currently chairman of The Chairmen’s Roundtable, co-chair of planned giving at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, a member of the board of directors of the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation and the founder of the San Diego M&A Advisor of the Year. Thiel is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where he was editor and publisher of the award-winning newspaper, and earned an MBA at the University of Virginia, where he was Ombudsman of the Cavalier Daily. He has also completed executive education programs at Northwestern University and Stanford Business School.
SPONSORS:
EARLY Registration (by February 17)
ACGSD Members & Annual Sponsors : 0
Members of Other ACG Chapters: 65
Non-Members &Guests: 85
LATE/Onsite Registration (after February 17) Save 10 if you register by February 17!!
ACGSD Members & Annual Sponsors : 0
Members of Other ACG Chapters: 75
Non-Members & Guests: 95
QUESTIONS? Contact Judy Susser-Travis, CMP, CMM, Executive Director, ACGSD at acgsandiego@acg.org or call 619 741 7247
Tuesday, February 21, 2017 / 7:00 - 9:00am / Lomas Santa Fe Country Club
Join us to hear the history of one of the region’s most celebrate careers, that of M&A Groundbreaker John Thornton. After leaving the service as a naval officer John started a manufacturing company, a real estate development and all before becoming the President of Wavetek. Wavetek, electronic instrument company went public, grew exponentially before selling the Company. The other success stories would include Micom Systems, Mitek Systems and anyone who has driven into Temecula makes it a point to spot at the Thornton Winery.
This promises to be a discussion filled with revelations of company formations, growth and development prior to a number of successful exits. A model for all M&A Groundbreakers.
Paul Thiel, BNY Mellon will be the interviewer for this program in the fireside chat format.
SPEAKER:
John Thornton
John McBride Thornton, a native of Long Beach, California, received a B.A. from Pomona College, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. As a naval officer, he served aboard a destroyer picket ship off Korea and the Formosa patrol with a final rank of lieutenant. After leaving the service, John held various positions. He started a small manufacturing company, a real estate development company and taught at UC Extension.
In 1965, John Thornton became President of Wavetek, a small electronic instrument company. Over the next 20 years, while he served as President and Chairman of the Board, he took the company public, grew the company exponentially and in the late 1980’s sold the company. In 1976, Thornton became the largest stockholder of Micom Systems and John held directorship, including Chairman of the Board roles, with Micom through the late 1980’s at which time the company was sold in a significant transaction. Another successful company that John invested in was Mitek Systems, which began as a developer of tempest technology (technology designed to shield the transmission of data from telephones, facsimile machines and the like). In the early 1990’s Mitek began exploiting technology developed for character recognition of data on a printed medium. This business has soared placing Mitek at or near the top of companies marketing related technologies to the banking industry to permit remote banking transactions via a cell phone or other similar electronic device. For many years John was Mitek’s largest shareholder. In 2015, John sold his holdings in the company and retired as the Chairman of the Board and Director of Mitek. In the early 1980’s the Thornton family invested in and purchased, and John and son Steve still operate, the Thornton Winery, a producer of award winning sparkling and still wines, located in Temecula. His son is President of the winery. John is a Trustee Emeritus of the San Diego Zoological Society and has been honored countless times, most recently by the Boy Scouts of America. Throughout his business career, John partnered in these many endeavors with his late wife Sally Thornton.
MODERATOR
Paul Thiel, Regional Managing Director, BNY Mellon
As the Regional Managing Director for BNY Mellon in San Diego, Paul Thiel leads a team of banking and investment professionals in meeting the long-term financial and fiduciary needs of highly affluent families and individuals, as well as in managing assets for select operating businesses, foundations and endowments. Thiel brings an unusual background to his role, having started his career as a financial journalist writing for media such as The Washington Post, Business Week, and the New York Times. He later founded Freedom Interactive OC Inc. and McClain Publishing Co., and served as CEO for a San Diego-based information services company serving the hospitality industry.
A native of Boston, Thiel moved to California in 1999 to join the Orange County Register as Vice President of Marketing, and for several years served as Programs Chair for the Association for Corporate Growth - Orange County. Since moving to San Diego in 2013, Thiel has been active member of the community and is currently chairman of The Chairmen’s Roundtable, co-chair of planned giving at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, a member of the board of directors of the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation and the founder of the San Diego M&A Advisor of the Year. Thiel is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where he was editor and publisher of the award-winning newspaper, and earned an MBA at the University of Virginia, where he was Ombudsman of the Cavalier Daily. He has also completed executive education programs at Northwestern University and Stanford Business School.
SPONSORS:
REGISTRATION OPEN NOW
EARLY Registration (by February 17)
ACGSD Members & Annual Sponsors : 0
Members of Other ACG Chapters: 65
Non-Members &Guests: 85
LATE/Onsite Registration (after February 17) Save 10 if you register by February 17!!
ACGSD Members & Annual Sponsors : 0
Members of Other ACG Chapters: 75
Non-Members & Guests: 95
QUESTIONS? Contact Judy Susser-Travis, CMP, CMM, Executive Director, ACGSD at acgsandiego@acg.org or call 619 741 7247
Hosted by: ACG
Chapter
San Diego
