Eric Schmidt of Novell. He presided over a period of decline at Novell where its IPX protocol was being replaced by open TCP/IP products, while at the same time Microsoft was shipping free TCP/IP stacks in Windows 95, making Novell much less profitable. In 2001, he departed after the acquisition of Cambridge Technology Partners. Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin interviewed Schmidt. Impressed by him, they recruited Schmidt to run their company in 2001 under the guidance of venture capitalists John Doerr and Michael Moritz. In March 2001, Schmidt joined Google's board of directors as chairman, and became the company's CEO
Thomas Holmes (executive) Thomas Holmes (executive) Thomas Holmes is an American executive. Holmes was born in Wilmington, Massachusetts, where his father, John Thomas Holmes, was chairman of the Board of Selectmen. Holmes' father died when Thomas was 10 years old. Holmes graduated from Wilmington High School in 1941. Holmes served as a naval pilot in the Pacific Theatre in World War II. He then attended the University of Missouri–Rolla (UMR) with the help of the G.I. Bill. He majored in mining engineering. He went on to work for Ingersoll Rand for 30 years, eventually becoming CEO in 1980, stepping down in 1988. In