| BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : SEPTEMBER 13, 1999 ISSUE | ||||||||
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| COVER STORY
John Thomas Chambers BORN Aug. 23, 1949, Cleveland CHILDHOOD The only son of two West Virginia doctors, Chambers grew up in comfort in Charleston, W. Va. The future Cisco CEO says he developed an early interest in business by working in the motel and restaurant his father, John Turner Chambers, owned on the side. EDUCATION Though not a bad student, Chambers had a reading problem and never loved academics. He attended Duke University and West Virginia University as an undergraduate. He earned a law degree from WVU in 1974 and a business degree from Indiana University in Bloomington in 1975. READING Chambers admits that he hates to read. He likes everything boiled down to one-page summaries or short presentations. He compensates, however, with a quick mind and sharp memory. CAREER He was lured into sales by an IBM recruiter who told him that selling was about spinning a dream for customers. After six years at IBM, Chambers moved to Wang, where he spent eight years in senior sales management. He learned a key lesson from Wang's fall and the layoff of workers. ''Never make the mistake of thinking you're infallible.'' HEROES GE's Jack Welch and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Lew Platt. FAMILY Married 25 years to Elaine Prater. Two college-age children, a son and a daughter. ESCAPES He jogs three times a week, which gives him time to sort through tough business problems. Plays doubles tennis weekly with his wife and friends. Goes on an annual weeklong fishing trip with his father and son, both of whom are also named John. BAD HABITS Butterfingers, buttered popcorn, fried chicken. He talks a blue streak and retells the same stories. INDULGENCE He bought himself a $22 million Dessault plane. He doesn't pilot it himself but uses it for businEss travel. FAVORITE SAYINGS In the Internet Economy, Chambers says, ''the big won't beat the small--the fast will beat the slow.'' And he always greets his managers by Asking: ''Are you having fun?'' _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP |
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 RELATED ITEMS Meet Cisco's Mr. Internet COVER IMAGE: Cisco TABLE: Building John Chambers' New World Network RESUME: John Thomas Chambers PHOTO: John Chambers with Son John on a Fishing Trip TABLE: Cisco's Stock Rockets TABLE: The Tech Industry's Cookie Monster The Man Who Hones Cisco's Cutting Edge ONLINE ORIGINAL: Cisco Could Be the Safest Net Play Around INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online | |||
