Tom Tidwell
Director, Nemko Direct for Telecom
Define your role within Nemko.
I'm responsible for the international approval services across the Nemko group. So, my team and I develop international approval routes and help troubleshoot problems that might happen.
How did you choose this career path?
I was still in school, and I was in school for radio, which was at the end of a three-year degree. So, I had been in school for about seven years, working on a second degree. My wife is from Ottawa, Canada, so we were up there on summer vacation. Her father mentioned that he knew a gentleman with an interesting business that I might be interested in seeing. We went to lunch with Harry Dolmage, who owned Sir Telecom Labs at the time, and I really enjoyed meeting him, and he showed us around the lab, and it just really floated my boat. He said when you get out of school, give me a call and see what we have. So, they had opened a lab in Syracuse, NY, so that was my first official employment after university as an EMC radio engineer in the lab there. That was in 1987, and I've been doing the same thing. I moved down to Texas in 1999, so that was probably 2000, 2001 when Nemko purchased Sir Telecom, then I was official with Nemko.
What do you enjoy most about your job at Nemko?
I enjoy Nemko altogether, but I think it's the daily adventure that Nemko gives me. There can be many problems, but everything is a problem to solve or an issue we can tackle to make our customers' lives easier. So, I enjoy that Nemko gives its employees a lot of freedom, but they're firm on the result, so you know you have some accountability, but they give you a lot of freedom of action. That suits my personality since I'm more of a creative type of person.
Are there any challenges that you’ve faced during your career that have taught you important lessons?
Yeah, I think the main lesson I've learned through the years is that this business is such that we often get customers who are not experienced. They're under tremendous pressure because the project is either overdue or almost overdue, and they have no money left in the budget. Yet here are things they must do to get their product on the market that they maybe weren't aware of before. So, the biggest thing I've learned is how to go through and help people out in that situation patiently. You know, sometimes it's more just about calming nerves that we're going to get this done. We have the experience and the tools to get it done and then help them or their company on the right track for the future. We can plan for those things, so they aren't surprised, and those things are planned for in advance. This benefits us, and it helps our customers too.
What do you think the industry will look like in 20 years?
Well, in 20 years, I think it will be much more virtual. I don't know if I would call it artificial intelligence. But I think our interactions with the customers will be completely different than they are today. Much more mobile and no online type of systems. Our industry is based primarily on data and keeping the information about what it takes to get into different markets up to date. So, it's about relevant data that's accurate and relevant. So, I think in the future, we will have to have systems with a lot of data and be user-friendly and accessible for our customers and us.
What do you find most rewarding about your role?
The most rewarding thing is to see people being able to do something that they didn't think they could do. To CBA, people grow into a role or a responsibility that fits them. Just any challenge you know, one of the employees might be responsible for any challenge they face. It's gratifying to see people grow into that and flourish and do a good job.
What are some market trends you’re keeping an eye on?
Primarily the mobile and wireless data, and I think those are rapidly changing, and my interest in wireless probably drives that mostly. But the changes in cellular network technology and making it more energy efficient and accessible, with greater bandwidths, allow us to do many things in real-time across the wireless networks.
When not working, how do you spend your spare time?
I love to spend time with my wife. Been married for 37 years, so we enjoy spending time together. But other than that, I'm an outdoors kind of person. I am a Scout leader, and I like to mentor young men and see them grow and mature. So those are the things that I get a kick out of, and I guess the thing that gives me a lot of pleasure is working on cars. I like fast cars and enjoy working on them and driving them. So that's my deal.
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