Thomas Coulter Gibson

Chairman/CEO

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Areas of Expertise:

• Building organizations, events and experiences that tell a story while delivering on rigorous business metrics
• Instilling an enterprise-wide culture of purpose-driven client service
• Leading teams with laser-like results focus
• Creating a framework that delivers on Coulter’s corporate ethos of integrity, client-centricity and passion for excellence

Tom Gibson's professional career has been devoted to a singular goal: to make good organizations great. Since 1989, when the first of Coulter’s business units were launched, Gibson has articulated a consistent vision that Coulter exists for a central purpose: to work with socially principled, high-potential organizations in creative, transformative ways.

At Coulter and its business units, this clear sense of “why” we are permeates our corporate culture and resides at the foundation of our successful expansion. It is a vision carried forward by a remarkable staff of intelligent, energetic professionals who share the founder's passion for transformational thinking made real through excellence in implementation.

Gibson is a thoughtful, empowering executive who believes deeply in the limitless potential of people and organizations. Gibson helps refine the elements of each client's unique requirements which is then woven into the fabric of organizational action.

As chief strategist for Coulter's business units, Gibson's role is to serve both as an internal consultant to his colleagues and a strategic resource to clients. It is Gibson's further role to ensure the vibrant corporate culture and intent of Coulter remains undiluted by static thinking. Gibson challenges his colleagues to find and fulfill their own potential, and in the process, help propel Coulter’s clients to unexpected heights.

Prior to founding Coulter, Gibson co-launched and served as a senior association executive and advocate for the Competitive Telecommunications Association (CompTel), a prominent telecommunications industry trade association. Under Gibson's leadership, CompTel emerged as the "voice" of a vibrant, high growth industry sector as well as an influential policy advocate for the creation and implementation of a competitive business model.

In addition to his proven expertise in the comprehensive development of all types and styles of nonprofit organizations, Gibson has launched a business unit focused on the development of luxury experiential events, an asset that has served Coulter in its emergence as an Agency of choice for some of the most influential corporate brands in the world.

Gibson is an honors graduate of Duke University, with post-graduate work completed at The George Washington University. Gibson is a member of and active in key industry professional organizations and serves on select nonprofit and corporate boards.

Gibson, his wife, Suzanne, and their triplet 17-year-old daughters reside in Great Falls, Virginia.

Now, here's the backstory on Tom…

• Hometown: Clearwater, Florida where the beaches made ditching school a near constant temptation.
• First car: 1969 Ford Galaxy 500 nicknamed “the green stink” … it got about 6 blocks on a gallon of gas.
• Superhero power I wish I had: All of them.
• Television show or movie most resembles my current life: Happily, not The Shawshank Redemption (though the movie is a top 5 favorite) … probably Charlie’s Angels (we do have 17 year old triplet girls, after all).
• App I can’t live without: FlightTracker Pro.
• Favorite guilty pleasure: While not altogether guilty, it’s getting out of bed in the early hours of Saturday morning and quietly consuming The Washington Post, New York Times (in print, no less), Newsweek, The Economist and Vanity Fair, together with a stellar cup of coffee. No electronics, just the sound of pages turning... it defines serene.
• Three publications I’d recommend for anyone who does what I do: The Stanford Journal of Social Innovation (strong thought leadership), CEO Update (always “buzzy”) and any number of high quality daily newsfeeds (except on Saturdays...see favorite Guilty Pleasure above).
• What I do on my “free” time: Well, my wife would say when I’m not at Coulter, I’m thinking about Coulter but it’s not true ... uh, it’s mostly not true. Well, maybe it’s kinda true.
• If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would go…: Anywhere with family and friends, near or far.
• Advice I would give my “younger self”: Eyes open, mouth shut.
• How my life has changed since I joined Coulter: My personal motto “You can’t grow if you don’t stretch” is my life at Coulter, making each day both a teaching and learning opportunity.
• At the end of the day…: I don’t want the day to end.