Doug Thorpe

Founder and CEO of HeadwayEXec

I grew up in San Antonio, Texas, the only child of a hard-working single Mom. My Dad had died before I was 2 years old. Mom made a pledge to never remarry. Instead, she surrounded me with mentors, a small powerful army of them.

Bold moves....
Before I got to high school, Mom quit her day job and started her own business. My passion for entrepreneurship was born. Every spare moment I had was working to help Mom grow her interior design business. I watched as she forged ahead, growing the business, building a brand, and making it a huge success.

However, there was something else about growing up in San Antonio. In those days, we had five military bases. All my friends were ‘Army brats.’ I also developed a vision about becoming an Army Officer. My first step was, High School ROTC where I worked my way into command of the whole unit my senior year. Then a scholarship to college at Texas A&M in the world famous Corps of Cadets.

The Early Years...
My college experience was a wide range of amazing opportunities. With a dream to make the military a career, I chose to study business administration.

Extracurricular...
While my classroom work was producing solid grades, my passion for the extracurricular was ignited. I joined something called Town Hall in the student center. This organization brought concert groups and other entertainment to campus. In my senior year, I was head of the whole thing. That year we hosted 38 shows in 52 weeks including acts like Elton John, Chicago, The Eagles, Sonny & Cher, and so many more. I got my first taste of managing a multi-million dollar budget.

Military Service...
Upon graduation, I was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After various specialty training assignments, I landed at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. Rucker is the Army’s flight school. Funny thing though. I was NOT a pilot. Instead, I ran a series of support and logistics functions for the base. At the ripe old age of 23 I was handed a property book valued in excess of $10 million.

The day job was not too tough so I enrolled in graduate school on the base. I earned an MBA. At the four-year mark, I had been promoted to Captain and opted to leave the military. It turns out I have a bit of a free spirit that wasn’t necessarily in alignment with a chain of command.

Civilian Life...
Leaving the Army was not without its challenges. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do. A very long story short, I ended up being offered a job at Texas Commerce Bank in Houston. TCB was a large regional bank with 71 locations across Texas.

Entrepreneurship looms large...
After 20 very wonderful years as a banker, with ever-increasing roles in management and leadership, and three mergers, I set my sights on going independent again. I formed my own LLC and launched a consulting business.

The next 20 years were a blur of start-ups, spin-offs, do-overs, and great memories. I’ve met so many wonderful business leaders, owners, and investors.

The Crash of 2008...
When the financial crash began in 2007, I had to close my business. We were deeply involved in mortgage financing. That industry was ground zero for the crash. Seeing a community in need, in 2008, I founded Jobs Ministry Southwest, a non-denominational, faith-based 501c (3) that was featured in Fortune magazine. Since its establishment in 2008, the ministry has delivered over 35,000 training and career coaching hours, helping over 4,500 people with career change and transition.

The story is the basis of my second book, “STRIVE for Job Search Success.”

Today...
In my current role as Founder, President, and CEO of HeadwayExec LLC, I work closely with executive clients around the globe to help individuals develop advanced leadership skills. I have leveraged my own executive coach training to create and implement effective leadership development programs and advisory services for business owners and senior leadership teams.

Great client companies...
My clients include corporate giants like ExxonMobil, Coca-Cola, Raytheon, UPS, Mizuho Bank, Centerpoint, The Federal Reserve Bank, HSBC, and Bank of America. I have also worked for local and regional brands like Brightview, Crane Logistics, Regions Bank, Franklin Covey, and the Houston Society for the Performing Arts.

I also spend time working with small business owners, helping them navigate the growth of their companies. Using a simple 3-part framework, I help owners tackle issues with People, Process, and Profits. Master all three and you will have a great business.

PS – I also picked up my private pilot’s license along the way. (Remember I wasn’t a pilot in the Army.)

The Author...
In addition, I’ve written five different books. My first (and still favorite) is The Uncommon Commodity: Common Sense Guide for First Time Managers.

I also wrote, “STRIVE for Job Search Success“. It chronicles the highly successful job search program I created while serving as Executive Director of JMS.

My latest is a co-authored book “Trust at Work” the cornerstone message for Trust Builders wanting to create a culture of trust within their organizations.

So What...
The big ‘so-what’ is simple. If you need a guide to help you solve your business problems, give me a call. I offer a no-obligation meet & greet chance to talk.

If we decide we want to work together, great!