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Chip Pickering gets another shot at association leadership

Chip Pickering gets another shot at association leadership

Former Mississippi congressman and new CEO of CompTel aims to grow membership and stand up to industry's dominant players

Pickering
Pickering

A decade ago, Chip Pickering chose to stay in Congress rather than to take the top job at CTIA, representing some of the biggest companies in the wireless world.

In January, Pickering became CEO of CompTel, a considerably smaller association (2013 revenue of $5 million) but with a huge mission: to advocate for a competitive playing field so telecommunications businesses of all sizes can thrive.

Pickering said the timing wasn't right back in 2003 for him to lead an association, but today it is.

"I'm grateful to have a chance 10 years later to close the loop and gain the experience" as a CEO, he said. Furthermore, "I wanted to have a chance to focus on what's been my important work, and where I had the greatest expertise and experience, and that was in the telecommunications arena," said Pickering, who represented Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District as a Republican from 1997 through 2008. "I hopefully can have an effective voice and positive contribution to how our country decides the way forward."

Pickering said it is a pivotal point in communications history, with the expectation that the Federal Communications Commission—under the leadership of new chairman Tom Wheeler—could make decisions reshaping the market's next decade.

Congress is also looking at reviewing and possibly reforming the Telecommunications Act of 1996, he said. The landmark law aimed to remove market barriers to entry by requiring incumbent telephone and cable carriers to interconnect their networks with new companies and potential competitors.

Pickering worked on drafting the 1996 law as a legislative aide to Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and as a staffer for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. After his election in 1996, Pickering served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and was a co-chairman and founder of the Congressional Wireless Caucus. Turning down the CTIA job to stay in Congress was one of the hardest professional decisions he ever had to make, Pickering said at the time.

He decided not to run for reelection in 2008, and subsequently became a partner at Capitol Resources, a lobbying firm with offices in Jackson, Miss., and Washington, D.C. He also went through a very messy and public divorce.

At Capitol Resources, Pickering continued to work on telecom issues, which included representing CompTel and some of its members. When Jerry James stepped down after 6 ½ years as CEO, the board decided to bring Pickering in-house as its top executive.

Keeping it competitive then—and now

Pickering said he gives thanks to James for leaving CompTel in good financial shape with reserves of nearly $6 million.

James "prepared the association to be able to go into this critical time where major policy decisions are going to be made," Pickering said. "We can enhance our show and really go out and recruit new members based upon a very sound financial foundation."

CompTel has always been about taking on the established players. It began as the Association of Long Distance Telephone Companies in 1981 to promote competition with AT&T. Sprint was a founding member and remains its largest. Over the years CompTel merged with other associations and took on additional segments of the industry, wired and wireless.

Today, CompTel has more than 180 members, primarily small and midsized companies providing services to small and midsized businesses. Larger members include Windstream, tw telecom and Granite.

Pickering wants to keep expanding CompTel's reach as the voice for every existing and emerging communications technology. Sixteen companies—offering broadband, cloud, fiber, wireless and other services—have become new members so far this year, including XO Communications.

Pickering said his role as a CEO, rather than a hired gun, also gives him a better platform to work with similarly minded associations, such as the Competitive Carriers Association and the American Cable Association.

"There is an urgency among industry leaders to work together," he said. "We're up against some of the largest companies in the country, that house some of the greatest political activity."

Other initiatives include a new advisory committee of CEOs from member companies, who will help provide strategic guidance and participate in one-on-one events with legislators and policy makers. FCC Chairman Wheeler, a former CEO of CTIA, will be the keynote speaker at the CompTel Plus convention and expo in Dallas in October.

Pickering has an office in Mississippi, where the youngest of his five sons is in high school, and commutes to Washington, staying at an apartment in Alexandria, Va. It's very similar to his congressional and lobbyist schedules, he said. But at age 50, he's enjoying being focused on CompTel.

"I'm just thankful for the relationships I have with my sons, with friends in the firm I worked in the last five years, and for the opportunity I have today," he said.