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Commanding years of experience in business leadership, Craig R. Benson has taken his expertise into both the political and educational realms.
A conservative Republican and champion of Libertarian ideals, Craig R. Benson sought to incorporate the party’s principles into his governorship of New Hampshire. Upholding the Libertarian stance that less is more in government operations, Craig Benson spent his gubernatorial tenure advocating budget reductions. A proponent of the the Free State Project, Craig Benson voiced his support through national and international newspaper articles and television interviews. Prior to his 2002 election into office as New Hampshire’s governor, Craig Benson was an entrepreneur who had enjoyed extensive success in launching a networking services company at the peak of the personal computer revolution. Drawing from his experiences as an executive manager of a private business, Craig Benson campaigned to improve and upgrade New Hampshire state operations through implementation of technology systems. Craig Benson adopted the same management technique he used in his leadership of Cabletron Systems, Inc., creating a “virtual staff” of employees who were responsible for fulfilling not one title, but several roles within their service. During his incumbency, the Cato Institute named Craig R. Benson the best newly-elected governor and second best governor in the United States. Craig Benson returned to the private business sector in 2005, joining Anseri Corporation as Chief Executive Officer of their wireless networking and communication products and solutions. Additionally, Craig R. Benson continued his directorship of SoftDraw Investments LLC, a private investment firm. Craig Benson teaches entrepreneurship classes at Babson College and, since 2007, has been sitting on the Board of Directors for Sycamore Networks, Inc. Remaining involved in political activities, Craig Benson participated in the Colloquium Dinner Series at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, held at Saint Anselm College. Craig R. Benson has also traveled around New England to speak at various universities and institutes. He currently presides on the boards of two non-profit institutions.
Craig Benson's Publications
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Serving the Public in Office, Craig Benson
April, 2011
by Craig Benson
Elected officials must put their own wants and needs below those of their town, city, state, or country. If you receive the opportunity to serve from a public office, keep these practices and tips in mind.
1. Prioritize Process
It might seem counterintuitive to hold process in higher regard than results, but oftentimes the way you go about doing something is more important than the end product. If you implement a strategy that upsets people, many of them will remember being upset more than they remember the positive impact you made via that process. When possible, aim to make a difference through a process your public respects.
2. Know Your Status
Public officials come and go. If your mistakes are too grievous or your time spent in office is deemed unproductive, you will be replaced, either earlier than expected or the next time elections come around. Everything you do, personal or professional, will have an impact on the public’s perception of you and your office. You cannot always make everyone happy, but you should make a conscious effort to make sure the public sees you putting them first in all you do. Their belief that you best represent their interests is why they chose you over your opponents.
3. Work with Your Peers
In politics, everything is political. Such a statement might seem obvious, but never will it ring more true than when you work with other elected officials to enact processes: if a process or movement does not benefit their interests, they are not likely to act. Their priority should be on the people, but this is not often the case. Work with your peers to convince them that what you have in mind will serve them as well as the people whose interests you have sworn to uphold.
4. Remember That You are Accountable
When you put a process into motion, you become the figurehead of that process. When your people think of you, they will associate the process with you and your time in office. From that moment forward, you are accountable for everything that happens next. Be prepared to accept that responsibility, and plan intelligently for any consequences of your process, positive or negative.
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Craig Benson on Sycamore Networks’ Product Offerings, Craig Benson
April, 2011
by Craig Benson
A leading provider of advanced networking solutions, Sycamore Networks offers solutions and products to meet the needs of large organizations such as telecommunications companies and governments. Sycamore Networks’ offerings are divided into fixed line, mobile, government, utility, and MSO/cable divisions.
The company’s fixed line offerings are ideal for maximizing utilization of existing networking capacity. Highly scalable and mesh resistant, these systems provide a multimedia distribution solution at an affordable price.
For mobile telecommunications companies, Sycamore Networks offers solutions designed to reduce congestion on regional networks and enhance performance, key considerations when attracting new customers and maintaining customer loyalty in the volatile mobile telephony industry.
In the governmental and military sectors, Sycamore Networks provides standards-based solutions that can be conformed to existing and future installations. Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) certification, powerful encryption technology, and scalability allow for efficient communication between a large network of diverse services with diverse goals.
Utility companies have drawn upon Sycamore Networks’ expertise in order to develop remote management systems, reduce the costs of diagnostic services, and reroute services following outages. Commercial Internet providers rely on Sycamore Networks solutions to keep up with developments such as online video and voice over IP (VoIP) that place strains on existing resources.
Regardless of the industry, Sycamore Networks offers networking solutions to meet the most rigorous applications of today and tomorrow. To learn more, visit www.sycamorenet.com.
About Craig Benson: Computer networking technology pioneer Craig Benson serves on the Board of Directors of Sycamore Networks, Inc. He possesses almost three decades of experience in the computer networking industry and previously served as Governor of New Hampshire.
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