|
Richard L. Thomas is retired chairman of First Chicago NBD Corp. and The First National Bank of Chicago. He retired in May 1996, after 38 years with these companies.
After joining the First National Bank of Chicago in 1958, Thomas quickly gained increasing responsibilities in domestic and international banking. In 1965, he opened and managed the bank's first international branch in London. He was named senior vice president and general manager of the holding company, First Chicago Corp., when it was formed in 1969, and was promoted to executive vice president in 1972. The next year, he was elected director and vice chairman of the corporation and the bank. He was elected president of the parent company in May 1974, and became president of the bank in December 1975. In 1992, Thomas was elected chairman, president and CEO. He became chairman of First Chicago NBD Corp. upon its formation in 1995.
Thomas serves on the board of directors for Sabre Holdings Corporation, The PMI Group, Inc., Sara Lee Corporation, and Exelon Corporation. He is past chairman of the board and a life trustee of Kenyon College, a former chairman of the board and a life trustee of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and a life trustee of Northwestern University and a trustee of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. He is a former chairman of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a past president of The Bankers Roundtable, the Association of Reserve City Bankers, and the Association of Bank Holding Companies. He is also a member and past president of the Economic Club of Chicago, a past chairman of the advisory committee of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, a past chairman of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, and a past chairman of the Glenwood School for Boys. In addition, Thomas is a member of the Committee for Economic Development.
In October 1993, Thomas received the Daniel H. Burnham Award for Distinguished Leadership from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce; and in 1994, he was named the Harvard Business School Club of Chicago "Statesman of the Year," as well as Crain's Chicago Business "Executive of the Year." In 2002, Mr. Thomas received The Marshall Field History Maker Award for Distinction in Corporate Leadership and Innovation from the Chicago Historical Society.
Thomas was named a George F. Baker Scholar while earning a master's degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Business administration. He received a bachelor's degree from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
About Sabre Holdings Corporation
Sabre Holdings connects people with the world’s greatest travel possibilities by retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. Sabre Holdings supports travelers, travel agents, corporations, government agencies and travel suppliers through its companies: Travelocity, Sabre Travel Network and Sabre Airline Solutions. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, the company has approximately 9,000 employees in 45 countries. More information is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com. | 