Nine individuals hailing from varied backgrounds in business, media, and technology, but all with a shared passion for the sport of tennis have been elected to the Board of Governors of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The new Governors are Lakshman Charanjiva, Vice President and CIO for NextEra Energy, Inc; Guy Forget, a French tennis star and former world No. 4 on the ATP World Tour; Tom Glocer, Founder and Managing Partner of Angelic Ventures, LP; Bob Jeffrey, Non-Executive Chairman of J. Walter Thompson; Hall of Famer Brad Parks, who pioneered the sport of wheelchair tennis; Lara Spencer, co-host of Good Morning America; Dana Tananbaum, a lifelong tennis player and philanthropist; Gary Tolman, an insurance executive, who served as President and CEO of Esurance from 2000-2015; and Kurt Wright, CEO of Quadrant Real Estate Advisors.
“We are grateful that these individuals are willing to volunteer their time, talents, and resources to helping the International Tennis Hall of Fame grow in our mission to preserve tennis history and celebrate its great champions. This group of individuals was elected unanimously, and it is a pleasure to welcome each of them to the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Board of Governors,” commented ITHF Chairman Christopher Clouser.
The new members of the Board of Governors will begin their terms on January 1, 2016. Each will serve the organization in various capacities ranging from work with the museum to development of the Hall of Fame’s enshrinement programs and annual ATP World Tour tennis tournament, as well as supporting vital functions including fundraising and marketing for the non-profit organization. Located in Newport, Rhode Island, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of tennis, honoring its greatest champions, and inspiring its future.
Meet the new members of the Board of Governors.
Lakshman Charanjiva is Vice President and Chief Information Officer for NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a leading Fortune 200 clean energy company headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla. He has corporate responsibility for all aspects of the company’s information technology, including technology strategy, application development and support, data centers, collaboration services, client services, information and cyber security, and communication services, and is a member of the company’s Operating Committee. Prior to joining NextEra Energy in 2008, Charanjiva served in multiple executive roles, including Vice President & Global Chief Information Officer for AES Corporation, an Arlington, Va.-based $13.6 billion global power company with operations in 28 countries during his tenure. Before joining AES, he held leadership positions in Capgemini’s telecom, cable, media and entertainment consulting practice. Charanjiva holds an MBA from Tulane University and is a Chartered Accountant from India, having worked for several years with Arthur Andersen in Mumbai. He has served on advisory boards of the Palm Beach County School District, Tulane Energy Institute, Cisco, SAP, and venture-backed start-ups. Charanjiva is a lifelong tennis player and a third generation member of the International Lawn Tennis Club (IC) of India. He played national college level tennis in India, and his grandfather, Janmeja Charanjiva, was a playing member and captain of India’s Davis Cup team in the 1930’s.
French tennis great Guy Forget is a two-time Davis Cup champion for France (1991 and 1996) and he was runner up at the French Open in doubles in 1987 and 1996. Over the course of his career, Forget won 11 singles titles, including the ATP Masters Series events in Cincinnati and Paris, where he defeated Pete Sampras in both finals. He won 28 doubles titles, including the 1990 year-end ATP doubles championship title with Jakob Hlasek. Forget achieved a career high ranking of world No. 4 in singles, and No. 3 in doubles. After retirement from competition, Forget has remained committed to the sport and his nation, serving as Davis Cup and Fed Cup captain. He captained the Fed Cup team from 1999-2004, with the team winning the title against the United States in 2003. He served as Davis Cup captain from 1999-2013, during which time France went to the final four times, winning the title in 2001 over Australia.
Tom Glocer is the Founder and Managing Partner of Angelic Ventures, LP, a family office focusing on early stage investments in financial technology, media, cyber defense, and healthcare. From April 2008 through December 2011, Glocer was Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Reuters Corp., a leading news and professional information provider. Glocer joined Reuters Group in 1993 as Vice President and Deputy Counsel, Reuters America. He held a number of senior leadership positions at Reuters, including President of Reuters LatAm and Reuters America, before being named CEO of Reuters Group PLC in July 2001 and CEO of Thomson Reuters upon its formation in 2008. He is a director of Merck & Co., Inc., Morgan Stanley, K2 Intelligence, and the Council on Foreign Relations; a trustee of the Cleveland Clinic, and a member of numerous advisory boards including, the President’s Council on International Activities at Yale University, The Columbia University Global Center (Europe), the Social Sciences Research Council and GP Investments. Glocer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Columbia University and a J.D. from Yale Law School.
Bob Jeffrey is the Non-Executive Chairman of J. Walter Thompson, the world’s best-known marketing communications brand. Jeffrey recently presided over J. Walter Thompson’s 150th anniversary celebrations, galvanizing the agency’s global network, clients and the industry around its pioneering history and culture of innovation. During his 16-year tenure, including 11 years as Worldwide CEO, Jeffrey shepherded relationships with blue-chip global clients including Bayer, Ford, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, Kimberly-Clark, Macy’s, Nestlé, Nokia, Rolex, Royal Caribbean, Schick, Shell, Unilever, Vodafone and many others. Jeffrey is regarded as an ambassador of advertising and is widely respected for his views and achievements. He is a regular contributor to global news outlets on the topic of advertising and marketing. Additionally, Jeffrey hosted an original web series called Worldmakers, interviewing influencers and thought leaders from various industries across the globe. The show aired through LinkedIn’s Influencer program and on JWT’s YouTube channel. Jeffrey is an avid tennis fan and a native of Rhode Island, where the International Tennis Hall of Fame is located.
Brad Parks, who pioneered the sport of wheelchair tennis, was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010 as the first wheelchair tennis player to receive the honor. In 1976, Parks began playing tennis as a method of physical therapy, ultimately developing the sport in the process. Despite being told that growing wheelchair tennis would be impossible, Parks forged ahead and today it is played at all four Grand Slam tournaments, at the Paralympics and in nearly 100 countries around the world. Professional wheelchair tennis players compete on the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour, which is comprised of more than 150 tournaments in 41 countries and exceeds a total of $1.5 million in prize money. Parks founded the first US Open for Wheelchair Tennis in 1979 and served as Tournament Chairman for 18 years. He is a three-time US Open Wheelchair Tennis singles champion, a seven-time doubles champion, and he earned a Gold Medal in the 1992 Paralympic games.
Good Morning America co-host Lara Spencer is an avid tennis fan and frequent player. Spencer was named co-host of the popular morning show in April 2014, having previously held several positions within the ABC News organization. She was a National Correspondent for the show from 1999-2004, and returned in 2011 as Lifestyle Anchor. Spencer was the host of the syndicated entertainment newsmagazine The Insider from 2004-2011. In addition to her work in news, Spencer is a highly successful authority on interior design and antiques, and she has authored two books on the topic. She is the executive producer and host of the popular show, Flea Market Flip and she served as host on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow. Spencer is a graduate of Penn State University, where she was a nationally ranked competitive diver and was named an All-American Athlete.
Dana Tananbaum has had a life-long passion for tennis, both as a spectator and a competitive junior player in Northern California. Tananbaum played for Wellesley College, where she won the Seven Sisters tournament. She has been an active member at the California Tennis Club for more than 40 years. She has served as a trustee for several educational organizations, including her children’s schools and Achievement Rewards for College Scientists. Tananbaum has also been instrumental in the development of Foresite Capital and related publicly traded companies. She is currently focused on work with the Yale Development Council, for Yale University, where her daughter is currently a student. Tananbaum holds a B.A. in American Studies/Economics from Wellesley College
Gary Tolman has been an executive leader in the insurance/reinsurance industry for more than 40 years. He most recently served as President and CEO of Esurance, a direct to consumer insurance company, from 2000 to 2015. Prior to joining Esurance, he served as President and Treasurer of Talegen Holdings Inc., formerly Xerox Corporation’s insurance operations. He was with Fireman’s Fund Insurance Companies for 15 years, where he ultimately served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of their reinsurance company. Tolman has been a Director of White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. since June 2015. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire. Tolman is an avid tennis player and fan, and has been involved in the business aspect of the sport as a sponsor of multiple events.
Kurt Wright is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Quadrant Real Estate Advisors, an international commercial real estate investment advisor with approximately $6.1 billion of in assets based in Atlanta, Ga. Wright has been CEO since Quadrant’s inception in 2006. He oversees all functions within the Firm, sets broad investment policy and heads the Firm’s Management and Investment Committees. He was previously an Executive Vice President and member of the Executive Committee at GMAC Institutional Advisors where he managed $5 billion of commercial real estate debt and REIT investments. Prior to GMAC, Kurt was an Executive Vice President and member of the Executive Committee at Lend Lease Real Estate Investments where he managed $8 billion of commercial real estate debt and REIT investments. Wright earned a B.A. in History and Economics from Colgate University; and M.S. in Accounting from New York University; M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant (inactive).
