As soon as the Commodore 64 computer hit the market in 1982, Claude Bethea was hooked. As Business Report details in its new Executive Spotlight feature on Bethea, he began programing at the age of 14 and spent countless hours during high school writing software for himself and anyone else who would pay him.
Now as the CEO of Transformyx—a company that provides high-quality, value-driven IT solutions from infrastructure to engineering—those days are far behind him but certainly not forgotten. Even with past clients like Sony Pictures, Merrill Lynch and Coca-Cola, Bethea has not lost sight of the road that led him to start successful companies. He describes success as a moving target.
“Today’s successes are yesterday’s stepping stones, and tomorrow’s successes are byproducts of today’s hard work,†Bethea says.
Bethea’s sophisticated technology background proved useful while at LSU. He wrote business software for various campus departments, which ultimately led him to start his first company. “Ironically, I not only hired some of my peers at LSU, I also hired one of my professors,†Bethea says.
Bethea calls the constant evolution in IT exhausting and the learning process unending. But for Bethea and his team, innovation is embraced and comes with the territory.
“Walking the hall of Transformyx you can often hear someone say, ‘If it was easy, anybody could do it.’â€
In addition to running a business, Bethea stays involved both individually and as a company in various nonprofits like the United Way, Catholic Charities, Women’s New Life Center and countless private schools.
Read the full Executive Spotlight Q&A with Bethea. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find:
What is your favorite way to spend your time?
“There are so many things I enjoy from snow skiing to racing cars, but I think my favorite is playing golf with my Dad. My father has been my inspiration and mentor in both my personal and professional life.â€
