Thomas J. Tiernan ('85, Electrical Engineering)

Thomas J. Tiernan

President & CEO, VFO Group

BS Electrical Engineering, Cal Poly Pomona, 1985

MS Computer Engineering, Santa Clara University, 1989

To pay his way through college, Thomas J. Tiernan worked at an engineering company in various capacities. From janitor, to draftsman, to technician to student engineer, his roles grew along with his skills. He enjoyed—and was challenged by—the work, and decided to pursue engineering as a career.

Tom’s first year at Cal Poly Pomona was tough. He considered changing to a major with fewer math and science courses, but ultimately he persevered with a lot of hard work and strong support from Cal Poly Pomona professors. The Learn by Doing philosophy proved invaluable to Tom. Having the practical knowledge certainly helped him when he interviewed with engineering giants like HP and IBM.

Tom ended up joining HP and stayed for almost 20 years. He eventually became vice president and general manager, running various global businesses ranging in size from $200 million to nearly $2 billion. He left because he wanted to be a CEO one day—and achieved his dream a few years later with Synaptics. Since then, he has served as CEO at four more companies, including his current role with VFO Group, a company focused on assistive technology for the visually-impaired community.

Today, Tom encourages students to, “Keep things in perspective—your career isn’t everything. Remember to stay grounded with your family, your relationships and other passions and ambitions. Express a willingness to take on new challenges. Stay outside your comfort zone by seeking to learn new things. Find a mentor. Be willing to ask for help. And be persistent—never give up.”