Simi Telecom Network Firm Calls on Veteran for Growth Spurt

Tom Brancati stepped away from the world of advanced telecommunications last year when he left his post as president and chief executive of the Whittaker Corp. of Simi Valley.

He stepped away, but he didn’t step far.

Brancati has reemerged on the Ventura County scene as the newest member of the board of directors of TeleProcessing Products Inc., a Simi Valley-based manufacturer of access systems for telecommunications service providers, network system integrators and corporations.

His immediate concern, Brancati said, is to guide TeleProcessing Products through an expected growth period, as it expands its already substantial presence in the wide-area network market.

“My goal is to provide my experience with issues that come up converting from a smaller to a larger company, and helping the company in the marketplace,” Brancati said. “At this point, they are ready for the next stage.”

In 1995 and 1996, Brancati helped steer Whittaker from an aerospace and defense business to a communications and aerospace operation. Prior to his term with Whittaker, Brancati served as president of Amex Systems Inc. and executive vice president of the Teledyne Systems Co.

Brancati’s appointment to the board of TeleProcessing Products follows the company’s introduction of its Opera integrated wide-area network platform, which allows video, fax, telephone and other services to be integrated onto a single access system.

“The whole wide-area networking industry is growing at about 19% a year,” said Zora Kirby, president, chief executive and chairwoman of TeleProcessing Products. “But particularly the market we’re addressing with the new system product is growing at a projected compounded rate over the next five years of 43%. It’s a very exciting industry, and we’re growing very fast in that industry.”

Kirby said the demand to consolidate multiple functions into a single platform, which is a more cost-efficient method of communication, stems from the popularity of the Internet and the desire to link various sites within a corporation, among other factors.

She said Brancati’s experience should be particularly beneficial in helping her company with strategic planning, growth management, development of an infrastructure and product development as it expands its scope.

“Tom has an absolute wealth of experience in this area,” Kirby said. “He comes in with a background that will help guide this growth. The only thing worse than no growth is uncontrolled growth.”

In addition to his work with TeleProcessing Products, Brancati is serving on several other boards including those of the United Way of Ventura County and Simi Valley Hospital and is involved with the Simi Valley Free Clinic. He also is a member of the U.S. Navy’s Research Advisory Committee.

Brancati said he is enjoying his advisory and consulting activities on the various boards, as opposed to the day-to-day work of upper management.

“As an advisor, I need to be more of a leader. I’m having some real fun,” he said. “It takes more management ability to be an advisor than it does to be [chief executive]. What I need to do as an advisor is convince people of a direction.”

Brancati said further top executive work may or may not be in his future.

“I had an interesting offer for CEO for a high-tech company in the Bay Area, which I declined,” he said. “I like the thought of being a coach to a lot of people.”