John Thomas--Guest speaker

            UNIVERSITY, Miss. – Good writing still matters in the everyday life of Ole Miss alum and business professional, John Thomas, who on Monday advised journalism students to take all opportunities given to them.

Thomas is currently the vice president for investor relations and public affairs at Abbott, a global health care company dedicated to promoting pharmaceuticals products.  He has been with the company for 17 years.

            Inspired by his father to pursue a career in journalism, Thomas has used the techniques of writing throughout his entire career.  It started the day after college graduation when he co-founded The Oxford Times, he said. 

Having no one else on their team, Thomas and his partner received no help with selling ads, interviewing, or taking pictures.  They made the layout to be what were looking like stories in the magazine to really being just paid ads.

            “I’m not sure that I would recommend you guys do it,” said Thomas, who launched the magazine with $500.

“We were eager to start our careers right out of college and we had no fear,” he said.

Thomas has recently been working on generating a new company called AbbVie, which will be part of the pharmaceutical division of Abbott.  Many employees from Abbott will be moved over to AbbVie, which will allow many new job opportunities.

 “We are really trying to drive the reputation of the company,” Thomas said.

Thomas believes that communication is very important during the development of the new company.  Even though he is no longer a reporter, he still uses the writing and interviewing techniques he was taught at Ole Miss, he said.

“Don’t forsake face-to-face communication is my message to you,” he said.

“I was taught back in the print journalism days and I was taught the inverted pyramid.”

He explained how important the inverted pyramid is to his current job, not just in writing but also through communication with his employees.

Not having visited Oxford in years, Thomas said he is please to return.  His family is coming into town for the Texas vs. Ole Miss game and he is excited to show them around campus, he said. 

            “This is all new; the changes that have been made here are very exciting,” he said.  “We set up a scholarship here because we have so much faith in where we are going.”