Bob Noe’s worldwide travels included a recent return to Central Michigan University – the place where he got his start en route to becoming CEO of 1SYNC, a global commerce company.

Noe, ’75, ’81 M.A., said it all started with an interest in computers, a CMU football scholarship, and determination. His story is the kind you’d expect to read in business magazines, several of which have featured him, or while attending the College of Business Administration’s Dialogue Days.

Speaking to a large group of business students gathered in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium, the keynote speaker said he wasn’t raised in ideal conditions. But he picked up his mother’s drive even as a young child.

“My dad left when I was 10, and my mother raised the three of us in government-subsidized housing in Big Rapids. She’s a strong-willed woman,” Noe said. “I went to college on a football scholarship because that was the only way that I would have gone. To me, it is not important where you start. It is important where you finish.

“If you had told me – my 21-year old version – about my career path, I probably would have laughed. I wouldn’t have believed it.”

1SYNC sets global standards for how companies interact with each other. The company administers data synchronization, which means they make sure a product’s information – let’s say a can of Coca-Cola – is the same in Kroger’s computer system as it is in Coca-Cola’s computer system. 1SYNC represents companies in 104 countries.

“When the two systems agree on how much the cans weigh and how tall they are, trucks are loaded more efficiently and that saves money on gas,” he said. “When numbers and invoices don’t match up, companies can lose millions of dollars.”

Global goals
Noe’s interest in computers started in the 1960s when he was in junior high.

“I enjoyed reading about technology. I knew computers would have a huge impact on the world, I had no idea how much,” Noe said. “I am not sure what exactly triggered my interest. I just knew all that new technology was fascinating.”

When Noe started at CMU, like many other business students, he spent the majority of his time in Grawn Hall. But within Grawn Hall’s walls, he did something different. Noe decided to create his own concentration.

“I wanted to study computers, but I wanted a business concentration – not science,” he said. “I saw the connection in my mind how computers could be used for business. I asked my counselor what courses I could take to do that. So, with permission, I created my own curriculum.”

After graduation, Noe accepted a job in the University of Maryland information technology department. Among other things, his subsequent jobs included managing a retail clothing business, chairing a public
dot.com company, and launching the GM credit card in Canada.

“Just do something bigger than yourself. It’s encouraging,” he said. “Global effort has incredible impact on each of you as well as people around the world. I am proud to be a part of that.”

Noe advised the business students that landing a rewarding job requires networking, keeping promises, seeking out leadership roles, and maintaining a positive attitude.

“I can’t say that I had my dream job right out of school, and I wasn’t a manager,” he said. “But I did look for ways to put myself in a leader position, and I wanted to help my boss in whatever way I could. That is what opens doors.”

Always do your best, Noe said.

“I don’t know if I can help all of you navigate Monster.com, but I can tell you that your first job may not be the job that you really want. But if you work hard, it will lead to a better second job,” he said. “There is a good chance that your first job will be very different from your last job.”

Noe said nothing in his career has happened like he expected. But he is happy with how it turned out.

“If you are happy with what you have, then you will get what you really want. I can’t tell you that you’ll make millions or end up on the cover of a business magazine, but you will have a career that you will be proud of,” he said. “So whatever you are or decide to be, be a good one.”

Bob Noe: Life is a journey,
not a destination
Dialogue Days keynote speaker Bob Noe, ’75, ’81 MA, gives advice that he wishes he’d received before graduation:

1. Listen twice as much as you talk. “Believe it or not, you don’t know everything. You will be exposed to bright people in the course of your career. If you watch and listen, you will learn an incredible amount.”
2. You are your reputation. “Always deliver on the promises you make. What is more important than who you know is what they think of you.”
3. 3. It is all about relationships. “Your ability to make your manager’s life easier and support them in any way possible will make you an indispensable employee. It will eventually lead to a bigger and better assignment.”
4. Treat your customer as if they own you, because they do. “People don’t buy from a company, they buy from people. When you treat your customers well, you will build up a trust with them that equals a customer for life.”
5. Don’t confuse management with leadership. “Early in your career you are probably not going to manage anyone, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show leadership in your role. Leadership can come from anyone, anywhere. Leadership is action and not position.”
6. Roles vs. Goals. “Roles refer to what lifestyle you want to have for yourself, like best spouse in the world. Goals refer to achievements you have for yourself professionally. Having both is a struggle. So I am letting you know up front that you cannot be the best at both at all times.”
7. Life’s a journey, not a destination. “You need to enjoy what you are doing or you are going to be miserable. Hard times are inevitable, but if you like what you do, it will make a difference. You also must take time to look back and see what you have accomplished. Enjoy your success.”
8. It’s not where you start, it is where you finish. “You have to adjust the terrain. It’s hard starting out. You have to learn along the way. Keep your destination – whether it is a role or a goal – in the forefront of your mind.”

1SYNC Chief Executive Officer Bob Noe, ’75, ’81 M.A., told students that they may not reach theircareer goals immediately after graduation, but they can still have a fulfilling career while working toward their dream job. Noe was the Dialogue Days keynote speaker.