Thomas Beckley:
An executive with designs for the future

As a twentysomething Harris Corp. executive, Thomas Beckley ranked among the top 100 amateur tennis players in Florida.
“I ate, drank and slept tennis,” he recalls.
Tennis was a key factor in his decision to work for the Melbourne, Fla.-based company. But after leaving the corporate world to join a small, entrepreneurial firm, his game suffered as his career flourished.
His new focus–running Xynetix Design Systems Inc.–swallows most of his day, so he hits the courts now only a half-dozen times a year.
“This place takes up a lot of time. It is a personal choice,” says Beckley, 41, the firm’s president and CEO. “The time I am not spending here, I would rather spend with my family.”
Xynetix, known until a year ago as Harris Electronic Design Automation, is a software company whose work force grew 43 percent last year, from 70 employees to 100. Almost every new staffer joined its direct sales force.
The privately held company does not disclose sales figures. Of three primary products lines, its advanced-packaging products increased fivefold last year and its virtual-prototyping product grew 30 percent. A third product, design data verification, was launched in the first quarter.
The company sells software to design computer chips, packages (material that encapsulates silicon chips) and boards. It competes in the $3 billion electronic design automation industry.
Three years ago, Xynetix sold only to package manufacturing companies. Last year, the company started selling to IC companies–such as National Semiconductors–and now sells to systems manufacturers like Dell Computer Corp.
Xynetix added 35 customers last year. Its products cost from $10,000 to $100,000.
“Today, Xynetix is the leading company in advanced (integrated circuit) packaging,” Beckley says. “It is an embryonic market today, but it’s starting to explode.”
In 1997, less than 1 percent of all semiconductors went into advanced packaging. Industry experts forecast that over the next four years more than 25 percent will go into advanced packaging.
“We are focused on the next generation of design that is pushing the industry,” Beckley says. “Our small team saw that the next generation of designs were going to require a new software architecture.”
Faster computers and electronics means more transistors. Today’s typical chip has 4 million transistors; in 12 years, experts predict, a chip will contain 180 million transistors.
That density of transistors can create problems, such as instances where cars driving on the autobahn hit a police radio signal and it turns the engine control off. “These are physics effects that happen at high frequency,” Beckley says.
To combat these effects, the industry’s manufacturers must start the design process earlier. That’s where Xynetix comes in: Its software assists designers in determining the trade-offs and effects of different designs.
When he makes sales visits to companies, Beckley finds officials concerned about how future computers will handle the high speeds. “They are scared,” he admits.
“Previously, you didn’t need to worry about it because you didn’t have the speed or density,” he says. “We focused in on (it) in the early 1990s. We were ahead of our time.”
Ron Rohrer, considered one of the fathers of the electronic design automation industry, met Beckley a year ago and now has joined the Xynetix board. Rohrer says Xynetix clearly leads the industry in advanced IC packaging.
“He is very focused,” says Rohrer of Beckley. “I took an instant liking to Tom. He is warm, honest and a straight shooter. This is an industry filled with a lot of sleazy characters.”
He adds that Beckley has shifted his competitive fire from the tennis court to the business world.
“Everything is tied to (the) market. The first to market wins,” Beckley says, speaking of both Xynetix and its customers. “That’s the whole name of the game in electronic data automation.”
Beckley grew up in the Detroit suburb of Pontiac and traveled across Michigan to attend Kalamazoo College, where he studied mathematics and played collegiate tennis. He graduated in 1979, and worked at General Motors Corp. for two years.
In 1981, he obtained his MBA degree in mathematics and economics from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
Then Beckley joined Harris Corp. at its corporate headquarters. He stayed there until 1987, when he transferred to Rochester after Harris bought Scientific Calculations, developer of PC board design automation software.
“The reality was I took the job at Harris to play tennis, back in my idealistic days,” he says. “I decided I would like to go out of the ivory tower and into the real operations.”
Beckley’s predecessor at Harris EDA, Xynetix chairman Laurence Liebson, says Beckley began as financial manager but has learned general management skills.
“When I first met him he had superb financial skills,” Liebson says. “He has moved up to an individual who is a seasoned executive.
“Anything Tom does, he will do successfully. He is committed.”
Rohrer calls Beckley a quick study who rapidly assimilates knowledge, even on complex technology issues.
“That’s impressive,” he says.
A management buyout in 1993 by Liebson, Beckley and others led to the formation of Harris EDA. Beckley describes it as an angst-laden time, but now sees it as a top accomplishment.
“I had never lived through the days of “Will I have payroll next week?’ It’s a different level when you go to a venture- capital firm,” he says.
At Harris Corp. in Florida, Beckley worked for Bryan Roub, senior vice president and chief financial officer. Roub says Beckley has a combination of financial and management skills.
“He is exceptionally bright and sizes up business situations very quickly. He is wonderful with people,” Roub says. “He wants to win. Tom is a pretty intense person, and focused.”
Beckley has lived in Victor since arriving in the Rochester area. He and his wife, Kathleen, have five children: Qui Tran, 27; Loan Tran, 25; Tam Ton, 23; Emily, 5; Andy, 4; and Jennifer, 2.
Before he married, Beckley became active locally with Vietnamese resettlement efforts. Via his involvement, he adopted his two oldest children and met his future wife, who was working in connection with the program. After marrying, they adopted a third Vietnamese child. That child recently completed college and moved away from home.
When his older children were in school, Beckley spent time as an advocate for them in the school system. He and his wife remain involved with resettlement efforts by agencies and local churches.
“We are on the earth to help people,” he says. “It is lot easier for me to help one person (than hundreds of people).”
When not working, Beckley reads voraciously, often business and industry books.
“I read all the (business books),” he says. “I don’t think you can force yourself into anyone’s style, but I think you can learn from it.”
While Beckley projects continued growth at Xynetix, he does not expect to hire additional staff in 1998. The company is taking a cautious approach until recent downturns in the computer and electronics industries stabilize, and the “Asian flu” gets cured.
The near future for Xynetix is expected to include an initial public offering. Last year, the firm received $3.4 million in its second round of financing from Fidelity Ventures Ltd., Zero Stage Capital Co. Inc. and Harris Corp.
“Our goal is to go public with the company, and maybe do that next year,” he says. “(Investors) are looking for some liquidity.”
In addition, the company anticipates the need to acquire technology to grow.
“I spend a lot of time raising money,” says Beckley, who estimates he spends 40 percent of his job traveling. He expects the current round of financing to raise at least another $3 million.
Much of his time is devoted to developing a team atmosphere at Xynetix. Beckley says the firm has virtually no turnover. He has attracted sales and marketing leaders from his chief rivals.
The company’s five-person top management team uses a collaborative approach.
“What is most important to me is to have a good team that works together. I spend more time working on that than anything,” he says. “If you have a good, principle-centered team that works well together you can weather all the storms. I think we have an excellent team.”
Rohrer, who has been involved with 10 start-ups, says Beckley differs from most CEOs of new ventures.
“Most are egomaniacs and autocratic,” he says. “(Beckley) is very collegial and empowering, and he has one of the best teams I’ve seen.”
Beckley says he works hard to develop the team and foster an environment of high integrity and passion for the company.
“I am not the typical entrepreneur. I am not driven by money as much as I am driven by working with people,” he says.
Beckley says Xynetix competes against much larger companies. Its top rival–Cadence Design Systems Inc., based in San Jose–is a $1 billion company with 4,500 employees. Beckley hopes Xynetix reaches that size in a decade.
Being a small company causes difficulties–even with industry-leading technology–in trying to persuade the billion-dollar players to bet their next 10 years on Xynetix’s software.
“The worst part of my job is where we go into a large company and basically win on all fronts. And then to have them choose the safe bets, the big companies,” he says. “I understand it, but I don’t like it. I hate prospects that make the safe decision.”
The good news, he adds, is that Xynetix is winning more often.
“We have yet to go into a company where basically people are (not) wowed,” Beckley notes. “What I like best about the job is being able to go out to a major company, show them the software and see them, the engineering people, getting excited.”
The firm changed its name last April to reflect its new products and create a new image.
“I think our image out in the marketplace has improved,” he says.
In the short-term, Xynetix officials want to dominate the advanced IC packaging industry.
“We are recognized as the technology leaders today. We want to translate that to market-share leadership.”
Beckley’s long-term goal is for Xynetix to become a company that enables the next generation of design.
“There will be names of five or six companies that make a difference in terms of the next generation of electronics,” he says. “We would like to be one of those.”