Brad Wilcox
Vice President, Information Technology
Brad Wilcox serves as the Vice President of Information Technology at Optus. He is responsible for driving our technical operations including design, implementation, and support for Optus’ complex voice and data infrastructure. Under Brad’s leadership, Optus has established itself as a national leader in cloud services offering market-driven public, private, and hybrid cloud solutions for production applications and virtual desktops as well as business continuity and disaster recovery solutions for SMB to enterprise-level customers.
With more than 25 years of experience in network operations and data security, Brad is regularly asked to advise customers on best practices regarding resource optimization, security, and performance. In his spare time, he volunteers as a systems administrator for several local community projects. Prior to joining Optus, Brad served as the IS Manager, Infrastructure and Telecommunication at St. Bernards Healthcare. Brad holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Arkansas State University.
Brad enjoys spending time with his wife and their two children. When not spending time with his wife, two children, and three grand-dogs, he can be found hiking a trail, exercising, reading a book, building something in his shop, and just generally enjoying life.
Q & A
In your own words, describe what makes a great leader.
A great leader is someone who naturally motivates people to be the best they can be. It is someone who knows their business and department well enough to have a successful vision for their team and commands the ability to execute that vision.
What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?
Every morning starts with exercise and prayer. Then, I come to work to try and make out customers’ and employees’ lives easier and better. Helping someone fix a problem is a great motivator for me.
Who is someone you admire as a mentor?
My father-in-law. He was an immigrant who came to America with very little and lived the American dream. His ideals and integrity are an example for me daily.
How can a leader fail?
When a leader focuses on making themselves successful instead of the people or the company, then they will fail to lead.
Describe your perfect team.
Any team that understands their purpose and works together to accomplish that purpose. The team must put the team’s purpose ahead of any individual need.
What is your greatest strength? Your greatest weakness?
Strength: Problem-solving.
Weakness: Seeking the perfect solution to a problem.
What do you like to do when you aren’t leading the Optus team?
I love to spend time with family, preferably outdoors.
What’s a fun fact about yourself?
I helped my grandfather farm tobacco for several years. No fancy equipment. They did it the old-fashioned way, and it was the hardest work I have ever done.
What’s your favorite quote?
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. — Frederick Douglas
What makes Optus different?
We have a customer-focused culture with a strong emphasis on teamwork across the whole company.