Mike Benson graduated from Western Washington University before taking a job as a Senior Systems Manager at J.R. Simplot in California. He spent eight years with the company before moving to Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) in Bellevue, Washington. After three years with ATL a friend suggested he look into a start-up called McCaw Cellular Communications where he eventually joined their Messaging Division as the Director of Information Services. He later moved into their Cellular area where he earned Circle of Excellence honors in 1989. He was soon relocated to Florida where he became the Vice President of Information Services and witnessed the transformation from McCaw Cellular to AT&T Wireless Services. Within five years he was back in Bellevue as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Messaging Division before becoming the CIO of the company. From the Series:Information Technology Leaders