Inductees
Tom Slowey
Year: 2018
Gender:
About Tom:
Tom Slowey was a standout wrestler and football player at Bethlehem Catholic High School in Pennsylvania.
He did not start wrestling until several weeks into the season his freshman year. Coach Tony Iasiello asked him to come out for the team after learning Tom was no longer playing basketball. Many thought it was too late for Slowey to compete in a sport that most kids begin in third or fourth grade.
Tom dismissed the sentiment and worked hard to eventually earn the 185-pound varsity spot sophomore through senior year. He was a top rated Pennsylvania 185-pounder during his junior and senior seasons. Slowey was a key member of Bethlehem Catholic’s undefeated 1979 AAA Pennsylvania state championship team.
Tom went on to wrestle for Coach Rich Lorenzo and the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1979-1983. Coach Lorenzo was more than a coach; he became Slowey’s mentor and taught him valuable life lessons. Slowey graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business logistics with computer science emphasis.
After graduation he worked in the business information technology/software field for 18 years. From 1988 through 1999, Slowey served as Executive Vice President, Sales at Platinum technology, Inc. Tom joined the company at its inception as a key member of its start-up executive management team. During his tenure, Slowey built and grew the sales organization from the ground up and led a sales force achieving 250%+ growth during each of its first eight years. The company executed an extremely successful Initial Public Offering (IPO) in April 1991. Business Week Magazine ranked Platinum technology the #2 Hot Growth Company in its 1992 Annual Ranking of the 100 Best Small Companies. Platinum technology continued to grow from the basement start-up to the world’s sixth-largest software company in 1998. Platinum was acquired by Computer Associates in June 1999 for $3,600,000,000. The acquisition was the largest the software industry had ever seen.
Slowey went on to serve as Executive Vice President at Divine, Inc. (1999-2001), a start-up company specializing in creating, developing and investing in internet based business technology companies. Tom’s responsibility was to evaluate invested companies and make the changes necessary (leadership, management, organization and infrastructure) to better prepare them for growth, acquisition or initial public offering.
For the last 17 years, Slowey has donated his time as assistant wrestling coach at West High School in Torrance, California.
Tom feels that wrestling “changed his life” and has instilled in him many positive life traits that have greatly contributed to his business and personal success. He is committed to giving back to the sport has given so much to him.
Slowey serves the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a member of its Board of Governors since 2009 and was elected Chairman of the Board in 2018.
Tom has generously supported the Penn State University Wrestling program, including a 177-pound weight class endowment. He was also a major supporter of the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex completed in 2006.
Slowey has served as a Board of Director to Beat The Streets Los Angeles since its inception by Andy Barth. BTS-LA cultivates youth development in underserved communities through quality wrestling programs, transforming the lives of youth in school, sports and the community.
Tom is married to Barbara Slowey (Petersen). They have been married for over 31 years and are blessed with 2 children, Shannon and Kyle.