Haslam Alum Named to Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame

Patrick Booth (HCB, ’00), an alumnus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, and CEO of CCB Technology, has been inducted into the Wisconsin Titan 100 Hall of Fame. Booth, who also serves as Board Chair of the Wisconsin Titan 100, was one of just 11 business leaders across the state to receive this prestigious honor. (Booth was not involved in the selection process.) The Titan 100 program recognizes the top CEOs and executives in Wisconsin — individuals who exemplify exceptional leadership, vision and passion in their industries.

More Than Individual Recognition

Booth leads CCB Technology, a nationwide IT services provider headquartered in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. The company specializes in delivering comprehensive IT solutions for small and mid-sized businesses. These include fully managed and co-managed IT support, cybersecurity, backup and disaster recovery, infrastructure monitoring and a full suite of IT products. Founded 33 years ago by Booth’s parents in their basement, CCB Technology remains a proud family business.

Reflecting on his induction into the Wisconsin Titan 100 Hall of Fame, Booth admitted feeling overwhelmed to be recognized alongside leaders of much larger companies. However, he soon realized the honor wasn’t about him alone — it was a tribute to the enduring legacy his parents began over three decades ago, and the values they instilled that continue to guide the company’s growth today.

“I am thankful,” Booth says. “It makes me feel excited about what my parents have established. My dad’s passed, but my mom’s still living, and to have her attend the Hall of Fame Awards with me and to be able to say, ‘Hey, you guys started this. You entrusted me to continue the family business, and now this is the success that our employees have achieved.’ It wasn’t an individual recognition; I represented the company.”

Learning Beyond Academics

While Booth is a proud Haslam alum, he did face scholarly challenges in college. The summer after his first year, he considered dropping out. His father wouldn’t hear of it.

“He said, ‘This is going to push you to understand what it means to stay committed to a goal and to understand that you will gain knowledge that you don’t realize you don’t have,’” Booth recalls.[LP1]

His father’s advice stuck. “Staying at UT, going to business classes and working on projects gave me an understanding of what it means to grow, to work with others, to stay committed to a goal and, ultimately, cross that finish line,” he says.

Helping Leaders Lead

In 2018, Booth established Impact of Leadership (IOL), a community resource platform to prepare, connect and develop leaders, offering resources such as podcasts, coaching and training.

“The heart behind it was truly to empower, uplift and encourage leaders to understand that you’re not alone,” Booth says. “It was also to help leaders understand that if you’re going to be successful, it’s going to take hard work and commitment. I wanted IOL to be that encouragement.”

He has found a receptive audience with the IOL podcast. To date, it has 164 episodes, with 36,000 listeners across 104 countries tuning in to hear Booth and business leaders share their professional journeys.

“People need to know the story of how you got here, because they’re at the starting line while you’re at the finish line,” he explains. “We need to find a way to pour that into the younger generation that’s up and rising, and the podcast is a way of doing that.”

Keep Learning

Booth has returned to UT to speak with Haslam seniors, reminding them that while they’ve built a strong foundation in business fundamentals — just as he once did — their journey is far from over. He encourages them to continue to build their business fundamentals while also working on soft skills like leadership, communication, teamwork and networking and developing qualities like curiosity, flexibility and adaptability.

“When I speak to them, I tell them, ‘Hey, your education isn’t over,’” he says. “‘You think, because you got your diploma, you’re done, right? No, you keep learning.’”

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CONTACT:

Scott McNutt, business writer/publicist, rmcnutt4@utk.edu

Contact

Scott McNutt

Business Writer/Publicist

rmcnutt4@utk.edu

Haslam College of Business - Haslam Alum Named to Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame