Major General (“MG”) Thurgood has served for over 28 years, leading both as a leader of large military organizations on active duty and as a member of the Army Reserve. Additionally, he has held senior executive and C-level positions in a variety of for-profit industries. His past executive leadership roles include President of MedAssets, where he led their largest operational division, PepsiCo, where he led their strategy and innovation team, and Senior Vice President at Sam’s Club, where he led one of three $15 billion operating divisions and as CEO of “The Exchange”, the DOD’s $10 billion for-profit retail organization with stores in 30 countries.

MG Thurgood’s military experience includes assignments in Europe as a logistics officer, where he was responsible for port clearance operations and multi-modal shipment of cargo throughout Europe, and as the lead transportation planner for NATO training exercises. He served as the operations officer of a Forward Support Battalion and has commanded at the company, battalion, brigade, and flag officer level.

Having been mobilized for three Active-Duty tours since Sept 11, 2001, MG Thurgood’s military assignments include serving as the Commanding General of the 143rd Transportation Command (Forward) and as the Deputy Commanding General, 377th Theater Support Command, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Coalition Forces Land Component Command. MG Thurgood also served as Deputy Commanding General and Chief of Staff for the United State Army Reserve, with responsibility for execution of an annual budget of over $9 billion and oversight of 200,000 Soldiers world-wide. He led the Army-wide Employer Partnership Initiative designed to reduce veteran unemployment. MG Thurgood’s last assignment was as the Deputy Director (IMA), Office of Business Transformation (Office, Secretary of the Army) with responsibility for the design of major Army end-to-end business processes.

MG Thurgood now serves as a clinical professor of healthcare leadership and management at the UTD Jindal School, where he also leads the executive MS program in healthcare leadership and management and is an adjunct professor of marketing and entrepreneurship.

MG Thurgood currently serves on a variety of not-for-profit boards and has served on Executives In Action, America’s Future Series, Hire Heroes USA, and the American Leadership Academy.

Education:
Ph.D., Organizational Development and Leadership, Capella University
Masters in Strategic Studies, Army War College
Masters in Business Administration, Boston University
BA, Political Science, Brigham Young University