Board of Directors
Board Member
W.G. Champion Mitchell
Chairman & CEO
Network Solutions
Mitchell joined Network Solutions while it was still part of VeriSign in 2001. In less than two years, he took Network Solutions from a cash negative business with declining sales and market share to a growing, cash positive business. Over this period, Champ helped create a customer-focused company that went from a majority of its customers being dissatisfied to an over 75% highly satisfied rate.
Following this turnaround, Champ spearheaded the company's separation from VeriSign in November 2003. He continued to help grow Network Solutions' customer base to more than 4 million and has moved the company to high double digit top line growth while maintaining 30% plus operating margins. He has done this by changing the company to a leading provider of online services for small businesses. Under him the Company has grown the small business portion of its customer base to 3.5 million and increased the sale of non-domain value added services by over 400% in two years. A complete redirection of the company's focus and strategy. Today the company's sales mainly come from web presence and marketing services and the customer satisfaction numbers are at 87% highly satisfied. In June 2006 the American Business Awards selected Champ to receive its award as Best Turnaround Executive in America.
This performance led to Network Solutions being sold in March 2007 for almost eight times the price at which it was spun out from VeriSign. The return to Network Solutions investors was 3,500% in 39 months.
Prior to Network Solutions, Champ was executive vice president and general manager of the Mass Markets Division of VeriSign. In addition to turning around the VeriSign registrar, Network Solutions, he turned VeriSign Payment Services from an unprofitable, bankrupted operation into a profitable and cash positive business for the first time in its history by increasing its customer base by 42% in 17 months. Champ also grew the company's Web Trust unit, which delivers Secure Socket Layer (SSL) services, by increasing the number of digital certificates issued by over 20% and adding over 75,000 new customers in that same 17 months.
From late 1997-2000, he founded and sold two start-up companies, both specializing in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). He came to technology through heading True North Communications and during that time acquiring Modem Media, the first digital marketing firm.
Champ was on the nine man executive team of RJR Nabisco before, during and after the famous takeover battle for that company which led to KKR buying the Company in 1989. Champ was the Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco at that time.
Champ started his career as a lawyer and partner with Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice in Winston-Salem, N.C. Later he was a partner in D.C.'s Howrey & Simon.
Champ served both Presidents George H. W. Bush and Clinton on the Board of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation and served both Presidents as a member of the President's Policy Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations.
