G. Kennedy Thompson

G. Kennedy Thompson, also known as Ken Thompson, (born November 25, 1950) is an American banker and businessman who was chairman, president, and CEO of Wachovia Corporation, formerly First Union Corporation, from 2000 through 2008. During his leadership, Wachovia grew to become the nation's fourth largest bank.

Early life Thompson was born in Clarksville, Virginia and was raised in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He was the son of Stacy Kennedy and Maynard Thompson, the manager of a textile factory.

He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar and a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. First Union changed its name to Wachovia after fending off a hostile takeover attempt by SunTrust Bank.

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Professional affiliations Thompson previously served as president of the Federal Reserve Board's Federal Advisory Committee.

In 2011, he joined the board of BNC Bancorp, the holding company of the Bank of North Carolina. He also served on the Hewlett-Packard (HP) board starting in 2006; in April 2013, he stepped down following his very narrow re-election with 55% of the shareholder vote.

Personal life Thompson and his wife Kathylee have three children: Kenny, Scott, and Stacey.

Thompson was a board member of Advantage Carolina, the Carolinas Healthcare System, Charlotte Institute for Technology Innovation, the Charlotte Latin School, the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, the PGA Tour, Teach For America, Wake Forest University, and the YMCA Metropolitan board. He is also a trustee for the Morehead-Cain Foundation. He was a board member and chairman of the United Way of Central Carolinas, Inc.