Daring Choices: Stories From An International Life in Politics, Business, and Technology

Praise for Daring Choices: Stories From An International Life in Politics, Business, and Technology

"Jim Kelly's life can best be described as "remarkable." Remarkable for its variety, importance, and success." - Jim Roddey, former President, Turner Communications, Inc., former Chief Executive, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

"BDM's purchase of the German government-owned technology company, IABG, was a unique venture. Can you imagine? A major military industrial country enabling a foreign-owned company to oversee the development and testing of its major defense and aerospace systems? With the help of Jim, and others, it was an unqualified success." - Phil Odeen, former CEO, BDM and Chairman, TRW, Inc.

"A remarkable journey and enjoyable read. Jim's insights into the importance of the CEO and CFO working relationship are invaluable guidance for any CEO building a team." - Kevin Cheetham, former CFO, SynXis and Custom Inc., Northern Virginia Technology Council Greater Washington 2020 CFO of the Year

"Daring Choices is a great read. Jim Kelly personifies what a true entrepreneur with vision, determination, and a plan can accomplish. His SynXis platform was a revolutionary "game changer" in the hotel reservation space. A fragmented reservation network became connected effectively and efficiently resulting in maximum revenue management and control. Today over 50,000 hotels use SynXis. Kudos!" - John Russell, former CEO, Red Lions and Cendant (Wyndham) Hotels, Past Chairman American Hotel and Lodging Association

"In Daring Choices, Jim Kelly provides insights on how he propelled himself from such diverse professional accomplishments as working with Alice Cooper, to participating in negotiations in the Middle East for the Reagan Administration, to becoming a serial software CEO in the hospitality and aviation worlds. Jim's approaches to proactively creating an adventuresome career are instructive indeed." - Alexander H. Good, former Assistant Secretary of Commerce and head of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service in the International Trade Administration, former Executive Vice President, Verizon

About the Author

James "Jim" B. Kelly III has had an exciting and adventurous life. An experienced international executive and entrepreneur, he lived in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia while directing the global growth of a variety of companies. He founded two software companies, SynXis in the hotel reservation space and Flight Explorer serving aviation. He also served in the political sphere: on Senator Richard S. Schweiker's Washington staff; as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; and subsequently as a trade official in the Reagan Administration, responsible for economic policy in Africa, the Near East, and South Asia. His stories and the people he met along the way stir the imagination and provide a how-to of what can be done in a lifetime.

Jim's eclectic career, diverse life experiences, and unusual encounters with the likes of Charles de Gaulle, the King of Spain, and the President of Algeria, inspire us to live our lives the way we want, journey beyond expectations, and make daring choices.

It's your life - make the most of it!