I met Brion at AT&T around 1995. I found him interesting and insightful right from the beginning. At Christmas of 1999, Brion and I hadn’t spoken for a while but he called me to convince me to go work at OpenReach. I told him that I wasn’t sure about it since I figured I’d be left figuring it out after the principals had left. Brion told me that he wouldn’t leave until I did. At the time I didn’t think much of that.
I joined OpenReach and Brion and I shared an office for most of our time working there. Around 2002, I could tell Brion wasn’t happy but he wasn’t saying what was bothering him. Then one day I remembered back to our 1999 Christmas conversation and realized that Brion wasn’t leaving because of me. I turned to him and let him know that he didn’t have to stay for me. He looked at me and said thank you and just turned around and kept working. A few days later he told the company he was leaving. I’ve told this story often because I think it shows how loyal Brion is to his friends and the value of his word. I will miss a truly special person who I have referred to as my yoda and had the privilege of calling a friend.
A few comments with talking with people that worked with Brion at OpenReach:
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Brion was always the one taking the pictures so there weren't many but I included a couple.
Brion was the “documentarian” of the company. He took all the photos, kept the directory of employees up to date with everyone’s photo and fun captions. He did the OpenReach Map and all the funny signs around the office. He also must have emptied the house with things Donna didn’t want such as the talking bass, electronic frog and rooster, and an electric scooter. I attached what we called the place mat as OpenReach NJ loc4. This was Brion's idea of directions with landmarks. The corp directory was always funny as he would update it based on somebody doing something. I could only find one from dec 2000.
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He wrote people’s resignation letters though he was not successful in getting them to sign them.
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We went out to lunch most days and he ordered his lunch to maximize the ease of ordering (just the #1…no matter what it was).
He was practically an ambassador for Griot’s Garage products and a lot of us use the products because of him. Griots should have paid him a commission.
Sam Bendinelli
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