Rich Gabriel was one of the smartest of my colleagues at Synectics.
He had an intense honesty and clarity of thinking, allied to a sharp, downbeat wit. In many ways he always seemed rather semi-detached at the firm, almost as though he’d joined by mistake.
He had been an officer in the US Marines in the Vietnam War, where he had lost a leg, and was awarded the Purple Heart.
I thought he might make a major contribution if we brought him on to the small management team, so I approached him. He thought about it, dealt with me with great courtesy, and said thanks but no.
Soon after, he left with his friend Ned Preble, and together they set up their own firm.
On 11 September 2001, Rich was flying from Washington DC to Australia on business aboard American Airlines Flight 77. Terrorists took over and flew it into the Pentagon.
RIP.
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