Early Life and Business Career
Benson attended Chatham High School in Chatham, New Jersey. After receiving a bachelor's degree in finance from Babson College in 1977, Benson attended Syracuse University, graduating with an MBA in 1979.
In 1983, Benson and partner Robert Levine started Cabletron Systems in Levine's garage. The company moved to Rochester, New Hampshire in 1985 and went public in 1989, with what was then the largest IPO in Wall Street history. In 1991, Benson was named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Inc. Magazine.
The company grew to have over $1.8 billion in annual revenue, but over time Cabletron faced heavy competition in the industry. Benson resigned in 1999, and Cabletron was dissolved into four separate companies (Enterasys Networks, Aprisma Management Technologies, Riverstone Networks, and Global Network Technology Services) in January 2000. The company's fragmentation brought layoffs, declines in stock price, and shareholder lawsuits.
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