Speeches from the 2012 Republican National Convention

Bob White
Remarks to the 2012 Republican National Convention
Tampa Bay, Florida
August 30, 2012

I have a question. Wasn't Ann Romney spectacular on Tuesday night?

Ann had some great stories about Mitt. So do I.

For 30 years, I have been at Mitt Romney's side when he did extraordinary things. As Mitt says, I'm his "wingman."

I was there when Mitt turned around desperate situations; fixed big, broken things; and had a profoundly positive impact on people's lives.

Our journey began when Mitt asked a small group of us to help him start an investment firm called Bain Capital.

Mitt was absolutely clear what he expected from each of us.

We would act with absolute integrity. Mutual respect. True teammates. And we would recognize the profound responsibility we owed to those who had placed their trust in us.

Integrity. Respect. Responsibility. Trust.

These are not just words to Mitt Romney. These are principles he lives by.

He applied them to the way we worked.

First, he built the team. Recruited the best people he could find. Reached out for ideas. Encouraged dissent. Fostered real cooperation.

Next, he gave us clarity of purpose.

Our investors included pension funds, colleges and charities with noble missions. We would invest wisely and treat their money as carefully as our own.

We would support entrepreneurs and invest in troubled situations. We would help them grow and make their companies better. We would be held accountable for our performance.

And when things went wrong, we would not blame others.

Finally, he took decisive action.

Mitt never hesitated.

He made the tough decisions, coalesced the team, and moved forward.

Time and time again, I have seen this decisive leadership.

When our old consulting firm was on the verge of collapse, they asked Mitt to come back and help. He answered the call.

When many thought the situation was hopeless, Mitt was not deterred.

I will never forget when he said: "Bob, 1,000 employees and their families depend on us. We can't let them down."

When the obstacles seemed insurmountable and others panicked, Mitt was the calm in the storm. He never lost hope.

His confidence gave us confidence.

That company not only survived, it thrived.

Today Bain & Co. is recognized as one of the best places to work in America.

I saw something similar when Mitt was asked to help save the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. When we first realized the magnitude of the financial and management challenges, I was skeptical whether they could be saved.

But Mitt never doubted what could be done. He applied the same principles of leadership – and the Olympics became a success story that made America proud.

And when Mitt was elected governor of Massachusetts, he asked that I help assemble a team that would serve the public trust and be loyal to his principles.

The team accomplished so much because they got Republicans and Democrats to focus on the real problems to achieve real results.

So why has Mitt taken on so many challenges?

Because he runs toward problems, believes it is important to make a difference, and is determined to always give something back.

In every pursuit he feels a sense of responsibility and a commitment to serve.

Even though we worked endless hours at Bain Capital, Mitt found time to serve his church and counsel people in need. If someone needed help, Mitt was there.

When our partner's daughter went missing in New York, Mitt said, "We can't just stand by and do nothing. We need to go find her." He closed down the entire office, took all of us to New York, and mobilized a search effort. Within days, we found her. And a mom, a dad, and a daughter were reunited.

Mitt wanted us to give back too. He inspired the formation of Bain Capital Children's Charity.

It not only donated money to worthy children's causes, it got Bain Capital employees actively involved in their communities.

Go back and look at every pursuit in Mitt's life. Surrounding him are people who have worked with him over and over again.

They trust and respect him. They want to be part of his team. They want to be part of the change.

And today we need urgent change in Washington.

We need a proven leader with passion and compassion.

I've seen Mitt Romney be that leader. He is the right man at the right time to be the next President of these great United States.

Thank you!

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