Ambit’s story is, above all, one about people. People who share a common vision of building the finest, most-respected retail energy provider in the world.
We hope reading the Ambit Story helps you understand Ambit Energy, as well as the men and women who’ve made it what it is today – an incredibly successful company built on integrity and respect.
Let’s begin.
It used to be that all aspects of residential energy service were controlled by incumbent monopolies.
But as customer demand for a choice and opportunity grew, laws were introduced that broke up the outdated system, allowing competition and giving customers the right to choose their energy provider.
In 1996, New York and California were first to set the pace and open deregulated markets to business and consumers. The next year, Pennsylvania and Illinois make the switch. Soon they are joined by Massachusetts (1998), Maryland and New Jersey (1999), Connecticut (2000), Washington D.C. (2001) and Texas (2002).
Learn more about deregulation
Ever wonder how deregulation started? This fun, simple video helps explain it:
April 21, 2006
Introduced through a mutual friend, Jere Thompson, Jr. and Chris Chambless meet for the first time at sandwich shop in Addison, TX to discuss ideas for a new energy company that would create opportunities in a deregulated market.
With that idea in mind, Chris and Jere began brainstorming names for the company.
After cycling through several ideas, they settled on “Ambit,” which means “one’s circle or scope of influence.”
Learn about the history and experience that brought Jere and Chris together.
Chris Chambless
Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Ambit Energy
Chris brings more than 15 years of corporate direct-selling experience to Ambit Energy. He was a senior executive at Excel Communications, which became a multi-billion-dollar publicly traded telecom company and one of the fastest-growing companies in U.S. history.
More recently, as the Vice President of Marketing at VarTec Telecom, he was responsible for all aspects of the company’s marketing strategy, including brand development, channel integration strategy, sales management and new product development.
Jere Thompson, Jr.
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ambit Energy
Jere comes from a strong legacy of innovation and iconic American success. His grandfather was the founder of the Southland Corporation – better known today as 7-Eleven.
By 1992, Jere had already earned a name for himself as a respected leader for the telecommunications industry through the deregulation years. He founded CapRock Fiber Networks to build fiber and broadband networks across Texas. As CEO, he guided CapRock into new markets, took the company public and managed its growth from infancy to 1,300 employees and $300 million in annual revenue.
From the beginning, Jere and Chris recognized that the surest way to maintain loyal, consistent Customers was to operate as a direct-selling company with Independent Consultants building relationships and driving new business. Today, Ambit remains a company built on personal relationships.
May 15, 2006
The four members of the corporate team and six original call center agents move into an open, renovated warehouse in Downtown Dallas’s West End district – a space that still serves as Ambit’s headquarters today.
To foster an environment of open communication and accountability, the office space is cleared of dividing walls and barriers.
To reduce costs and preserve capital, executives skip the traditional office desks and furniture, and instead work from simple, $19 folding tables. Ambit executives continue to use these same tables today.
Ambit’s rapid growth brings unique challenges. That drives Ambit’s IT team to create a custom Customer Care and billing platform from the ground up. BlueNet® has provided a qualitative and competitive edge that has helped Ambit build an award-winning history of Customer service.
John Burke's DART Heist
Ambit begins providing service to Customers, starting with the first official Customers, Jere’s mother and father. They also get the first bill.
One day as Chief Information Officer John Burke rode the DART Light Rail into work, he sat with his laptop, as he often did, entering complex code for Ambit’s core systems. Suddenly, as the doors opened, a man rushed by, swiped John’s laptop (along with John’s only copy of all of his work for Ambit) and dashed off the train.
Since starting with Ambit in 2006, John has been recognized as one of the top technology leaders in the country by Information Week and Computer World magazines. But fortunately, it was John’s years of ice hockey experience that really paid off that day as he chased the man down, tackled him to the pavement, took back his laptop and still made it back on the train before the doors closed.
Yeah, we were impressed, too.
Early August – the first four New Consultant Kits are shipped to the "Founding Four" Consultants.
And to ensure the company has a solid foundation, they adopt the motto:
Never sacrifice integrity for growth.
Jere and Chris set a goal for Ambit to become
We reached $1 million in revenue our first year.
Thanks to careful expansion and a growing list of talented Consultants, we reached
$1 billion in 2013.
$1M
2006
$44M
2007
$197M
2008
$325M
2009
$415M
2010
$664M
2011
$930M
2012
$1.2B
2013
$1.5B
2014
$1.4B
2015
We’re about more than energy. We’re about people. The people who work here, the Customers who chose us as their energy provider, and the entrepreneurial Independent Consultants building their dream – all working together as we strive to become the finest and most-respected retail energy provider in the world. It’s all about our commitment to each other and to ourselves, and this commitment that has been recognized by many. As a result, we’ve been honored with a variety of exceptional awards:
A History of Recognition
Ambit’s most powerful and proven ways of bolstering consistent and thriving Consultant success is through unforgettable annual events such as our annual Simulcast kickoff in January and the big one, AMBITION – our incredible annual conference that empowers thousands and drives excitement and business growth all year long.
Learn what happened this year
AMBITION 2017 celebrated Ambit’s new status as a truly international company as we welcomed Consultants from across America and as far away as Japan to our most important event of the year. The theme of international growth continued as we announced our expansion north of the border. In November 2017, Ambit Energy Canada will begin offering service in the province of Alberta. This new market will add up to 1.1 million potential gas Customers and more than 200,000 potential electric Customers.
We also announced important steps to secure further growth in the United States. We’re rolling out several important new products in Texas, enabling us to better serve Customers in what is our largest domestic market. Additionally, we’re making it possible for our Pennsylvania Consultants to start earning commissions on large commercial accounts in the same way Consultants in Texas and Illinois do.
We introduced a company-wide brand update that covers our logo, corporate colors, typefaces, trademarks and products. Our new look reflects our status as a worldwide company, yet re-emphasizes the personal connections and face-to-face interactions that set us apart from other energy retailers.
Of course, we took time to honor the accomplishments of our amazing Consultants. We introduced the Horizon Award, given to the Consultant who looks beyond current circumstances to a future of hope and prosperity and is willing to sacrifice to make those dreams come true. We also welcomed new members to our Millionaire Club, our $10 Million Club and the $20 Million Club as well as creating the new $30 Million Club level. The tradition of helping our Consultants succeed continued, with outstanding speakers, training sessions and networking opportunities.
When a Consultant has earned more than $1 million, he or she becomes a member of the Millionaire Club—complete with a tailored yellow sports coat. Currently, the Millionaire Club has more than two dozen very happy members. For more information please visit ambitsuccess.com
The Millionaire Club> $5 Million Club> $10 Million Club> $15 Million Club> $20 Million Club> $30 Million Club> Ambit Opportunity>For achieving earnings of over $5 million, Consultants get a special purple sports coat and membership in the $5 Million Club. Incredibly, membership in this exclusive organization continues to grow. For more information please visit ambitsuccess.com
The Millionaire Club> $5 Million Club> $10 Million Club> $15 Million Club> $20 Million Club> $30 Million Club> Ambit Opportunity>The success of our Consultants continues to grow, forcing us to add ever-higher levels of recognition to honor their success. Consultants who have achieved earnings in excess of $10 million receive a distinctive gray-and-purple jacket to signify their amazing accomplishment. For more information please visit ambitsuccess.com
The Millionaire Club> $5 Million Club> $10 Million Club> $15 Million Club> $20 Million Club> $30 Million Club> Ambit Opportunity>Our Consultants consistently achieve new levels of success, shattering ceilings and reaching new milestones. The $15 Million Club honors those Consultants who have hit this impressive total, which is also recognized with a blue jacket. For more information please visit ambitsuccess.com
The Millionaire Club> $5 Million Club> $10 Million Club> $15 Million Club> $20 Million Club> $30 Million Club> Ambit Opportunity>The $20 Million Club is an exceptional level of success only a select few obtain. Consultants who have reached this milestone are presented with a custom-tailored black-and-platinum jacket as a symbol of their incredible accomplishment. For more information visit ambitsuccess.com
The Millionaire Club> $5 Million Club> $10 Million Club> $15 Million Club> $20 Million Club> $30 Million Club> Ambit Opportunity>The highest and rarest accomplishment Ambit recognizes, the $30 Million Club represents the pinnacle of leadership, service and dedication. Those who reach this level are honored with a custom-tailored jacket with a unique crest. To learn more, visit ambitsuccess.com
The Millionaire Club> $5 Million Club> $10 Million Club> $15 Million Club> $20 Million Club> $30 Million Club> Ambit Opportunity>One of the best things about Ambit is that you get to define your own version of success, no matter the goal.
The Millionaire Club> $5 Million Club> $10 Million Club> $15 Million Club> $20 Million Club> $30 Million Club> Ambit Opportunity>We know our products are good. But it’s our Consultants and Ambit Customer Care agents who make them amazing. We think that’s why we’ve already surpassed a million active Customers who have made the switch – and we’re only getting started.
What kind of energy company gives its product away for free? A smart one, as it turns out. Because our program of giving free energy to people who bring us 15 or more customers helped us become one of America’s fastest-growing companies.
If you’ve enjoyed this story, and think you might be able to create one of your own, just contact your local Ambit Energy Independent Consultant and learn more. It just might change your life.
Valerie & Armand Blanchette, your local Ambit Consultant, would love to chat.