Dr. Tom grew up in Germany on a family grape farm and was actively involved with the grape growing business since childhood. This exposure to the wine industry at an early age destined Dr. Tom to develop a career in the same industry. He pursued education and attained experience in viticulture, wine business management as well as in computer software and hardware as it applies to the wine industry.

Dr. Tom completed a Study of Biology at the University of Constance in 1988 as well as Business Informatics in 1992 at the Control Data Institute in Mannheim, Germany in which he specialized in the area of software design, development and sales of applications for viticultural purposes. He then went on to complete his Masters in Business Management in which he focused on the design and development of computerized management systems for wineries and farms.

These business skills were supplemented with technical knowledge and skills which were complemented through the completion of a Ph.D. with emphasis on the Crown gall pathogen of grapevines. Dr. Tom was honoured with the Rudolf Hermanns Stiftung Geisenheim award for excellent scientific work in the field of grapevine research in 1991. Following this, Dr. Tom had established a VitoLab diagnostic laboratory in Germany for the diagnosis of microbial plant pathogens co-operating closely with VinoLab, a certified wine analysis laboratory, run by another member of his family.