Marty Kanan, president and CEO, King Nut Cos.
FINALIST: Retail and ConsumerProducts Marty Kanan was facing a challenge that could have brought down his business. King Nut’s peanut butter had been co-packed with peanut butter from another manufacturer and as a result, salmonella had been introduced to a number of products. Kanan, president and CEO, needed to act fast and so he decided […]
Stephan Liozu: The price is right
How involved are you with pricing in your business?
Dr. Reggie Chandra, founder and CEO, Rhythm Engineering
FINALIST As the founder of Rhythm Engineering, a privately held company that creates traffic management systems for traffic signals, Dr. Reggie Chandra leads his team by communicating a vision, defining a plan of attack, then stepping back and letting his team go to work. Chandra, who has a doctoral degree in organizational leadership and is […]
Dr. Robert Kent, president and CEO, Summa Western Reserve Hospital
WINNER: Health Care and Life Sciences Since his early days as an independent primary care physician, Dr. Robert Kent has had a vision of transforming health care delivery from a status quo, do-it-the-way-it’s-always-been-done model to one of high-quality engaged efficiency. Kent encountered a lot of resistance and barriers in his quest but he has persevered, […]
Theodore Zampetis, president and CEO, Shiloh Industries Inc.
WINNER: Industrial and Engineered Products and Materials Theodore Zampetis is no stranger to taking on entrepreneurial ventures in the face of hardship. At age 7, he sold bagels before school for the equivalent of a penny to help support his family on the small island off of Greece where he grew up. Today, he is […]
Kris Snyder, CEO, Vox Mobile
FINALIST: Technology As COO with his previous employer, MCPc, Kris Snyder took on an intrapreneurial endeavor called Mobility Practice to address the challenge of managing and controlling customers’ mobile devices. Mobility Practice’s goal was to help companies regain the lost productivity of people on the road and to use their mobility as a productivity force […]
Dan Reed, CEO, UnitedLex Corp.
FINALIST Dan Reed has a different way of looking at the legal industry. By focusing on it as a business, integrating technology in the litigation process and streamlining operating processes, he has been able to transform the global legal industry and fill a previously unmet gap. CEO of UnitedLex Corp., Reed founded the Overland Park, […]
Dr. Stuart Bernsen, founder and CEO, Chiro One Wellness Centers
FINALIST: Health Sciences Dr. Stuart Bernsen knows that being a successful business leader doesn’t mean you’ve got to check your ego at the door. In fact, his experiences have shown just the opposite: strong ambition and ego, when channeled into the goal of building a great company and mission, actually have the potential to drive […]
Kenneth Paine, president, Hy-Tech Products and Industrial Heat Sources
FINALIST: Distribution and Manufacturing As the president of two highly profitable businesses, Ken Paine believes the key to his success has been, “staying the course and doing the right thing, all the time.” This mantra has motivated him through significant business challenges, from losing $30,000 in his startup’s first year to navigating the ebbs and […]
Carolyn Doerle, CEO, Doerle Food Services LLC
Logistics and Industrial Supplies — Finalist One of Carolyn Doerle’s biggest strengths is her management style. She blends being a bold decision-maker with being intuitive at the same time. She believes a leader must be able to make informed decisions in a timely manner. In 2003, Doerle made the decision to buy out her father […]