Jim McCluney, CEO, Emulex
FINALIST – Technology Jim McCluney CEO Emulex Emulex has come a long way from its start 30 years ago, diversifying product and making strategic acquisitions to adapt to and survive changes in the technology industry. With the acquisition of Vixel Corp. in 2003, Emulex obtained perhaps its most valuable asset — its current president and […]
Kim E. Letch, partner, EOY Orange County; John Belli, office managing partner, Ernst & Young, Orange County
PARTNERS – Orange County Kim E. Letch, partner and program director for Entrepreneur Of The Year, Orange County. John Belli, office managing partner for Ernst & Young, Orange County. For more than 25 years, Ernst & Young has celebrated the entrepreneurial spirit of men and women pursuing innovation and entrepreneurial excellence in their businesses, their […]
Charles Puccini, president and CEO, Bauer Foundation Corp.
AWARD RECIPIENT – Real Estate and Construction Charles Puccini president and CEO Bauer Foundation Corp. Charles “Chuck” Puccini, president and CEO of Bauer Foundation Corp., knows technology and innovation drive change, and those who don’t keep up with it will fall behind. Puccini has driven the company, which provides deep foundation services for the construction […]
Jay Whitacre Ph.D., Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Aquion Energy Inc.
FINALIST / TECHNOLOGY As an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Jay Whitacre strived to take the problems surrounding energy storage and address them with real-world solutions powered by innovation and collaboration. It’s a mentality he took into the business sphere when he founded Aquion Energy Inc. in 2008. Whitacre founded Aquion to help answer […]
Frederick Minturn, CEO, MSX International
Finalist, Business Services When Frederick Minturn became MSX International’s CEO in 2009, he inherited a company with declining revenues, poor financial performance and customer satisfaction and 3,000 employees spread all over the globe. To make matters more complicated, the outsourcing business was looking at some of the worst economic times since the depression. Although many […]
Cory Wiedel and Ryan Zink, Complete Nutrition
FINALIST Cory Wiedel founder and CEO Ryan Zink president and co-owner Complete Nutrition When Cory Wiedel took two years off from college to open his first business, it was ultimately unsuccessful, but the experience cemented his ambitions to be an entrepreneur. With his solid work ethic, he paid off his debt and finished school a […]
Dennis Oates, Chairman, President and CEO, Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc.
WINNER / INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. was launched in 1994 when founder Mac McAninch rejuvenated a defunct stainless steel mill in Bridgeville, Pa. The company became a successful stainless steel producer and soon opened two more previously shuttered mills in Titusville, Pa., and Dunkirk, N.Y. When Dennis Oates joined Universal’s board […]
Cindy Taylor, President and CEO, Oil States International Inc.
AWARD RECIPIENT / OIL FIELD SERVICES As CEO of Oil States International Inc., Cindy Taylor leads by example, demonstrating her high standards and dedication to transparency. Key to Oil States’ success has been her ability to leverage the talents of the many people within the company. Taylor believes in “distributive leadership,” which requires the retention […]
Andy Kanefield: How to get tuned in to what drives your employees at your company
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Michael Uckele, CEO, Uckele Health & Nutrition Inc.
Finalist, Consumer Products When Michael Uckele began negotiations to take over his family’s nutrition supplement business in 2005, it was a troubled time for the company. Uckele Health & Nutrition Inc. had just been hit with a large lawsuit settlement and sales had plummeted 50 percent to $1 million. Uckele negotiated a purchase of the […]