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 […]
David Storch, chairman and CEO, AAR CORP.
WINNER: Master Entrepreneur David Storch has a knack for seeing opportunities in desperate situations. Unafraid to take strategic risks, he uses this ability to diversify his company’s business and expand into new markets, which has bolstered it through economic lows, industry changes and technological transitions. Storch, 15-year chairman and CEO of Wood Dale, Ill.-based AAR […]
JMA Information Technology senior management
FINALISTS Joseph Melookaran, president; Mithra Amaran, executive vice president; David Brown, executive vice president; Raqibul Huq, vice president; Maria Will, vice president, Technology As president of JMA Information Technology, Joseph Melookaran had a vision of what the company could become in the future. In 1994, JMA was formed as a professional service firm providing public […]
Ryan Kunkel and Joe Reynolds, president, Red Frog Events
WINNER: Emerging Entrepreneur Joe Reynolds had brother-in-law Ryan Kunkel right by his side to help make his dream a reality. They created Great Urban Race in 2007, a metropolitan scavenger hunt that attracted 1,200 participants. The venture has since grown into a booming business prompting an entirely new industry. Reynolds and Kunkel are co-presidents of […]