How Andrew C. Knizley helps employees help each other at Houston Orthopedic
Health Care FINALIST Andrew C. Knizley CEO Houston Orthopedic & Spine Hospital Strong individuals can be crucial to an organization when trouble strikes, such as in early 2008 when Houston Orthopedic & Spine Hospital was on the verge of bankruptcy. Vendors were withholding supply deliveries and the hospital was on the brink of disaster. Fortunately, […]
How Larry O’Donnell sets the pace as a CEO on the road for Rockwater Energy
Energy Services AWARD RECIPIENT Larry O’Donnell CEO, president and chairman Rockwater Energy Solutions Larry O’Donnell does not think being a CEO means a lot of sitting in a corporate office just issuing orders. Rather, he spends his time at Rockwater Energy Solutions on the road, visiting locations and holding town hall meetings with his employees. […]
How Michael Soper found his calling and launched Legacy Funeral Group
Services FINALIST Michael L. Soper President and CEO Legacy Funeral Group While many entrepreneurs recall that they started their business careers at an early age, not too many have started at the ripe old age of 7. That’s when Michael Soper began his lawn sprinkling service. It was during a drought in 1973 that he […]
How Christian Friedland used a ‘never good enough’ attitude to generate millions in sales at Build.com
NCA Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Platform Technology Finalist Chris Friedland president and founder Build.com In 2000, Christian Friedland had the idea of bringing the home improvement business into the 21st century with a specialty e-commerce website selling faucets and fixtures — faucetdirect.com. With only $2,000 in start-up capital and the […]
Honoring the best of the best
NCA Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 Since 1986, Ernst & Young has celebrated the entrepreneurial spirit of men and women who have followed and achieved their dreams, changing the lives of countless others by building their businesses and giving back to their communities. Their passion, vision and persistence stand as a testament […]
How Peter Anthony makes employees into team members at UGN
Industrial and Distribution FINALIST When Peter C. Anthony took over as president and CEO of UGN, Inc., the first action he took was indicative of his philosophy. He changed the company’s term of “employee” to “team member.” His philosophy was that everyone at UGN is part of the same family, or team. In a complex […]
How Dinesh Ravishanker is living his dream and driving CallFire to ever greater heights
Technology FINALIST Dinesh Ravishanker and a team of graduates from the University of California, Irvine, did not have a lot of money in 2004 when they set out to launch what has become a game-changing business in CallFire. But they had a passion for innovation and the energy to build a company that would transform […]
How David Dunlap steered Superior Energy clear of fallout from an oil spill
Transformational AWARD RECIPIENT David D. Dunlap President and CEO Superior Energy Services, Inc. David Dunlap began his role as the CEO of Superior Energy Services, Inc. at a momentous time — the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill had occurred just nine days earlier. With that catastrophic event as a backdrop, Dunlap realized that with about […]
How Aaron Bell has stuck to his guns to make AdRoll a must for advertisers
NCA Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Advertising Technology Finalist Aaron Bell founder and CEO AdRoll Aaron Bell’s background and path leading up to establishing advertising firm AdRoll is quite remarkable. Before becoming CEO of his own company, Bell was programming and creating video game software that was sold and distributed nationally […]
How Matt Matros visualized himself as the customer of Protein Bar
Emerging Entrepreneur FINALIST Matt Matros, founder and CEO of Protein Bar, pays attention to details — after all, that is what counts to his customers. So every little detail from the lighting and carpet, to the volume of hip-hop music playing in the restaurant is vitally important to building the customer experience. Customer feedback, submitted […]