Nicholas DeBenedictis came to leadership somewhat accidentally.
While he was finishing his college degree his father passed away and left him at the helm of a small auto appraising company. Most 21-year olds would have been frightened away, but DeBenedictis turned the work into his college co-op and finished his degree. It was a challenge, as he explained to Executive Leaders Radio in February of 2009, but he also learned to treat any business, large or small, as his own.
Today, DeBenedictis is the chairman, president and CEO of Aqua America, but he still believes in setting the tone of thinking like a smaller company wanting to take advantage of the marketplace.
Setting the tone for a company is something that DeBenedictis has talked about before, even stretching the idea to the topic of mergers and acquisitions. In November of 2006 DeBenedictis talked with Smart Business Philadelphia about how to be visible during the acquisition process and what it takes to lead such a big change.
Executive Leaders Radio and Smart Business are content partners. Executive Leaders Radio is dedicated to honoring individuals who have risen to leadership roles through hard work and dedication. DeBenedictis appeared on the same Executive Leaders program as Dr. Sandra Comelius, CEO and president of Elwyn, Toni McNeal, CFO of Kencrest and Daniel H. Polett, president of Wilkie Lexus and Lexus of Chester Springs.
