For Jared Smith, president of Bluemedia, the phrase “make it perfect” is much more than just his company’s motto. It’s a personal mantra he and his employees live and breathe 24/7/365. It’s this commitment to perfection and always going the extra mile for their clients that have helped make Bluemedia one of the top large-format signage companies in the nation. “This has been a … [More]
Dr. Audrey C. Menard: Keeping Command of Campus
As the new Head of School for Rancho Solano Preparatory School, Audrey C. Menard, Ed.D., credits delegating and collaborating as two keys to her success. She does this, she explains, by creating teams of employees with various strengths to handle different responsibilities. Also, by remembering that she runs a business — albeit one that emphasizes creating outstanding students … [More]
Ori Eisen: Sharing the Cure for Online Fraud
In ten years, Ori Eisen, founder of 41st Parameter, took his Internet-fraud-fighting company from zero revenue to $25 million with $80 million worth of backlog orders already in place and a sale to Experian, the global information services conglomerate, for $324 million. But the decision to go out on his own was not an easy one. As head of fraud detection at American … [More]
Walt Danley: Gaining an Edge by Taking to the Streets
Walt Danley, who first started working in real estate in July of 1977 at Coldwell Banker and is now president of Walt Danley Realty, says being a good listener has been the key to much of his success. From clients to co-workers and other Realtors, Danley has made it a point to really focus and listen carefully to what other people are telling him. “I have found that people … [More]
Mark Russell: Translating Training to Guest Experience
“Training. It’s all about training.” So says Mark Russell, CEO and founder of Oregano’s Pizza Bistro, when asked about how he stays ahead of the pack. His office is a wonderland of street signs, old marketing signs and wooden barrels, and he’s got a pinball machine behind his desk. It’s a décor not unlike that of his restaurants — hardly surprising, as he actually decorates … [More]
Carrie Martz: Learning from Challenges
As Carrie Martz, chief executive officer of Martz Parsons, has learned first-hand over the years, there is not one main ingredient to becoming successful in a highly competitive field. Instead, she notes, building up her full-service and integrated marketing, advertising and public relations agency to where it is today has required a combination of approaches, combined with a … [More]
Lynne King Smith: Carving a Niche in Tickets
Mesa-based TicketForce is a force to be reckoned with. In 2012, the privately-held company sold $52 million in tickets in the U.S. and Canada. TicketForce is a business-to-business company that facilitates the sale of event tickets nationwide and in Canada. Locally, some of TicketForce’s clients include the Herberger Theater, Tempe Center for the Arts, Firebird Raceway and … [More]
Dan Harkins: Getting ‘Reel’
Dan Harkins is the man behind the curtain — literally and figuratively. As president of Scottsdale-based Harkins Theatres, Harkins is the man behind the scenes of the largest family-owned theater chain in the country, operating more than 400 screens. Most are in Arizona, predominantly the Metro Phoenix area, with a handful in California, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas. It can … [More]
Billy Malkovich: Fit for the Job
When Mountainside Fitness CEO Billy Malkovich graduated high school, he says he hardly celebrated. He attended his college graduation from Arizona State University only because his parents wanted to see it happen. It’s not that Malkovich doesn’t appreciate those milestones in his life, but for him “the chase has always been better than the catch. Once I accomplish something, I … [More]
U-Haul: Building on the Power of Relationships
The company was founded on faith in people, says Stuart Shoen, executive VP of U-Haul and third generation in the family business. In the mid-1940s, he relates, there were plenty of trailer rental companies but none that would rent one-way. Husband and wife L.S. and Anna Mary Carty Shoen conceived of a program to serve customers needing a long haul for a one-way move, such as … [More]
Richard Lehmann: A Sure Hand at the Helm of Biltmore Bank
Sometimes prevention really is the best cure. Through sound decisions made in the midst of a very sick economy, Richard Lehmann, founder and CEO of Biltmore Bank of Arizona, warded off troubles other banks encountered. But he knows all too well the woes of being the forgotten patient, or at least one left to fend on its own. Think about being that patient, not well, coming … [More]
Doug Bruhnke: Building Local Globally
Doug Bruhnke’s approach to business, instilled at a young age by family members and bolstered later by his experiences with Japanese culture, has long been, “Whatever it takes.” It’s that kind of no-holds-barred determination — the Japanese call it “ganbaroo,” a term loosely translated as “do your best” — that has brought the New York native success in his career, which … [More]
Ian Wist Battles the Big-box Stores
As Ian Wist describes what he calls his “uh-oh” moment, the tension in his voice mounts. “You live with that moment,” he explains. He’s speaking of a crossroads during a tough period in the family business, Wist Office Products. “Those were some tough, scary times. And tough on us as a family,” Wist says. “It was during the Reagan recessions. We had bad cash flow, reps were … [More]
Aaron Matos: Morphing a Job Board to Recruiting.com
As founder and chief executive officer of Jobing.com and, now, Recruiting.com, Aaron Matos is devoted to helping companies hire the best people in the most timely and cost-efficient ways possible. “I went into human resources early in my career, and found out that most people didn’t really enjoy what they were doing at work,” Matos says. Along the way, he found a passion for … [More]
Chef Eddie Matney: Restaurateur with Panache
As Chef Eddie Matney can attest, from the series of restaurants to his credit, adjusting to a new group of regular customers after opening a restaurant is important. The regulars who now frequent Eddie’s House, in downtown Scottsdale among a host of art galleries, is a much different group from those he served at Eddie Matney’s, a previous restaurant that was located in the … [More]
Sandra Watson: Guiding the ACA to Build Business
Sandra Watson may have only recently been tapped as president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority in October, but she hardly needs an introduction to those in the business industry. After all, she was the agency’s interim chief for several months last year and has served the organization — in its current incarnation and its earlier one as the Arizona Department of … [More]
Elliott Pollack: Master of Figures
Prominent Valley economist Elliott Pollack, CEO of economic analysis firm Elliott D. Pollack and Company, is a no-nonsense kind of guy, his passion for his profession evident in every word of his rapid-fire delivery. Yet he’s not a strictly by-the-numbers sort; he has a philosophical streak. Just ask, for example, how he got his start. “Life,” he says, “is how you react to a … [More]
Joel E. Barthelemy: Turning Issues into Opportunities
Even as a kid growing up in St. Cloud, Minn., Joel E. Barthelemy had an interest in solving problems. He was one of those types who takes apart a radio or a car and reassembles it — usually correctly — just to see how the pieces fit and work together. His can-do attitude, curiosity and talent for hearing others out has served the self-described “serial entrepreneur” and founder … [More]
