CRAIG RICHARD COONING
Vice president, general manager
Space and Intelligence Systems
Boeing Co.
Born in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 14, 1951
Lives in Rancho Palos Verdes
RICHARD DALE BAILY
Combat Systems, Boeing Co.
Born in Ruislip, England, Sept. 19, 1957
Lives in Huntington Beach
NANETTE MARIE BOUCHARD
Vice president, general manager
C3 Networks, Boeing Co.
Born in Cincinnati, Dec. 30, 1958
Lives in Glendale
Boeing three.
Top local executives for Chicago-based aerospace, defense contractor with 8,000 workers here. County’s fourth-largest em-ployer, down by 1,900 workers from year earlier with downswing in contracts, retirements, layoffs at struggling satellite business in Seal Beach.
Trio watching to see how projects hold up amid shifting spending priorities in Washington.
Gary Toyama, who last year shared this space with Cooning, Baily, Bouchard, now retired. Duties of former vice president who oversaw 30,000 workers in Southern California divvied up among remaining three.
Cooning, top local executive, runs Space and Intelligence Systems in Seal Beach.
Oversees 5,800 workers in five states, runs government, commercial satellite program that includes El Se-gundo factory.
Former No. 2 guy on satellite program. In 2008, took over from Howard Chambers, now deputy manager of 787 Dreamliner program.
Retired as Air Force major general in 2005. Military duties included buying satellites.
Described as ex-tremely intelligent, methodical, organized. Quiet demeanor. Maintains strict exercise
regimen.
Married, two grown sons. Dad flew Boeing planes for Air Force in World War II, Korea.
Engineering bachelor’s from Auburn University in Alabama. Business master’s from University of Alabama.
Baily heads up Com-bat Systems, developer of military communications networks.
Took post in 2008. Has office in Huntington Beach, another at Boeing defense headquarters in St. Louis.
Oversees 1,600 employees, three core projects: Future Combat Systems, Army’s communications overhaul (see story, page 1); Future Rapid Effect System for Britain’s Ministry of Defense; Army Avenger, short-range air defense system.
Director, Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim.
Toweringly tall. Enjoys volleyball. Wife played for several years with Association of Volleyball Professionals. Son, 14, on Hun-tington Beach High varsity team. Daughter, 8, enjoys soccer, volleyball.
Goes by Rick. Born in northwest London’s Ruislip while father was in Air Force.
Earned master’s in mechanical engineering from UCLA. Bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University of Colorado.
Previously ran Boeing’s C3 Networks in Huntington Beach.
Bouchard now oversees C3 Networks, 4,200 people in five states, Australia, South Korea. Program seeks to integrate military communications software.
Also oversaw move of more than 2,000 workers from closing Anaheim facility to Huntington Beach.
Highest-ranking female locally for Boeing. Previously was vice president of Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems Engineering.
Described as straightforward, logical. Member, Society of Women Engineers.
Goes by “Nan.” Has 14-year-old son. Husband teaches at Occidental College.
Graduated from Rice University in Texas with bachelor’s in chemical engineering.
,
Dan Beighley
JOHN F. COYNE
Chief executive, president
Western Digital Corp.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, age 58
Lives in Laguna Beach
Heads No. 2 maker of disk drives for computers, consumer electronics after key rival Seagate.
Steering through downturn. County’s second largest public company by revenue hit by weak demand for drives from PC makers, consumers, falling prices for laptops.
Cutting some 2,500 jobs, slashing executive pay. Managing inventory: halted production for two weeks in December amid industry glut.
Still, Western Digital a star on Wall Street,shares up 75% for year with recent market value of $4.8 billion.
Became chief executive in 2007. Overseeing big shift,more sales growth coming from laptop PCs, consumer electronics, external storage devices for businesses, consumers.
More than half of $8 billion in yearly sales comes from drives for notebook PCs, servers, consumer electronics, branded drives sold at stores. Rest from commodity PCs.
Addressed looming threat of solid state drives,which, unlike disk drives, use flash memory to store data,by paying $65 million for Aliso Viejo’s SiliconSystems in March.
Solid state drives already in some laptops, servers, iPods, as replacements for disk drives.
Led $1 billion buy in 2007 of San Jose-based drive parts maker Komag, company’s biggest deal yet.
Western Digital now makes almost an entire drive on its own. Worked on integration of 2003 buy of parts maker Read-Rite.
Worldly Irishman. Focused on business. Joined in 1983 to start company’s circuit board operations in Ireland. Went on to oversee manufacturing in Irvine, board production worldwide.
Left to join circuit board maker SCI Systems, tapped to run European operations of onetime Anaheim circuit board maker Data-Design Laboratories in early 1990s. Oversaw Data-Design plant in Northern Ireland.
Rejoined Western Digital in 1996, overseeing Malaysia operations. Consolidated drive production there, closed 2,000-person Singa-pore plant in bid to save profits amid falling prices. In early 2000s, led expansion into Thailand, where bulk of production now done. Recently reassured Thai officials about long-term commitment to country.
Named president, COO in 2006. Senior VP, worldwide operations, 2000 to 2005.
Director, Pasadena’s Jacobs Engineering Group. Bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from University College, Dublin.
,
Sarah Tolkoff
DWIGHT WILLIAM DECKER
Director, Conexant Systems Inc.
Born in Brandon, Manitoba
March 18, 1950
Lives in Newport Beach (Back Bay)
DAVID SCOTT MERCER
Chairman, chief executive
Conexant Systems Inc.
Born in Worthington, Minn., Feb. 1, 1951
Lives in Los Altos, Newport Beach
Mercer rounding out year one at helm of chipmaker.
Local tech veteran, board member Decker semi-retired, spending time at moderate GOP group New Majority, tech booster group Octane. Chairman, Dallas-based trade group Global Semi-conductor Alliance.
Mercer cut 140 jobs, suspended retirement benefits for workers amid canceled orders, slumping demand. Com-pany makes chips for networking, fax mo-dems, video, audio. Yearly sales of about $600 million. Working to reverse losses.
Last week, announced broadband chip unit sale for $54 million to Ikanos communications.
In August bought some of Freescale Semiconductor’s assets for digital picture frames, chips that go into multifunction prin-ters. Later that month, sold business making chips for set-top TV boxes for up to $145 million to NXP Semiconductors.
Mercer a Conexant director since 2003. Former chairman of Adaptec, where he served as chief executive for few months in 2005. Director, Palm, Polycom.
Spent eight years starting in late 1990s at Western Digital, including as executive VP, CFO. Financial stints at TeraLogic, Dell, LSI.
First job was in consulting with Price Waterhouse in San Jose office right out of college. Accounting bachelor’s, Cal Poly Pomona.
Collects sports cars, art. Says “[robably haven’t met a car I don’t like.”
Splits time between here, Northern California. Second wife of four years is OB-GYN, won’t move south because “she loves here patients very much and she loves what she does.”
Couple has five grown kids between them.
Mercer loves to cook. One son is trained as a chef, quit after a year and went back to study biology.
Decker taking second stab at retirement. Previously led company as chip arm of Rockwell International. Led 1999 spinoff. Rode tech boom, crash.
Tried to step back earlier this decade. Returned in 2005 after botched combination with New Jersey’s GlobespanVirata in 2004.
Reworked company earlier this decade, selling off businesses, spinning off Mind-speed Technologies, wireless chip unit as Skyworks Solutions. Chip plant split off as Jazz Semiconductor, now part of Israel’s Tower Semiconductor.
Big donor, particularly to UC Irvine. Member, former chair, UCI Chief Executive Roundtable, recruited 20-plus members.
Helped start Laguna Beach’s Okapi Venture Capital, which raised $30 million to fund startups. Has tried to boost local startups through tech advisory group Octane, where he’s a driving force.
Political affairs chair for New Majority. Contributed to George Bush, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Campbell, Ed Royce, fellow OC 50er Loretta Sanchez.
Grew up in rural Canada. Bachelor’s in physics, math from Montreal’s McGill University. Doctorate in applied math from Caltech. Math prof at North Carolina State, Raleigh, 1978 to 1984. Later joined TeleBit in Silicon Valley.
Director, Pacific Life, Mindspeed, BCD Semiconductor in Shanghai. Separated. Two children.
,
Sarah Tolkoff
HARSHAD KHANDUBHAI “H.K.” DESAI
Chairman, chief executive
QLogic Corp.
Born in Abrama, Gujarat, India
March 13, 1946
Lives in Laguna Beach
Only CEO QLogic has known since 1994 spinoff from Costa Mesa’s Emulex, now a key rival.
Entering 15th year running maker of data storage networking chips, circuit boards, switches.
Enjoys lead over Emulex in cross-county rivalry for host bus adapters, profitable bit of electronics for data storage networks. Two companies dominate market with roughly 80% combined share.
Fiercely competing with Emulex on new fibre channel over Ethernet technology, promises to combine speed of special data networks with everyday networks. Industry standard due soon.
Not yet ready to pick successor. Two years ago handpicked former IBM exec Jeff Benck as successor. Benck stepped down in 2008 after Desai, board couldn’t come to terms on succession timing. Benck now operations chief at Emulex.
Recently hired Hitachi veteran Scott Genereux as head of worldwide sales.
Regularly pitches QLogic to investors on investment conference circuit. Still engineer at heart.
Engineering manager at Unisys in Mission Viejo for 10 years before joining QLogic in 1990 as engineering director. Left QLogic in 1995 to become Western Digital VP. Lured back as interim chief after abrupt exit of then boss Mel Gable. Board said to have come around to Desai’s way of thinking. Post made permanent in 1996.
Earlier stints at NCR, Sperry Univac, Addressograph-Multigraph.
Master’s in electrical engineering from UC Berkeley.
Style is decidedly techie, egalitarian, no frills, occasionally raucous. Company meetings likened to big family gathering.
Member, UCI Chief Executive Roundtable. Charter member, Southern California chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs.
Registered Democrat, calls himself fiscally conservative, socially liberal. Moderate GOP group New Majority has met with him.
Likes golf. Wife, Anjanna, former medical technologist at Mission Hospital. Two grown children. Son, Ankur Harshad Desai, analyst at a New York hedge fund, married in 2006 in Hindu ceremony in New Jersey. Had separate, lavish wedding in California, featured on TLC’s “Extreme Weddings.”
Daughter, Sapna, third-year law student at Cornell University.
,
Sarah Tolkoff
PAUL FRANCIS FOLINO
Executive chairman
Emulex Corp.
Born in Seattle, Jan. 23, 1945
Lives in Coto de Caza
JAMES M. McCLUNEY
Chief executive, president
Emulex Corp.
Born in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, Nov. 6, 1951
Lives in Laguna Niguel
Ball in their court.
Duo runs data networking electronics maker coveted by chipmaker Broadcom (see OC 50ers Henry Samueli, Scott McGregor). Last week, Broadcom went public with $764 million offer rejected in December by Folino, McCluney, other directors.
Emulex’s hired Goldman Sachs, Gib-
son, Dunn & Crutcher as advisers. Analysts think Broadcom could up ante. Deal sending big reverberations through local tech industry.
McCluney marked Emulex’s 30th year by being on hand for bell ringing at NYSE in February. Now in his third year at helm.
Setting sights on convergence,helping customers consolidate data storage, networking on one wire. Of-ferings include motherboards, routers, switches, controllers, blade server devices, mainstay host bus adapters.
Finance, banking, insurance customers hit hard in downturn. Focused on profits, staying free of debt.
Bolstered management with new positions in operations, marketing, sales. Snagged IBM veteran Jeff Benck as COO after dustup at QLogic last year.
Landed city approval this year to add fourth building to Costa Mesa campus. Big plans for green construction.
McCluney’s company, Vixel, bought by Emulex in 2003.
Held posts at Silicon Valley startup Ridge Technologies, Digital Equipment, Apple.
Adept at acquisitions. Played key role in Emulex’s 2006 buys of Aarohi Communica-tions, Sierra Logic.
Soft-spoken Scotsman known for humor, humility. Brought own management style
to Emulex. Runs as “balanced democracy,” which gives him “diverse” perspective.
British citizen, holds U.S. green card.
Last year, won CEO of the Year award from trade group Technology Council of Southern California.
Donates to Project Tomorrow, Mind Re-search Institute. Last year sponsored chair in electrical engineering, computer science at UC Irvine.
Bachelor’s in business from Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde.
Wife Vivian on Pacific Symphony board of counselors, advisory group to symphony’s directors. Two grown children. Likes classical music, walking, cycling, reading, live music, theater.
Folino, arguably county’s most engaged executive in cultural, educational, political activities, passed CEO reins in 2006.
Grew company into dominant supplier of electronics for data storage networks. Chief executive, 1993 to 2006. Moved company to Costa Mesa campus in 2004.
Key member, past chairman of moderate Republican group New Majority.
Close friend, adviser to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Along with American Sterling’s Larry Dodge, key backer of California Republicans Aligned for Tomor-row, upstart group designed to help GOP politicians run for statewide offices.
Has helped raise more than $20 million for governor, mostly from New Majority members. VIP at state of state speeches.
Heavily involved in Performing Arts Center as former board member, chair. Led South Coast Repertory growth, theater named for him. Vice chairman of Chapman University’s board, headed fundraising for Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. Also supports UCI, Cal State Fullerton, where street’s named for him.
Chairman, OC High School of the Arts Foundation advisory board.
Director, Commercial Bank of California, Microsemi, Solarflare Communications.
Born into modest Seattle home. Lived in public housing. Neither parent finished high school. Put himself through graduate school while working at Boeing. Graduated cum laude with bachelor’s from Central Washing-ton State University. Business master’s, Seattle University.
Huge sports fan. Likes golf, attends Lakers, Clippers, Ducks, Angels games. Seattle Seahawks fan. Wife Daranne, grown daughter, Courtney.
,
Sarah Tolkoff
MICHAEL SAMUEL MORHAIME
Cofounder, chief executive
Blizzard Entertainment Inc.
Born in Panorama City, Nov. 3, 1967
Lives in Newport Coast
Wizard of Blizzard makes OC 50 debut.
Started what’s now OC’s biggest software maker with some 1,000 local workers, estimated $1.5 billion yearly sales.
Transformed Bliz-zard, part of Paris-based Vivendi’s Acti-vision Blizzard, into global game powerhouse. Pioneered multiplayer online games. Spawned many imitators in OC.
Was key part of move to combine with Santa Monica’s Activision, $19 billion deal closed last year. Company largest game publisher with yearly sales of $4 billion.
Best known for blockbuster “World of Warcraft,” fantasy role playing game with 11 million subscribers and counting. Game won Technology & Engineering Emmy last year.
Cash cow for French parent Vivendi, which owns 68% of Activision Blizzard.
Blizzard holds top slot for best selling PC games for the past four years in revenue, units sold.
Latest “Warcraft” installment, “Wrath of Lich King,” fastest-selling PC game of all time. Sold some 4 million copies in first month. Previous record went to another Blizzard game.
Hosts big yearly fan event in Anaheim, BlizzCon. Drew 15,000 last year.
Started Blizzard with college buddies Allen Adham, Frank Pearce in 1991. Bought by New Jersey’s Cendant in 1996. In 1998, sold to France’s Havas, later bought by Vivendi.
Valley Boy. Electrical engineering bachelor’s, UCLA. Moved to OC in 1990. First job at Western Digital testing software.
Big into teamwork. Learned to delegate as company grew: “You can’t be involved in everything anymore. You have to trust other people.”
Regularly travels to offices around the world.
Animated in “South Park” episode “Make Love, Not Warcraft.” Installed 5,000-pound bronze sculpture of “Warcraft” creature at Irvine campus.
Likes playing tennis, racquetball, Activision game “Guitar Hero.”
Donates to Jewish Federation of OC’s Young Leadership Division, Daniel Pearl Foundation.
Poker enthusiast. Played in World Series of Poker in Las Vegas past two years but hasn’t placed in the money. Says he’s “not ready to give up trying.” Placed second in 2006 poker tournament hosted by Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Inducted into its hall of fame last year.
Won UCLA engineering school professional achievement award for 2006. Plays bass in band with other Blizzard workers. Single.
,
Sarah Tolkoff
HENRY SAMUELI
Cofounder, technology adviser
Broadcom Corp.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., Sept. 20, 1954
Lives in Corona del Mar
SCOTT ALAN McGREGOR
Chief executive, president
Broadcom Corp.
Born in St. Louis, Oct. 10, 1956
Lives in San Juan Capistrano
McGregor ushering in new era at chipmaker. Samueli playing supporting role in engineering.
Last week, made waves with $764 million offer for Emulex (see OC 50ers Paul Folino, Jim McCluney). Went public with hostile bid, but McGregor says talks are amicable because of good ties with Folino, McCluney. Broadcom wants Emulex so it can expand into new areas of networking. Analysts expect Broadcom to up ante.
McGregor in fifth year as chief executive, third in company’s history. Moving Broadcom beyond early days, stock options scandal that saw indictment of former executives, plea deal for Samueli. Brought in hand-picked execs, standardized accounting.
Dealing with chip downturn analysts call worse than in 2001. Cut some 200 jobs, reining in costs. Looking to grow market share in downturn, scouting acquisitions.
A year ago, Samueli stepped down as chairman, chief technology officer after SEC sued over stock options. In June, agreed to plead guilty to charge of lying to investigators about his role in backdating.
Sentencing on hold, pending trials of co-founder, former CEO Henry “Nick” Nicholas, former CFO Bill Ruehle later this year, next.
Appealing judge’s initial rejection of plea deal. Was to pay $12 million to federal government, $250,000 fine, get three to five years of probation.
SEC civil suit against Samueli on hold.
Last year company settled SEC civil charges by paying $12 million fine. In 2007 Broadcom took charges of $2.2 billion to past earnings to fix misdated options, more than any of 150 or so companies investigated.
Samueli continues as tech adviser, no official title. Reports to McGregor. Sources say role as Broadcom’s engineering visionary little changed.
Makes appearances for Broadcom in front of analysts, trade shows, meets with customers. Still keeps same office, hectic hours.
Options issue predates McGregor. He’s overseen big courtroom push against San Diego-based rival Qualcomm,most cases still break Broadcom’s way in long-running series of patent suits. Settlement talks under way.
Investing millions in wireless chip development. Landed deals with No. 1 cell phone maker Nokia, No. 2 Samsung, but not much revenue to show yet.
Former Philips chip exec, McGregor continued to refocus company on consumer electronics. Apple iPhone, Nintendo’s Wii have Broadcom chips.
Thoughtful, calculating. Likes spending time outdoors, with wife, three kids. Referees youth soccer games. Strict on offside rule.
Says being CEO is like “a combination coach and cheerleader.” Key to keeping employees happy is providing startup-like excitement, “cool” projects, he says. Most company sites have sports facilities, teams,basketball, volleyball, hockey. Says Emulex workers would be good fit.
Formerly headed Philips Semiconductors, now NXP Semiconductors. Stints with Santa Cruz Operation, Microsoft, Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center. Also worked at Digital Equipment.
Samueli former UCLA professor. Worked at PairGain, TRW in 1980s.
Started Broadcom in 1991 with then-student Nicholas. Each threw in $5,000. Recruited best engineering students to work at company while at UCLA.
Bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate in electrical engineering from UCLA.
In 2005, he, wife, Susan, bought Anaheim Ducks hockey team from Walt Disney for about $70 million. Team was 2007 Stanley Cup winner.
Last year, was suspended indefinitely from team involvement by National Hockey League amid stock options dustup. Warmly embraced by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman during March event at Discovery Science Center, affirming conventional thinking that suspension is technicality, pending resolution of plea deal.
Also owns company that runs Honda Center, home to Ducks. Hockey helps manage stress, Samueli says. Born in hockey-crazy Buffalo, called himself “lousy skater.”
Philanthropic. Gave $30 million to UCLA. Almost same amount to UCI. Both universities named engineering schools after him.
Had big hand in moving Broadcom HQ to sleek offices in University Research Park alongside UCI, recruits engineers from school.
Performing Arts Center, OC High School of the Arts, KOCE, Discovery Science Center, Tarbut V’Torah Jewish day school, Ocean Institute, Jewish Federation of OC, Shoah Foundation, University Synagogue also beneficiaries.
Parents, Aaron, Sala, were Holocaust survivors from Poland. Met after war. Came to America in 1950s, moved to California. Fam-ily ran liquor store on Whittier Boulevard, where Samueli worked as teen.
Understated, modest. Likes hiking, basketball, skiing. Three children.
,
Sarah Tolkoff
VINCENT “VINNY” COBURN SMITH JR.
Executive chairman
Quest Software Inc.
Born in Baltimore, Feb. 8, 1964
Lives in Newport Beach
Longtime chief of county’s largest publicly traded software maker turned executive chairman. In October, handed over CEO title in orderly succession to Doug Garn, who had been president.
Smith held CEO post for more than a decade. Now guiding product development, long-term strategy. Garn handles day-to-day.
Stock options ordeal closed when regulators settled case in March. Smith, former VP Kevin Brooks, former finance chief John Laskey paying $300,000 in fines for backdated options from 1999 to 2002. As part of deal, trio doesn’t admit, deny wrongdoing.
Last year Quest took charges to past earnings of about $137 million for misdated options from 1998 to 2005. Restatement bill second highest in OC, albeit distant second to Broadcom.
Quest slowing buys of small software companies, which has been rapid in recent years.
Bought Redwood City’s Monosphere, small maker of data storage network management software, in January.
Snatched up Phoenix-based NetPro Computing for $78 million in September.
Deals highly strategic, pushing into growth markets, what’s known as virtualization.
Sitting on roughly $260 million in cash as of Dec. 31, using some to buy back stock.
Smith started at Oracle after graduating from University of Delaware in 1986. Degree in computer science, minor in economics. Played rugby. Landed Oracle job thanks to contact in economics department. Worked at Oracle from 1987 to 1992 in sales management positions.
In 1992 started San Francisco-based Patrol Software with Oracle colleague.
Sold it to BMC Software in 1994. Served as BMC’s director of open systems, managing sales operations.
Unassuming, often-smiling leader. Known to wear jeans, cap in office. Goes by “Vinny.” Said to be aggressive, a salesman. Invested in Quest in 1995. Left life on Colorado ski slopes to take over as chief executive from Quest cofounder David Doyle.
Still plays investor. Owns a few restaurants, real estate ventures. Says he likes to invest in different things. Active stock trader.
Often on ski slopes, likes to surf. Devoted dad to his two kids.
Started Quest Charity Fund program in 2006. Makes contributions to nominated nonprofits selected by Quest employees worldwide.
,
Sarah Tolkoff
GREGORY MARK EMILE SPIERKEL
Chief executive
Ingram Micro Inc.
Born in Sept- & #206;les, Quebec
Jan. 27, 1957
Lives in Laguna Hills
Heads biggest distributor of technology, consumer electronics products.
Wading through second year of massive cost cutting effort. Ingram getting squeezed amid shrinking tech budgets, falling demand for consumer electronics.
Has run company since 2005. Ingram delivers products from Microsoft, Cisco, Ap-ple, Sony, others to computer service companies, retailers. OC’s largest company by yearly sales at $34 billion.
Spierkel reshuffled some executives, cut 300 jobs, pared benefits for workers in past year. Recently announced plans to close most Scandinavian operations, focusing on profitable Swedish distribution business.
Moving beyond Ingram’s traditional “pick, pack and ship” model in bid to boost profits. Pushing services, staffing, marketing, logistics, tech support, management of warranties.
Lots of small acquisitions. Last year, bought Britain’s Paradigm Distribution Ltd., Beijing’s Cantechs Group, France’s Eure-quat, Germany’s Intertrade.
Played key part in Ingram’s $530 million buy in 2004 of Australia’s Tech Pacific, largest in company history. Was behind 2005’s $120 million buy of home electronics company Avad. Also key in 1997’s buy of Singapore’s Electronic Resources.
Joined in 1997 as senior vice president, Ingram Micro Asia-Pacific. Was president of Ingram Micro Europe. Most recently was worldwide president, responsible for global divisions with focus on Europe, Asia.
Big on frugality in low-profit business. Turns off heat on winter weekends. Dons jacket for chilly Monday mornings. Workers urged to keep online records, print on both sides of paper.
Canadian. Reserved, unpretentious, quick with smile. Spent 11 years at Canada’s Mitel, maker of phone systems, software, electronics. Got start at Bell Canada, working on one of first e-mail systems in 1979.
Holds business master’s from Georgetown University, bachelor’s from Carleton University, Ottawa. Attended Advanced Manufacturing Program at Insead business school in France.
Director, Bellevue, Wash.-based truck maker Paccar. On business school advisory boards of UCI, Chapman.
Parents came from Luxembourg to Canada. Colorful family: Uncle founded Cirque du Soleil. Father a jack-of-all-trades, owned newspaper, TV station, worked at airline, dabbled in construction. Mother was linguist who spoke six languages.
Played hockey, curling until age 17. Says he wasn’t NHL material. Worked in iron ore mines, doing number of duties including driving giant mining trucks. Lived abroad most of professional life, including in Hong Kong, Singapore, England, Belgium. Loves winter sports.
Two boys, 12, 15. Both have triple citizenship: Canada, U.S., U.K. Wife, Rhiannon, “a good Welsh name.”
,
Sarah Tolkoff
JOHN TU
President
Kingston Technology Co.
Born in Chongqing, China
Aug. 21, 1941
Lives in Rolling Hills
DAVID SUN
Chief operating officer,
Vice President
Kingston Technology Co.
Born in Taichung, Taiwan, Oct. 12, 1951
Lives in Irvine
Founding duo heads leading maker of computer memory products.
Wading through steep downturn in memory chip prices, off 60% from year ago, causing pain industrywide.
2008 saw steep falloff in demand for memory for PCs, consumer electronics, crimping sales, profits. Saw first sales decline in half a decade last year. Revenue totaled $4 billion, down 11% from 2007.
Kingston has 25% share of memory products market. County’s second-largest private company (after Pacific Life Insurance), lar-gest minority-owned company.
Buys memory chips from Asian, European suppliers, assembles on circuit boards or as flash cards. Upping consumer push with cards that go into computers, cameras, phones.
Company focusing on streamlining, gaining small efficiencies. Keeping eye on chip stockpiles, “trying to plug any leaky spots,” spokesman says.
Kingston employs about 900 local workers, 4,500 worldwide. Plants in Fountain Valley, Malaysia, Taiwan, Shanghai.
Workers describe style of Sun, Tu as benevolent patriarchy. Open culture, not big on titles. Not micromanagers, don’t obsess on worker performance, productivity stats. Like to step back, let people do their jobs. No reserved parking, corner offices, glitzy conference rooms.
Yoga classes at work for employees.
Opposite personas. Sun lively, unconventional operations man. Tu, funny, soft-spoken public face. No clear No. 2 to Sun-Tu team.
Famous for handing out $100 million in bonuses to workers after selling 80% of Kingston to Softbank in 1990s. Duo bought back Kingston in 1999 for fraction of what Softbank paid.
Weathered tough times before. During 2001 downturn, cut some benefits, bonuses halted, laid off workers for first time. Yearly sales fell below $1 billion during slump.
Sun, Tu started Camintonn in garage in early 1980s. Became division VPs when former computer maker AST Research bought Camintonn. Left to start Kingston in 1987 after losing millions in stock market crash.
Tu’s family fled China for Taiwan in 1949. Sent to Germany as a kid to live with uncle who owned Chinese restaurant.
Loves Elvis. Heads own band, JT and California Dreamin’ Band. Tu plays drums.
Generous. UC Irvine cancer diagnostic center named for him, friend Tom Yuen, AST cofounder, president of Irvine’s SRS Labs. (Investor in Yuen’s stem cell startup PrimeGen Biotech.)
Was businessman benefactor portrayed
in 2007 movie “Freedom Writers” about real-life teacher who motivates at-risk teens.
Earned electrical engineering degree from Technische Hochschule Darmstadt in Germany. Came to U.S. in 1972. Collects cars. Married, two children.
Sun came from Taiwan in 1977, was chief engineer at Alpha Micro Systems in Costa Mesa, 1978 to 1982. Electrical engineering degree from Taiwan’s Tatung Institute of Technology.
Married, two grown children. Avid golfer.
,
Sarah Tolkoff
HONORABLE MENTION
L. GEORGE KLAUS
Chairman; chief executive, president
Epicor Software Corp.
STEPHEN MARLOW
Executive vice president
Toshiba America Electronic
Components Inc.
SAFI QURESHEY
Chairman, Quartics Inc.
Sue Swenson
Chief executive, president
Sage Software Inc.
William Wang
chief executive, chief technical officer
Vizio Inc.
