The Business Journal compiles roughly 60 lists a year using various factors to rank local companies—growth pace, employee count, and in some cases, annual revenue. The OC 50—published since 1992—sorts entries alphabetically, so rather than a list, think of it as an always-evolving collective of local influencers.
The 50 entries—some made up of two or three people instead of one—are vetted somewhat subjectively by the size of the businesses they own or run, their community involvement or political clout, and the significance they have in their industries.
This year’s OC 50 edition features 57 names, six of the entries made up of several executives closely bound by professional circumstances or family ties.
Seven newcomers join a foundation of perennial influencers from finance, real estate, technology, healthcare, education, retail and other sectors:
• In-N-Out Burger Inc. President Lynsi Snyder, who inherited nearly full ownership of the Irvine-based burger chain upon her 35th birthday this month. Her paternal grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder, founded the business in 1948.
• Too Faced Cosmetics LLC co-founders Jeremy Johnson and Jerrod Blandino, who sold their Irvine-based company in November to Estée Lauder Cos. Inc. for $1.5 billion. The deal was the second in nearly 18 months for the popular brand; former majority owner Weston Presidio cashed out in 2015 for a reported $500 million.
• Pacific Investment Management Co. Chief Investment Officer Dan Ivascyn and Chief Executive Emmanuel “Manny” Roman, who share an OC 50 slot. Ivascyn oversees $1.5 trillion in investments at one of the world’s biggest management firms, while Roman is responsible for the Newport Beach-based firm’s overall business strategy.
The new names represent a 14% turnover from last year’s roster. Some individuals had to make way for new risers, while others dropped off because they no longer hold key positions in Orange County:
• VF Corp. in Greensboro, N.C., promoted Vans Inc. President Kevin Bailey to the same post for the parent company’s Asia-Pacific region in December. The Cypress-based skate footwear and apparel brand’s revenue more than doubled to $2.2 billion during his tenure.
• Western Digital Corp., Orange County’s largest public company, recently switched its headquarters to Silicon Valley, thereby bumping Chief Executive Steve Milligan from the list, as he and other company executives were already based at its expansive Great Oaks campus in San Jose.
• Doug Hodge, former PIMCO chief executive—whose departure last year made way for Roman and Ivascyn’s debut on the OC 50.
Perennial names make up the rest of the list, including Irvine Co. owner and Chairman Donald Bren; Vizio Inc. founder and Chief Executive William Wang; Broadcom Ltd. co-founder and Chief Technical Officer Henry Samueli; Blizzard Entertainment Inc. co-founder and Chief Executive Michael Morhaime, and Edwards Lifesciences Corp. Chief Executive Michael Mussallem.
Nearly a dozen names on the list cross over to our annual OC’s Wealthiest ranking, which is scheduled for publication in July—and there’s nothing subjective about that one.
The Business Journal eliminated the Namely Notables section that featured other prominent people in the community. We’ll publish the much more extensive OC 500 Directory of Influence this fall.
