BILL GROSS
Portfolio Manager
Janus Capital Group
Newport Beach
Born in Middletown, Ohio
Age: 72
Lives in Laguna Beach
WHY: Co-founder, former CIO of Pacific Investment Management Co. in Newport Beach. “Bond King” now with Janus Capital at Newport Center office near PIMCO headquarters, which opened a few months before his 2014 departure.
HOW: Bachelor’s in psychology, Duke University. Served in Navy before getting MBA at University of California-Los Angeles. Founded PIMCO in 1971 in L.A. as part of Pacific Life Insurance. Relocated to Newport Beach in 1972. PacLife sold 70% stake of PIMCO to German insurance company Allianz in 2000, sold remaining equity in 2008. Gross was dominant investment voice as PIMCO grew to about $2 trillion in assets by 2014, although performance of Gross-run Total Return Fund lagged by then, as trend of outflows began. Mohamed El-Erian—former PIMCO co-CIO and CEO and fellow OC 50er—left investment house in 2014 amid reports of internal turmoil. Rumor mill churned in national, global financial press for months before Gross’ departure, increased significantly after he left company. It had $290 billion in assets at its peak in mid-2013 and now is around $88 billion.
RECENT: Gross manages Janus’ Unconstrained Bond Fund, which grew from $13 million in assets when he took over to $1.5 billion, a slight fraction of assets he managed at PIMCO and a total that reportedly includes as much as $700 million of his own money. Has publicly said relative smallness of fund and being “free from complications of” executive and administrative duties attracted him. Fund has performed well in recent months, and recent coverage indicates Gross is on way back to guru status with the national, global financial press.
PERSONAL: Gross and wife, Sue, have been active philanthropists in OC and beyond. They recently donated $40 million to University of California-Irvine to create nursing school and $4.5 million to PIMCO Foundation and other nonprofits from the partial sale of a Swiss stamp collection. Couple are name donors for stem cell institute at UCI, Women’s Pavilion at Hoag Hospital. Longtime sponsors of OC Teachers of the Year awards. Gave $10 million to Mission Hospital Laguna Beach in 2014 to support emergency medical services, new imaging technologies.
—Michael de los Reyes
EMILE K. HADDAD
Chief Executive, President
FivePoint Holdings LLC
Aliso Viejo
Born in Beirut, Lebanon
Age: 57
Lives in Laguna Hills (Nellie Gail)
WHY: In charge of developing homes, commercial space at Great Park Neighborhoods at former El Toro Marine base in Irvine.
HOW: Stepped down as Lennar Corp. chief investment officer in 2009 to take top spot at FivePoint, new company in charge of developing some of Lennar’s largest California holdings, including 3,700-acre El Toro project. Lennar is the largest investor in FivePoint. Haddad, also an investor, has final management say.
RECENT: Lennar’s 2005 purchase of former El Toro base, deal valued at over $1.4 billion, now bearing fruit. Commercial, residential land sales brought in nearly $1.1 billion last year, resulting in over $370 million gross profit to site’s ownership group, Heritage Fields El Toro LLC. Notable deals include sale of 840-home land site, Heritage Hills, to joint venture between Lennar, Toll Bros. Ten builders now selling at Beacon Park, a 960-home project at Great Park Neighborhoods that opened last year. Construction under way on Broadcom Ltd.’s 73-acre campus, though questions swirling over whether chipmaker will sell portion of development, which it paid $128 million for last year. Negotiations ongoing with city over location of proposed veterans’ cemetery at former base. IPO proposed for FivePoint last year, but deal didn’t move ahead in choppy market for homebuilders and new stock offerings in general.
PERSONAL: He and Lennar chief operating officer Jonathan Jaffe named Business People of the Year by the Business Journal after leading purchase of El Toro base in 2005—biggest local real estate deal in recent memory. On board of CHOC, University of California-Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business, University of Southern California’s Lusk Center for Real Estate. Chairman of UCI Foundation under three-year term. Civil engineering degree from American University of Beirut; California licenses in engineering, contracting. Member, Urban Land Institute. Left troubled Lebanon with fiancée, now wife, Dina. Daughter, son.
—Mark Mueller
MICHAEL FREDERICK HARRAH
Owner, President
Caribou Industries Inc.
Santa Ana
Born in Los Angeles
Age: 65
Lives in Newport Beach (Lido Isle)
WHY: Dominant landlord in downtown Santa Ana, with several big developments proposed for city. Recent investments in property used by Orange County Register have made him force in local media industry.
HOW: Owns Caribou Industries, development, construction, tenant improvement, property management company with offices on Broadway. Company has owned more than 70 buildings in Santa Ana over the years totaling over 5 million square feet. Still owns substantial portfolio there, also has real estate investments in Nevada and Arizona.
RECENT: Completed $34 million purchase of land, other property surrounding Register headquarters in March following bankruptcy auction of assets of Freedom Communications, paper’s parent company. Had backed unsuccessful bid by Freedom’s management to buy paper, but bought land from winning bidder, Digital First Media, once its deal was done. Now owns paper’s printing presses, plus five-story office that holds Register’s operations, after buying it in 2014 for reported $27 million. Proposing mixed-use development on site potentially including two high-rise towers, apartments, shopping center. Still optimistic his long-awaited One Broadway Plaza tower will happen in Santa Ana. The 37-story development, in the works for over a decade, would be OC’s tallest building, his crowning achievement.
PERSONAL: Grew up in Whittier. Son of machinist and Whittier High School teacher. Attended Rio Hondo College, Cal State Long Beach. At 19, started working as framing carpenter, general contractor by 21, building Riverside apartments. Made small fortune by 25. Later turned attention to Santa Ana; played key role revitalizing county’s most populous city by restoring buildings, attracting restaurants, art galleries, other businesses. Known as “Big Mike.” One of city’s most active philanthropists. Easily distinguishable from rest of county’s real estate elite with ZZ Top-style beard, 6-foot-6 frame. Owns multiple jets, vintage cars, Cobra helicopter he’s piloted in aerial stunts for movies. Cluttered office in historic building overlooks One Broadway development site. Stuffed bear in corner.
—Mark Mueller
DOUGLAS HODGE
Chief Executive
Pacific Investment Management Co.
Newport Beach
Born in Bronxville, N.Y.
Age:Â 58
Lives in Laguna Beach
WHY: Longtime executive at one of world’s biggest investment firms. Named CEO amid 2014 shake-up. Responsible for firm’s overall business strategy as executive committee head.
HOW: Bachelor’s in economics from Dartmouth College. MBA from Harvard Business School. Worked for IBM, Magnuson Computer Systems and Salomon Brothers before joining PIMCO in 1989 as account manager in Newport Beach. Served as head of Asia Pacific region from 2000 to 2009, including several years in Tokyo. Named chief operating officer in 2009, took CEO post in 2014, when fellow OC 50er Mohamed El-Erian resigned.
RECENT: Promoted with cast of portfolio managers and business management leaders, including President Jay Jacobs and Group Chief Investment Officer Daniel Ivascyn. New team had been in place for several months when another OC 50er, PIMCO co-founder Bill Gross, left for Janus Capital. The bombshell followed months of tension between Gross, colleagues, and sped up PIMCO outflows, especially from Total Return Fund, which had become synonymous with Gross. Total Return has shrunk from $290 billion in assets at its peak in mid-2013 to around $88 billion. Hodge has responded by zeroing in on client relationships, with minimal media appearances, leaving public-face duties to Ivascyn and team. PIMCO hired former Federal Reserve boss Ben Bernanke as senior adviser in move considered to reassure clients, stem outflows. Hodge said 2014-15 year of significant organizational change, “both our biggest challenge and provided the largest reward.” Sees PIMCO as “stronger today than at any time in our history.”
PERSONAL: President, PIMCO Foundation. Charitable arm gave more than $3 million last year. Recipients included Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Ana, Project Dignity in Garden Grove, and Mercado Global in New York. Trustee, Sage Hill School, Thacher School and NOVA Academy Foundation. On boards of Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. Wife, Kylie Schuyler; couple has seven children and involved in Olive Crest and El Sol charter school in Santa Ana; Schuyler founded Santa Ana-based nonprofit Global Girls Rising next door.
—Michael de los Reyes
GARY BERNARD JABARA
Founder, Chief Executive
Mobilitie LLC
Newport Beach
Born in Baldwin Park
Age: 54
Lives in Newport Beach
WHY: Telecom and wireless exec, owner of country’s largest privately held wireless infrastructure provider. Force in OC’s residential, commercial real estate markets.
HOW: Former partner in Deloitte’s telecommunications infrastructure practice, started Mobilitie in 2005. Company quickly grew into one of country’s largest cell tower owners. Scored $1.1 billion from 2012 sale of 2,300 cellphone towers to SBA Communications Corp. Used proceeds from deal to buy real estate, primarily in OC, while rolling out new business lines for his telecom company. Big source of business now is providing upgraded wireless service to sports arenas, concert venues, casinos, other large venues through Distributed Antenna Systems.
RECENT: Largest deal yet for company rumored to be in works. Trade publications point to deal with Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint Corp. to roll out nationwide upgrade of wireless giant’s network, primarily through use of small cell base stations. Mobilitie hiring hundreds across U.S. in preparation for rollout, which has been described as potentially the largest network deployment in U.S. history.
PERSONAL: Named Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013 for real estate, took home OCBJ Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award last year. Calls Mobilitie as much a real estate venture as technology company. Main investor in Newport Beach-based Villa Real Estate, residential brokerage that targets high-end coastal properties. San Diego State grad led ownership group that tried unsuccessfully to buy San Diego Padres baseball team in 2012. Son Cameron a pitcher, committed to University of Oregon. Big believer in thank-you cards, which he explained with notable humor as part of keynote at Business Journal’s Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards luncheon in February.
—Mark Mueller
JAMES H. JANNARD
Founder, Chairman
Red Digital Cinema Camera Co.
Born in Alhambra
Age: 66
Lives in Washington, Las Vegas,
Los Angeles
WHY: Built two global brands: Foothill Ranch-based Oakley Inc., now part of Luxottica Group SPA, and Red Digital Cinema Camera Co. in Irvine, which he runs with President Jarred Land as front man.
HOW: Dropped out of USC School of Pharmacy to start Oakley in 1975 with $300, selling motorcycle grips out of car. Motorcycle and ski goggles came next, then designs for state-of-the-art sunglasses. Took company public in 1995, sold it to Italy-based Luxottica for $2.1 billion in 2007. Share of proceeds came to about $1.3 billion. Red Digital, two years after he launched it in 2005, released Red One, “a 4k camera for $20k,” while competitor Sony was selling digital cinema cameras for about $200,000. Bought Ren-Mar Studios in Hollywood in 2010, renamed it Red Studios. Directors Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, James Cameron among his customers.
RECENT: Red cameras continue to gain ground in Hollywood, elsewhere among pros. Products also making headway as tool for creating 360-degree, virtual reality video, often paired with Laguna Beach-based NextVR live broadcast system. Jannard has added “innkeeper” to title of “mad scientist”—for about $10,000 a night, guests can stay at one of three villas at his Vatuvara Private Island, one of Fiji’s more than 330.
PERSONAL: Married to Misha. Four children, 14 grandchildren.
—Mediha DiMartino
JOSEPH E. KIANI
Chairman, Co-Founder, Chief Executive
Masimo Corp., Irvine
Born in Shiraz, Iran
Age: 51
Lives in Laguna Beach (Irvine Cove)
WHY: Business- and politically savvy entrepreneur who runs medical device maker with market cap of more than $2 billion; leads Patient Safety Movement Foundation, which involves sharing data as way to stop patient deaths from infections, other avoidable occurrences in hospitals and other healthcare settings.
HOW: Founded patient monitoring company with partner in garage in 1989. Attracted more than $80 million in venture capital before taking Masimo public nine years ago in offering that raised $233 million.
RECENT: Received $147 million in payments in order to give up benefits including 300,000 guaranteed annual stock options and a “golden parachute” in case Masimo were bought, even if his employment was not terminated. Continued work with the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, including exploring expansion to other cities and once again welcoming former President Bill Clinton and others to annual patient safety summit. Added volunteer effort on behalf of President Barack Obama’s “moonshot” initiative for cancer cure under aegis of Vice President Joe Biden (see related OC Insider item, page 3).
PERSONAL: Trustee, Chapman University. Dean’s advisory board at alma mater San Diego State University College of Engineering. Holds over 50 patents related to signal processing, sensors and patient monitoring. Came to U.S. with family at age 9, graduated high school at 15. Tennis fan who’s fixture at BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament at Indian Wells. Wife, Sarah. Two daughters, one son.
—Vita Reed
BILL LINK
Co-Founder, Managing Director
Versant Ventures
San Francisco, Newport Beach
Born in Morenci, Mich.
Age: 70
Lives in Corona del Mar
WHY:Â Longtime healthcare industry veteran with over 30 years as entrepreneur, investor, mentor. Co-founder, OC-based face of $1.9Â billion venture capital firm specializing in biopharmaceutical companies, medical device makers.
HOW: Engineer by trade. Bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. Got interested in medicine and gained academic exposure through veterinarian program at Purdue. Assistant professor at Indiana University in surgery department. Pioneer of sorts in blending of medicine, engineering. Got into biomedical engineering in 1970s when it wasn’t yet a profession. Came to OC as part of transition from academia to industry. Founded American Medical Optics, sold to Allergan in 1986. Started Chiron Vision, sold to Bausch + Lomb in 1997. Shifted to investing. Was general partner at Brentwood Venture Capital before co-founding Versant in 1999.
RECENT: Received Director of the Year Award from Forum for Corporate Directors in March. Still enjoys outdoors in Colorado, skiing in winter, fly fishing in summer. He and wife, Marsha, recently purchased home on Linda Isle and doing major remodel. “It’s fun to have a place on the water for us and our family.”
PERSONAL: Chairman, Laguna Hills-based eye-device maker Glaukos and Alphaeon, Irvine-based lifestyle healthcare company. Director, Edwards Lifesciences. Recipient of 2014 Catalyst Award from Glaucoma Research Foundation. Member, UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering Leadership Council. Two children, four grandchildren.
—Deirdre Newman
LAURALEE E. MARTIN
Chief Executive
HCP Inc., Irvine
Born in Minnesota
Age: 65
WHY: Runs one of largest real estate investment trusts devoted to healthcare. HCP, founded 31 years ago, has about $2.5 billion in annual revenue, recent market value of about $16.4 billion.
HOW: Joined HCP in 2013 from Chicago-based JLL, a real estate service and money management firm where she headed Americas division after serving as chief financial officer and chief operating officer. Was earlier chief financial officer of Heller Financial Inc.’s real estate finance division.
RECENT: Started search to replace chief financial officer, Timothy Schoen, who plans to leave HCP this month to become chief executive of BioMed Realty, a unit of New York-based Blackstone Group. Martin retained Chicago-based global executive search firm Spencer Stuart to lead search.
PERSONAL: Director of Foothill Ranch-based Kaiser Aluminum Corp. Previously on board of Key Corp. Trustee of Urban Land Institute. Bachelor’s in English, Oregon State University; MBA, University of Connecticut. Husband, Andrew; two adult children. Advocate for sustainability and energy conservation in commercial real estate development.
—Vita Reed
PAUL MERAGE
Chairman
MIG Management Services LLC
Newport Beach
Born in Iran
WHY: Longtime venture investor, entrepreneur, active philanthropist, listed among OC’s wealthiest.
HOW: Got bachelor’s in economics, MBA at UC Berkeley. Founded Chef America Inc. with brother, David, in 1975. Grew it to leading manufacturer of frozen food products, including Hot Pockets. Company had $750 million in annual sales and 1,800 workers by 2002, when Nestlé acquired it for $2.6 billion. Merage went on to start Merage Investment Group, or MIG, whose affiliates include MIG Capital and MIG Real Estate. Donated $30 million in 2005 to University of California-Irvine’s business school, which bears his name.
RECENT: MIG Real Estate recently acquired The Berkshire, a 274-unit apartment community in Washington state, for undisclosed amount. The real estate investment trust also recently bought Dry Creek Business Park, a 244,028-square-foot business park near Denver, for undisclosed sum. Acquired two Hilton “select-service” hotels in Georgia last August. MIG Capital bought $25.7 million stake in Harley-Davidson Inc. and $16.2 million stake in Charles Schwab Corp. in last year’s fourth quarter.
PERSONAL: Emigrated from Iran on own in early 1960s. Estimated net worth of $1.4 billion. Big on philanthropy, with focus on education and immigration issues. Beneficiaries range from UCI Foundation to El Sol Science and Arts Academy, charter school in Santa Ana. Merage Institute aims to promote trade between U.S. and Israel. Chairperson emeritus of Merage School of Business dean’s advisory board.
 —Deirdre Newman
STEVE MILLIGAN
Chief Executive, President
Western Digital Corp.
Irvine
Born in Illinois
Age: 52
Splits time between Orange County, Silicon Valley
WHY: Holds top post at world’s largest disk drive maker by units sold, revenue. Company has supplanted chipmaker Broadcom—recently sold to buyer with operating headquarters in San Jose—as biggest tech company based in OC.
HOW: Rejoined Western Digital as president in March 2012. Previously president, chief executive at San Jose-based Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, which WD acquired in 2012 for $4.8 billion. First joined WD in 2002 as vice president, finance.
RECENT: Shareholders approved $17 billion SanDisk acquisition, creating most diversified player in storage market with combined annual sales of nearly $20 billion. Chinese regulators finally approved HGST integration, which includes 41,000 employees and factories around world, with stipulations. Beijing-based investor Unisplendour, which launched joint venture with WD, terminated $3.8 billion investment, roughly 15% stake, after federal government probe. Company’s shares fell by more than half to about $9.5 billion as the big moves played out, dragged down by PC sales slumping to recession levels.
PERSONAL: Received Distinguished Achievement Award from B’nai B’rith International. Recently joined boards, Ross Stores Inc. and Silicon Valley Leadership Group. Bachelor’s in accounting, Ohio State University. Low public profile.
—Chris Casacchia
ANTHONY RICHARD MOISO
Chief Executive, President
Rancho Mission Viejo LLC
Born in West Los Angeles
Age: 76
Lives in Laguna Beach (Emerald Bay)
WHY: Heads development, leasing arm of Moiso, O’Neill, and Avery families; real estate development, leasing, cattle, agricultural operations; OC’s No. 2 landowner after Donald Bren.
HOW: Family traces ties to land to 1882—ranch once covered 200,000 acres from El Toro Creek in Lake Forest to Oceanside, including all of Camp Pendleton. It now owns 23,000 acres in county’s southeastern corner. Developer behind creation of Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Las Flores and Ladera Ranch.
RECENT: Esencia, 2,700-home second village of company’s newest community, Rancho Mission Viejo, began sales late last year after selling out initial 941-unit village, Sendero. Esencia going up on 860 acres just south of Ladera Ranch. Sales topped 200 in first few months. Project includes homes for all ages, including dedicated homes for retirees. First Rancho Mission Viejo retail center under construction just off Ortega Highway, to be anchored by Gelson’s, Rite Aid.
PERSONAL: Longtime supporter of Mission San Juan Capistrano. Well known for love of horses; hosts annual Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo, which has raised over $1 million for local charities. Staunch Republican, had childhood friendship in West Los Angeles with former Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. Served two years in Army as infantry officer. Wife, Melinda. Four daughters, Katrina, Cristy, Anne Marie, Francesca; 13 grandchildren. Richard “Dick” O’Neill, his uncle, family patriarch, died in 2009. Devoted family man, loyal to friends. Grooming next generation of leadership.
—Mark Mueller
ALAIN MONIE
Chief Executive
Ingram Micro Inc.
Irvine
Born in Marrakech, Morocco
Age: 65
Lives in Newport Beach
WHY: Leads Orange County’s largest public company in terms of sales, with over $43 billion in revenue last year. Tech bellwether biggest distributor of computer, consumer electronics products, software in world, with strong business in mobility, cloud, supply chain services. Employs about 900 here, over 29,000 in 45 countries overall, serves customers in over 160 countries.
HOW: First joined Ingram Micro in 2003 as executive vice president. Appointed Asia-Pacific region president a year later. Doubled region’s size after acquisition of Tech Pacific, transforming break-even business into company’s largest growth market. Left in 2010 to head large pulp and paper producer in China; returned in 2011 as president, chief operating officer. Named chief executive in January 2012. Later that year, spearheaded $840 million buy of BrightPoint Inc., largest acquisition in company history. Business Journal 2013 Business Person of the Year.
RECENT: Agreed to $6 billion sale in March to Tianjin Tianhai Investment Co., a unit of Hainan-based conglomerate HNA Group. Retains title under new owner. Completed nine strategic acquisitions last year and two this year across key areas, including advanced offerings, mobility services, commerce, fulfillment, cloud. Continues to improve margins across business lines, delivered record cash flow from operations of $1.5 billion last year. Moved headquarters from Santa Ana to Irvine.
PERSONAL: Likes scuba diving, sports cars, fine wines. Director, Amazon.com Inc. Fluent in English, French, Spanish. Has lived and worked in Europe, Mexico, Japan and Singapore. Big execution guy. Driving aggressive M&A strategy to promote rapid, more profitable growth. Demands accountability, transparency, open communication. Educated in France. Received high honors in automation engineering studies at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Metiers. MBA from Institut Supérieur des Affaires in Jouy-en-Josas. Wife, Dominique, from Bordeaux. Couple has moved 16 times; three sons, four grandchildren.
—Chris Casacchia
ARTURO “ARTE” R. MORENO
Owner, Angels Baseball LP
Anaheim
Born in Tucson, Ariz.
Age: 69
Lives in Phoenix, Corona del Mar
WHY: In 14th season as owner of one of OC’s two professional sports teams. Owns KLAA 830 AM, Angels’ flagship radio station.
HOW: Paid Walt Disney Co. $184 million in 2003 for then-Anaheim Angels. Forbes valued team in March at $1.34 billion, revenue $312 million and $42 million in EBITDA. Baseball buying dates to 1985 as an owner of Class-A Salt Lake City Trappers and original investor in Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998. Built billboard company Outdoor Systems with partner Bill Levine, also an investor in Angels; sold company to Viacom in 1999 for $8.7 billion in stock. Forbes puts wealth at $1.8 billion as of April—up 20% since last year’s OC 50.
RECENT: Negotiations stalled with Anaheim to renew lease on 50-year-old Angel Stadium—last renovated in 1998 for $117 million. Moreno has held talks with Tustin for stadium at former Tustin Marine Corps Air Station. Opt-out option in Anaheim ends 2019, lease in 2029. Player pay this year is about $160 million—including $24 million owed to former Angels slugger Josh Hamilton. Moreno has avoided such high-profile and expensive signings recently, though pitcher Jered Weaver, represented by agent Scott Boras, another OC50er, hits free agency next year.
PERSONAL: Started Angels Baseball Foundation with second wife, Carole, in 2004; has given more than $6 million to various charitable programs in Southern California. Fourth-generation Mexican-American. Oldest of 11 kids. Father ran print shop, grandfather published newspaper. Attended Catholic school. Joined Army in 1965, Vietnam veteran. Graduated University of Arizona in 1973 with marketing degree. Three children.
—Paul Hughes
MICHAEL S. MORHAIME
Co-Founder, Chief Executive
Blizzard Entertainment Inc.
Irvine
Born in Panorama City
Age: 48
Lives in Newport Coast
WHY: Pioneer of multiplayer online games, big factor in 2008 agreement to combine with Santa Monica-based Activision in $18 billion deal, creating Activision Blizzard, largest, most profitable independent game publisher in world, with yearly revenue over $4.6 billion.
HOW: Started Blizzard with fellow University of California-Los Angeles alums Allen Adham, Frank Pearce in 1991. Borrowed $15,000 from his grandmother—has handwritten loan contract on office wall. Blizzard’s forerunner bought by Torrance educational software publisher Davidson & Associates in 1994, then by predecessor to New Jersey-based Cendant in 1996. Sold to Havas in France in 1998, later bought by Vivendi.
RECENT: Free-to-play online brawler “Heroes of the Storm” amassed millions of players since June 2015 release as centerpiece of Blizzard’s gaming competition targeting college students. “Heroes of the Dorm” finals broadcasted in April on ESPN2. Overseeing May launch of first-person shooter “Overwatch,” to be distributed on PCs, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox One—a Blizzard first. First new franchise in 18 years. Other projects in works: classic games division and big push into Hollywood with June release of “Warcraft,” the full-length movie adaptation of franchise hit.
PERSONAL: San Fernando Valley native. Bachelor’s in electrical engineering from UCLA. Donates to Jewish Federation and Family Services, Daniel Pearl Foundation, University of the People. Follows professional StarCraft II eSports competition. Played in World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Placed second in 2006 celebrity poker tournament hosted by Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Plays bass in Blizzard-themed rock band with other employees. Inducted into AIAS Hall of Fame in 2007.
—Chris Casacchia
JAMES T. MORRIS
Chairman, Chief Executive
Pacific Life Insurance Co.
Newport Beach
Born in Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Age: 56
Lives in San Juan Capistrano
WHY: Chief executive of biggest OC-based private company, one of top life insurance companies in U.S.
HOW: Bachelor’s in math from University of California-Los Angeles. Started in 1982 as assistant actuary. Promoted to senior vice president in 1996, executive vice president in 2002. Named chief insurance officer in 2005, chief operating officer in 2006, chief executive in 2007. Fourteenth CEO in company’s nearly 150-year history.
RECENT: Company grew assets modestly last year, up $230 million to $137.3 billion, while equity hit new high of $9.3 billion.
PERSONAL: Chairman, Pacific Life Foundation, which gave $6 million last year to about 300 nonprofits, including $1 million to Conservation International as part of ongoing $5 million pledge. Served as director of American Council of Life Insurers, Washington, D.C.-based trade association of life insurance businesses, from 2007 to 2014, chairman, 2012 and 2013. Was chairman of Junior Achievement of Orange County. Serves on board of directors of Hoag Hospital Foundation, board of visitors of UCLA Anderson School of Management. Fellow, Society of Actuaries. Member, American Academy of Actuaries. Wife, Ann; two children.
—Michael de los Reyes
SEBASTIAN PAUL MUSCO
Founder, Chairman
Gemini Industries, Inc.
Santa Ana
Born in Providence, R.I.
Age: 90
Lives in Irvine
WHY: Founder, Santa Ana-based precious metals provider to auto, oil refining industries; helped develop catalytic converter to lower toxicity of auto exhaust. Entrepreneur keeps other irons in fire, from Il Barone Ristorante on Martingale Way in Newport Beach to Skits, recently launched maker of upscale cases for smartphone, iPads other personal electronic devices.
HOW: Lied about age as teenager to serve in Navy in World War II. Moved to OC in 1972, founded Gemini in 1973. Began as gold, silver refiner, then developed industrial process to economically recover platinum, palladium from used catalytic converters. Provides products, services to every major oil company.
RECENT: Created Santa Ana-based Relief Pod International to design, make emergency kits to help disaster survivors.
PERSONAL: Prefers to be called Paul. Holds three honorary doctorate degrees. Met wife, Marybelle, in Chicago in 1970, moved to OC in 1972. They donated $39 million of $82 million needed for Sebastian P. Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University. “Upset” that donation made news. Big backers of Los Angeles Opera and pals with General Director Placido Domingo, who performed at debut of Musco Center in March. Couple also supports PBS SoCal, Orange County School of the Arts, Canyon Acres Children and Family Services, Muscular Dystrophy Association. In school, used to ask his identical twin, Anthony, to take exams for him.
—Michael de los Reyes
MICHAEL ALBERT MUSSALLEM
Chairman, Chief Executive
Edwards Lifesciences Corp.
Born in Gary, Ind.
Age: 63
Lives in Laguna Beach
WHY: Leads biggest OC-based medical device maker, with more than $2 billion in annual sales, 3,200 local employees, more than 9,250 worldwide. Recent $22.9 billion market value.
HOW: Baxter International Inc. veteran tapped to lead spinoff of company’s cardiovascular business into Edwards Lifesciences. Only CEO Edwards has had in 15-year history as independent company. Company among leaders in cardiovascular disease treatment. Makes transcatheter heart valves, surgical heart valves and critical-care products.
RECENT: Diversifying in its core less-invasive heart valve market. Spent $350 million last July for Irvine startup mitral valve maker CardiAQ Valve Technologies Inc., following that up with undisclosed investment in Baltimore-based Harpoon Medical Inc., which repairs valves.
PERSONAL: Trustee, UCI Foundation. On boards and executive committees of Advanced Medical Technology Association and Healthcare Leadership Council, both in Washington, D.C. Board member emeritus, OCTANe. Die-hard Chicago Cubs fan. Wife, Linda. Former Business Journal Businessperson of the Year. Bachelor’s in chemical engineering, honorary doctorate from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana. Worked summers at steel mill to help pay for college; offered full-time job upon graduation but opted to seek career in newer industry.
—Vita Reed
