MANNY MONTANEZ
CEO/PRESIDENT
EG MONTANEZ CONSTRUCTION INC.
WHY: Long time OC entrepreneur and executive. Construction firm specializes in buildings for veterans. Was managing director at MetLife Capital with $1.2B in assets. Involved in wide variety of charities, including developing the Children’s Hospital of Orange County and helping Gary Crisp of Crisp Imaging host hundreds of Marines during the annual Super Bowl party in Newport Beach.
NOTABLE: Vietnam vet who didn’t walk for a year while recuperating from war injuries. Was named in 2001 Orange County Council Boy Scout of America Man of Character and subsequently has served as the co-chair of the event. Orange County Veteran of the Year, 2014-15, SBA Santa Ana/Inland Empire District 2020 Veteran Business Champion of the Year.
QUOTABLE: “In business I always wanted to understand the person before the professional. I’d read a resume backwards starting with hobbies, interests, family. You learn what really matters that way. It was a principle I carried into every boardroom. If you’re meeting with someone, look around their office. People are proud of what they surround themselves with. That’s where you begin a conversation—with what they love.”
