MOHAMED EL-ERIAN
Chief Economic Adviser to
Management Board
Allianz Group, Munich, Germany
Born in New York
Age: 56
Lives in Laguna Beach
WHY: Top adviser to one of world’s largest financial services groups, contributor to global financial press. Took new title, retained influence with Allianz after departure from Pacific Investment Management Co. in Newport Beach, subsidiary where his resignation as chief executive and co-chief investment officer came as surprise to most observers last year. Pimco went through months of turmoil in wake of his departure, with fellow OC 50ers Bill Gross eventually leaving and Doug Hodge working to right ship.
HOW: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from University of Cambridge. Doctorate in economics from Oxford University. Held various roles in International Monetary Fund from 1983 to 1997. Brief stint at Salomon Smith Barney in London before joining Pimco in 1999 as senior member of portfolio management. Left in 2006 to run Harvard Management Co., which oversees school’s endowment. Returned to Pimco in 2007 and served as CEO and co-CIO along with Gross.
RECENT: Has been writing as columnist for Bloomberg LP and as contributing editor for Financial Times. Invested in and joined board of directors of Payoff, Costa Mesa-based startup that aims to help consumers refinance and pay off credit card debt. Continues serving as chair of President Barack Obama’s Global Development Council.
PERSONAL: Cited relationship with 11-year-old daughter as key reason behind his departure from Pimco. Rumored as potential prime minister candidate in Egypt in past, current talk suggests possibility of cabinet post if Dems win White House in 2016. Has been speaking out about income inequality, including at event last month at Soka Performing Arts Center in Aliso Viejo. Serves on board of National Bureau of Economic Research, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Author of “When Markets Collide,” NYT and WSJ bestseller. Working on new book about central banks.
—Jane Yu
EDWIN “ED” FULLER
President, Chief Executive, Orange County Visitors Association
President, Laguna Strategic Advisors
Born in Richmond, Va.
Age: 70
Lives in Laguna Hills
WHY: Hotel executive-turned-tourism guru has raised OCVA profile, helped unify county’s broad spectrum of destination marketing organizations. Credited with putting OC on the map with China tourism.
HOW: Forty-year Marriott veteran started as a security guard at Twin Bridges property in Washington, D.C. Hotel slots included chief marketing officer, twice general manager, twice U.S. regional vice president, culminating in Marriott International managing director in 1991; retired 2012 and started Laguna Strategic Advisors; state travel and tourism commissioner; appointed head of OCVA in July 2013.
RECENT: Expanded sales and public relations efforts at offices in, and with missions to, China, Mexico, Dubai, with last one overseeing tourism from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman. “Our teams on the ground have opened doors for us.” OC travel efforts from China include new one with Ctrip, “the TripAdvisor of China.” Began free training for local businesses on culture, communication with Chinese travelers. Industry trade show efforts include International Pow-Wow in Orlando in May. OCVA website VisitTheOC.com now reaches 14 countries; its WeChat page (Chinese version of Facebook) in China has about 20,000 followers.
PERSONAL: Wife, Michela. Bachelor’s in business administration from Boston University School of Management. Advanced management studies, Harvard Business School. Blogger for Forbes; business book, “You Can’t Lead With Your Feet on the Desk,” being published in Chinese. Overseer, former trustee, international advisory board, chairman of dean’s advisory board School of Hospitality at B.U. Former Dean’s Advisory board chair of Paul Merage School of Business, member of UCI Executive Roundtable; trustee, University of California-Irvine; director of Cal State University-San Marcos Foundation; dean’s advisory board for Collins College at Cal Poly Pomona; board of directors, U.S. Travel; director of FBI Academy Foundation, board of directors for Safe Kids, Mind Research Institute; president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation. U.S. Army captain; awarded Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal for service in Vietnam, Germany.
—Paul Hughes
MILDRED GARCÍA
President
California State University-Fullerton
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Age: 63
Lives in Fullerton
WHY: Runs largest university in OC by enrollment (38,128, fall 2014), campus employs about 5,100. First Latina-American president in CSU system. Board member of Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (2015-2016); Association of Public & Land Grant Universities; Orange County United Way; and American Association of State Colleges and Universities, chairing that group’s Millennium Leadership Initiative Executive Steering Committee.
HOW: California State University-Dominguez Hills president from 2007 to 2012, president of Berkeley College in New York and New Jersey from 2001 to 2007. Previously vice provost for academic personnel, and associate vice provost for academic affairs at Arizona State University.
RECENT: Introduced first-ever CSUF motto, “Titans Reach Higher,” as school hit No. 1 in California and No. 10 in U.S. for number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to women; No. 1 in West for students graduating with least debt, and No. 10 in country for bachelor’s degrees awarded to Latinos. Giving to school doubled from $7.3 million in 2012-2013 to $16 million in 2013-2014; endowment’s up from $34 million to $50 million, same period; first grads in Southern California CSU Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Consortium; creation of School of Music, which offers two-year certificate; tapped Marian Bergeson, Lynn Daucher, Lois Lundberg for dinner celebrating OC political history; halfway to fall 2015 goal of 133 new tenure-track faculty
PERSONAL: Parents came to New York from Puerto Rico; was first in family to go to college, with associate degree from New York City Community College, business degrees from Baruch College at City University of New York and NYU, doctorate in education from Columbia. Loves to dance and read. Honors this year include Distinguished Alumni Award from Columbia’s Teachers College, Trailblazer Award from Leadership California, and award from Girl Scouts of Orange County.
—Paul Hughes
HOWARD GILLMAN
Chancellor
University of California-Irvine
Born in Los Angeles
Age: 66
Lives in Irvine
WHY: Oversees 50-year-old research university with 30,736 students and 22,385 employees, including 2,908 full- and part-time faculty.
HOW: Appointed chancellor September 2014 after serving as interim chancellor since July 2014, and provost and executive vice chancellor since 2013. Took up residence in Tierney University House in University Hills. A dean (2007-2012) and professor of political science, history and law at the University of Southern California prior to joining UCI; helped raise $500 million while at USC.
RECENT: On the job officially and full time for eight months; a top early effort: Institute for Innovation, launched spring 2014 when Gillman was provost. Spends about two-thirds of time on fundraising and relationship-building, one-third on campus for students and faculty. Just-recruited provost, Enrique Lavernia, set to start in July as campus No. 2; Dr. Howard Federoff on way as vice chancellor for health affairs, dean of med school; search continues for CEO for UCI Medical Center in Orange. Expect new hires to reflect Gillman’s view that “Orange County respects institutions that are nimble and innovative.”
PERSONAL: Grew up in working-class San Fernando Valley neighborhood—“unbelievably important background for leadership—you remember where you came from and get to show respect to lots of people.” First in family to attend college; earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in political science at UCLA. Wife Ellen: bachelor’s from UC San Diego with a master’s, doctorate in psychology from UCLA; two children. Wrote books on police powers jurisprudence and the 2000 presidential election; 40-plus articles and book chapters. Co-authoring upcoming book on the early U.S. Constitution. Co-taught course at UCI law school with Dean Erwin Chemerinsky; began New Yorker subscription as preteen; magician at the Magic Castle as a teenager.
—Paul Hughes
MIGUEL GONZALEZ REYNOSO
Co-President
Northgate González LLC, Anaheim
Born in Jalisco, Mexico
Age: 65
Lives in La Mirada
WHY: Growing retail chain ended last year with more than $700 million in sales and 5,500 employees working at 40 stores.
HOW: Co-president with brother Oscar Gonzalez Reynoso. Late father, Miguel Gonzalez Sr., founded company with wife, Teresa Reynoso. He moved to U.S. after shoe shop in Jalisco, Mexico, burned down. Older sons, rest of family followed and settled in La Mirada. Gonzalez Reynoso and father planned on buying apartment building, but instead went for discounted retail space on Anaheim Boulevard in Anaheim. First store opened in 1980 selling Latino products and check-cashing services. Second store in La Habra opened in 1986, and Pico Rivera followed in 1989. Company entered San Diego market in 2008 with El Tigre Markets buy.
RECENT: Rebranded Pro’s Ranch Market chain—part of Cardenas Northgate Group Ranch partnership with Ontario-based Cardenas Markets—to Los Altos Ranch Market. Northgate also set up marketing deal with WV Enterprises production company, which launched its animated series “Muertoons” for the grocery chain’s customers who purchase select products.
—Mediha DiMartino
BILL GROSS
Portfolio Manager
Janus Capital Group, Newport Beach
Born in Middletown, Ohio
Age: 71
Lives in Laguna Beach (Irvine Cove)
WHY: Cofounder and former CIO of Pacific Investment Management Co. in Newport Beach. “Bond King” now with Janus Capital. Newport Center office stone’s throw from Pimco HQ that opened a few months before his departure last year.
HOW: Graduated from Duke University with degree in psychology. Headed to Las Vegas to play blackjack after reading Ed Thorp’s book on card counting. Served in Navy before going to UCLA for MBA. Founded Pimco in Los Angeles in 1971 as part of Pacific Life Insurance. Relocated to Newport Beach in 1972. Pac Life sold 70% stake to German insurance company Allianz in 2000, sold remaining interest in 2008. Gross dominant investment voice as Pimco grew to about $2 trillion in assets by 2014, although performance of Gross-run Total Return Fund lagged, began to see outflows. Mohamed El-Erian—former co-CIO and CEO of Pimco and fellow OC 50er—left investment house early last year amid reports of internal turmoil. Rumor mill churned in national, global financial press for several months before Gross’ departure in September.
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 the scale he managed at Pimco and that reportedly includes as much as $700 million of his own money. Gross has publicly said relative smallness of fund and prospects of being “free from complications of” executive and administrative duties were attractive.
Meanwhile, outflows from Pimco Total Return increased significantly after he left the company and have continued. It had $290 billion in assets at its peak in mid-2013 and now is around $110 billion.
PERSONAL: Gross and wife, Sue, have been active philanthropists in OC and beyond. Longtime sponsors of OC Teachers of the Year awards. Couple in December donated $10 million to Mission Hospital Laguna Beach to support its emergency medical services and new imaging technologies.
—Jane Yu
DOUGLAS HODGE
Chief Executive
Pacific Investment Management Co.,
Newport Beach
Born in Bronxville, N.Y.
Age: 57
Lives in Laguna Beach (Emerald Bay)
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 head of executive committee.
HOW: Graduated from Dartmouth College with bachelor’s in economics. MBA from Harvard Business School. Worked for various companies, including 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 for several years in Tokyo. Named chief operating officer in 2009, took CEO’s post early last year when Mohamed El-Erian, a fellow OC 50er, announced plans to resign.
RECENT: Promoted with new lineup 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 cofounder Bill Gross, left his post as CIO and went to Janus Capital. The bombshell followed months of tension between Gross, colleagues, and sped up outflows from Pimco, especially the Total Return Fund that had become synonymous with Gross and has shrunk from $290 billion in assets at its peak in mid-2013 to around $110 billion. Hodge has responded by zeroing in on client relationships, with minimal media appearances, commentary, leaving public-face duties to Ivascyn and team. Pimco recently hired former Federal Reserve boss Ben Bernanke as senior adviser in move seen as bid to reassure clients, stem outflows. Hodge says past year of significant organizational change “has been both our biggest challenge and provided the largest reward.” Sees Pimco as “stronger today than at any time in our history.”
PERSONAL: President of 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 of Sage Hill School, Thacher School and NOVA Academy Foundation. Sits on board of directors of Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. Wife, Kylie Schuyler; couple has seven children, involved in Olive Crest and El Sol charter school in Santa Ana; Schuyler founder of Santa Ana-based nonprofit Global Girls Rising next door.
—Jane Yu
EMILE K. HADDAD
Chief Executive, President
FivePoint Communities Inc., Aliso Viejo
Born in Beirut, Lebanon
Age: 56
Lives in Laguna Hills (Nellie Gail)
WHY: Developer of some of the largest mixed-use masterplanned communities in California, including Great Park Neighborhoods at former El Toro Marine base in Irvine.
HOW: Stepped down as Lennar Corp. chief investment officer in 2009 to cofound FivePoint with Lennar. Has 40% stake, which gives him controlling interest.
RECENT: Commercial and residential development now in full swing at Great Park Neighborhoods.
Home sales at Pavilion Park, the 726-home, first residential neighborhood planned around the Orange County Great Park, sold out. It is one of the best-selling new communities in the country, received recognition as the National Association of Homebuilders Master Planned Community of the Year. Development is moving ahead for Beacon Park, the second residential area of the Great Park Neighborhoods, a 1,029-home project. Ten builders were selected in January for Beacon Park, and sales are slated to begin later this summer. FivePoint is also overseeing development of 688 acres of the Orange County Great Park, which will include one of the largest sport complexes in the country. First big corporate anchor on board, Broadcom Corp., broke ground in March for campus on 73-acre Great Park site it paid $156 million for. Total cost of campus estimated at $778 million for chipmaker.
PERSONAL: Joined Lennar exec Jonathan Jaffe (see related Namely Notable entry, page 15) as Business People of the Year by OCBJ in 2005 after leading $1 billion purchase of former El Toro base—biggest local real estate deal in recent memory. Chair of the UCI Foundation’s board of trustees, on board of Lusk Center for Real Estate and Sol Price School at USC, a UC Berkeley policy advisory board, Claremont Graduate School, and St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. Civil engineering degree from American University of Beirut. California licenses in engineering, contracting. A regular speaker at economic and real estate events. Left troubled Lebanon with fiancée, now wife, Dina. Daughter, son.
—Mark Mueller
GARY BERNARD JABARA
Founder, Chief Executive
Mobilitie LLC, Newport Beach
Born in Baldwin Park
Age: 53
Lives in Newport Beach
WHY: Telecom and wireless exec, owner of country’s largest privately held provider of wireless infrastructure, as well as force in OC’s residential, commercial real estate markets.
HOW: Former partner at Deloitte’s telecommunications infrastructure practice, started Mobilitie in 2006. Privately held company quickly grew into one of country’s largest owners of cell towers. Scored $1.1 billion from 2012 sale of 2,300 cellphone towers to SBA Communications Corp. Deal represented a “portion” of assets of Mobilitie. Using proceeds from deal to buy real estate, primarily in OC, while rolling out new business lines for his telecom company.
RECENT: Reinvented Mobilitie with new line of services: providing upgraded wireless service to sports arenas, concert venues, casinos and other large venues. Deals with numerous venues, including Honda Center in Anaheim, Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and MGM Resorts in Las Vegas. Now one of country’s largest providers of distributed antenna systems, or DAS. Company had estimated enterprise value of $500 million as of few years ago. In 2013, backed launch of Newport Beach-based Villa Real Estate, residential brokerage that targets high-end coastal properties. Villa now has more than 100 brokers and has office locations in Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach and the Balboa Peninsula.
PERSONAL: Named Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013 for real estate, took home OC Business Journal Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award this year. Calls Mobilitie as much a real estate venture as a technology company. Gave $1 million to Sage Hill School for upgrades to its sports fields, has also given to Irvine, Newport-Mesa school districts. San Diego State grad led an ownership group that tried, unsuccessfully, to buy the San Diego Padres baseball team in 2012.
—Mark Mueller
JAMES H. JANNARD
Founder, Chief Executive
Red.com Inc., Red Digital
Cinema Camera Co.
Born in Alhambra
Age: 65
Lives in Washington, Las Vegas and L.A.
WHY: Built two global brands from the ground up. Sold Foothill Ranch-based Oakley Inc., Runs Red Digital Cinema Camera Co. behind the scenes; Jarred Land is president of the Irvine-based company.
HOW: Dropped out of USC School of Pharmacy to start Oakley in 1975. Sold motorcycle grips out of car, then turned to goggles and sunglasses. Italy-based Luxottica Group SPA paid $2.1 billion in 2007 for Oakley. Then 2-year-old Red Digital released its first camera, the Red One, same year. Jannard bought Ren-Mar Studios in Hollywood in 2010, renamed Red Studios. Has directors Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott and James Cameron as customers.
RECENT: Sequels to “Avatar” and “Game of Thrones” shot on Red cameras. Astronaut Terry Virts used Red Dragon 6K camera in the cupola of International Space Station to shoot the unberthing of SpaceX’ Dragon spacecraft. Company released the “Weapon,” its smallest and most lightweight camera “brain” to date.
PERSONAL: Married; four children, 14 grandchildren.
—Mediha DiMartino
JOSEPH E. KIANI
Chairman, Chief Executive
Masimo Corp., Irvine
Born in Shiraz, Iran
Age: 50
Lives in Laguna Niguel
WHY: Decorated entrepreneur has become driving force of patient-safety movement, which centers on data sharing as way to prevent hospital-related patient deaths.
HOW: Established Masimo, maker of patient monitors, with partner in garage in 1989. Grew company and attracted more than $80 million in venture capital. Took Masimo public eight years ago in offering that raised $233 million. Company now has yearly sales of $586.6 million, 3,680 employees, recent market value of $1.8 billion. Products sold to hospitals, surgery centers, ambulance companies, fire departments.
RECENT: Avid tennis fan moving Masimo into the elite athlete market. Served as sponsor of BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells in March. Showcased MightySat portable pulse oximeter at tournament; debuted TV commercials with MightySat user and Olympic cyclist Dotsie Bausch. Continued patient safety movement work, including third patient safety summit in January, when former President Bill Clinton returned as keynoter. Continuing to draw device makers to movement.
PERSONAL: Trustee, Chapman University. Dean’s advisory board at alma mater San Diego State University College of Engineering. Holds more than 50 patents related to signal processing, sensors, patient monitoring. Came to U.S. with family at age 9. Graduated high school at 15. Warm, energetic personality. Subdued sartorial style, favors dark suits, crisp white shirts, sans tie; plays tennis. Wife, Sarah; two daughters, one son.
—Vita Reed
BILL LINK
Cofounder, Managing Director
Versant Ventures, San Francisco, Newport Beach
Born in Morenci, Mich.
Age: 68
Lives in Irvine
WHY: Longtime healthcare industry veteran, with more than 30 years as entrepreneur and investor. Cofounder and OC-based head of $1.9 billion venture capital firm that specializes in biopharmaceutical companies and medical device makers.
HOW: Engineer by trade. Earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. Got interested in medicine and gained academic exposure through veterinarian program at Purdue. Worked at Indiana University as assistant professor in department of surgery. Pioneer of sorts in blending of medicine and engineering—got into biomedical engineering in 1970s when “it wasn’t even a profession yet.” 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 focus to investing. Was general partner at Brentwood Venture Capital before cofounding Versant in 1999.
RECENT: Versant in December closed $305 million fund—Versant Venture Capital V—focused on “discovery and development of novel therapeutics.” Firm is taking “build-to-buy” approach, with early strategic partnerships in startups expected to be launched by Versant’s own incubators—Inception Sciences in San Diego and Blueline BioScience in Toronto. Recent portfolio exits include sale of Aliso Viejo-based WaveTec Vision to global eye-care company Alcon, and IPO of Second Sight, developer of prosthetic retinal implant. Second Sight has market cap of around $416 million.
PERSONAL: Chairman of Laguna Hills-based eye device maker Glaukos and of Alphaeon, Irvine-based lifestyle healthcare company. Serves as director of Edwards Lifesciences. Recipient of 2014 Catalyst Award from Glaucoma Research Foundation. Member of UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering Leadership Council. Wife, Marsha; two children, four grandchildren.
—Jane Yu
ALEJANDRO “ALEX” LOPEZ
Vice President, Boeing Advanced
Network & Space Systems
Site Executive, Huntington Beach
Age: 56
Born in Havana, Cuba
Lives in Anaheim
WHY: Top Huntington Beach executive for Chicago-based aerospace and defense contractor with some 6,500 Orange County employees. Vice president of Advanced Network & Space Systems in company’s Phantom Works unit developing small satellites, a potentially multibillion-dollar market in next decade. Huntington Beach operation also includes electronics and information solutions, strategic missile defense systems, unmanned underwater vehicles, global services and support, small satellites, space exploration and launch technologies.
HOW: Joined Rockwell International, later bought by Boeing, in 1981 as communication systems engineer working on GPS satellites. Advanced through ranks, becoming chief scientist for Communication, Tracking and Location Systems.
RECENT: Boeing’s 18½-foot unmanned, underwater Echo Ranger vessel completed sonar mission off Half Moon Bay coastline for National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, traveling 3,000 feet below the surface to capture the most detailed look of WWII aircraft carrier USS Independence in more than six decades. Boeing received 2015 Giving is Living award from OneOC for supporting educational and restoration initiatives at Bolsa Chica Conservancy in Huntington Beach.
PERSONAL: Serves on the board of Great Minds in STEM, a nonprofit that promotes science, technology, engineering and math careers in underserved communities. Immigrated to the U.S. at 2 with his parents and sister. Grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Received Corporate Achievement Award in 2011 from Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Enjoys family, travel, golf, reading.
—Chris Casacchia
WILLIAM LYON
Executive Chairman
William Lyon Homes Inc.,
Newport Beach
Born in Los Angeles
Age: 92
Lives in Coto de Caza
BILL H. LYON
Chief Executive
William Lyon Homes Inc.,
Newport Beach
Age: 41
Lives in Newport Beach
WHY: Father-son team that runs namesake housing company, long one of region’s most active homebuilders.
HOW: William Lyon Homes, predecessor companies have built estimated 100,000 homes over the past 50 years. Gen. Lyon started Luxury Homes with brother Leon in Fullerton in 1954. Started William Lyon Co. in Newport Beach in 1972, William Lyon Homes in 1993. In 1999 combined with Presley under William Lyon Homes name, just in time for housing boom. Took company private in 2006. Re-emerged as public builder in 2013 following a prepackaged bankruptcy that had the support of its main lenders.
RECENT: Continued growth in sales, and expansion of company’s reach, over past year. William Lyon Homes sold more than 1,750 homes in 2014, up 29% from 2013. Sales now at rate the company last saw in 2007, officials said. Paid $520 million to buy operations of Bellevue, Wash.-based Polygon Northwest Co., the largest privately owned homebuilder in the Pacific Northwest. New market for William Lyon Homes, which had focused on California, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. OC’s fifth largest builder by sales in 2014 with 285 sales, including projects in Irvine and Rancho Mission Viejo. High-end project next to St. Regis resort in Dana Point opening this year. Father and son signed new employment contracts with company in April.
PERSONAL: Senior Lyon is a retired Air Force major general and has long history in aviation. Served as chief of Air Force Reserve, 1975 to 1979. Pilot during World War II, Korea; 17 combat decorations. Opened Lyon Air Museum in 2010 next to John Wayne Airport. Joined fellow OC 50er George Argyros to pay $62 million to buy airline AirCal in 1981. Sold five years later to American Airlines for $225 million. Wife, Willa Dean; five children. Younger Lyon is a Stanford grad, dual bachelor of science degree in Industrial Engineering and Product Design. Worked for homebuilder and its predecessors since 1997. Serves on board of Pretend City Children’s Museum in Irvine and Commercial Bank of California. Also serves on board of governors of Bowers Museum in Santa Ana.
—Mark Mueller
