Business Leaders

It was arguably the most prestigious social event of the Southern California business community. On Feb. 17, some 450 executives from all over Southern California converged upon the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Laguna Niguel, for the 16th Forum for Corporate Directors awards dinner. The high-powered function was hosted by Michael A. Mussallem , chairman and chief executive of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation. Edwards was also one of the overall event sponsors, joined by the Walt Disney Co. assisting in underwriting the evening.

Some of the area's top executives will test their basketball skills Feb. 1 during halftime at UC Irvine's basketball game. But it's not just because the business leaders enjoy shooting hoops. They are all members of the university's Chief Executive Roundtable, which was created in 1986 to form a partnership between local businesses, the community and the school. Brian Stein, chief executive officer of Syspro in Costa Mesa, will be on the dark gray team with his team captain Henry Samueli — owner of the Anaheim Ducks and The Honda Center, as well as co-founder of Irvine's Broadcom Corporation and the namesake of a theater in the new Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

Taco Bell President Greg Creed will discuss his background in the restaurant industry during an hourlong presentation Nov. 18 at UCI. Creed will speak with MBA students about marketing and other business issues. The speech, part of The Paul Merage School of Business Distinguished Speaker Series, is the first in the series and is scheduled to begin about 5:30 p.m. The cost is $50 for general admission, $25 for UCI alumni and free for current students, staff and faculty.

NEWPORT BEACH — The post-recession consumer expects more value and better service for less cash, prominent community business leaders said Wednesday. The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce hosted "Strategies for Growth in a Recovering Economy," a morning seminar at Newport Beach Lexus dealership. Panelists included Jim Walker, owner of The Bungalow; Gary Sherwin, president and chief executive of Visit Newport Beach Inc.; Bobby Sento, sales manager at Newport Lexus; Gavin Herbert Jr., president and CEO of Roger's Gardens; and Shannon Fowler of the American Cancer Society.

COSTA MESA — The desire for profit sometimes trumps ethics in the business world, but one local faith organization wants to show that the two can go hand in hand. The Orange Catholic Foundation, which is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, will hold its ninth annual Conference on Business and Ethics on Thursday morning at the Orange County/Costa Mesa Hilton hotel. The half-day event will feature conservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager and Father Seamus Finn, a board member at the New York-based Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.

  More than 600 guests, including 105 physicians, local business leaders, staff and community supporters attended St. Joseph Hospital’s “Celebration 2009!” event in Orange County. “ We are very pleased with the contributions and raised $150,000 and the success of our ‘Raise the Paddle’ fundraiser,” says Dr. Connie Bartlett, Celebration Co-Chair and St. Joseph Hospital physician. “The proceeds will benefit the new hybrid operating room and The Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment, while $46,000 from ‘Raise the Paddle’ was raised specifically for our biospecimen research program.

UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business announced its lineup for the Distinguished Speaker Series for 2008-09 Thursday. The list includes business leaders from large companies ranging in product offerings. Starting the lineup Nov. 18 will be the president of Taco Bell, Greg Creed. Creed will be followed by the president of Northrop Grumman Space Technology, Alexis Livanos, Feb. 10, then Black & Decker Home Division President Jim Caudill on April 7, then Quicksilver Chief Executive Bob McKnight on May 19. This is the business school’s third year of holding the speaker series.

Business leaders, city officials and local historians celebrated a century of business partnerships as the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce honored its 100th year in the city. The evening celebrated the Newport business community's past, present and future. "It's a great resource and a great asset to the economic well-being of the community," Newport Beach City Councilman Keith Curry said. Guests at the celebration watched a video with local historians telling the chamber's story through their own experiences and they perused a series of posters detailing the city and chamber's history.

Paul Clinton A delegation of local businessmen and women headed to China today, hoping to forge ties with a nation opening itself up to more trade with the West. For Dorothy Larson, the trip, sponsored by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, is an effort to explore whether business deals can be struck in the future. Larson runs a Newport Beach accounting practice, Larson and Associates, where she prepares tax returns for Americans living in foreign countries.

Ron Liden, the founder of Liden Financial in Irvine, makes a lot of business deals, but to him there's nothing like negotiating on a yacht. So he can hardly wait for May and September when the twice-yearly Luxury Yacht Business Mixer and Cruise sets sail. Liden said he's made many of his most prominent deals during the event, which has brought hundreds of industry leaders together to talk business and enjoy the view on a 108-foot-long yacht for the last five years. On Tuesday the ship sets out again from 5 to 8:30 p.m. with more than 350 people representing businesses from San Diego to Los Angeles.

Amid allegations of using public funds for politics, the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce has further distanced itself from its Political Action Committee. Chamber President Richard Luehrs said that the two groups have separated, and last week city officials finalized a contract that will allow them to audit the chamber's books. These developments come as city officials prepare to choose which nonprofits will receive annual grants for the next fiscal year. The chamber was awarded nearly $40,000 in public funding this year for its Taste of Newport festival and Christmas Boat Parade.

COSTA MESA — The desire for profit sometimes trumps ethics in the business world, but one local faith organization wants to show that the two can go hand in hand. The Orange Catholic Foundation, which is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, will hold its ninth annual Conference on Business and Ethics on Thursday morning at the Orange County/Costa Mesa Hilton hotel. The half-day event will feature conservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager and Father Seamus Finn, a board member at the New York-based Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.

NEWPORT BEACH — The post-recession consumer expects more value and better service for less cash, prominent community business leaders said Wednesday. The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce hosted "Strategies for Growth in a Recovering Economy," a morning seminar at Newport Beach Lexus dealership. Panelists included Jim Walker, owner of The Bungalow; Gary Sherwin, president and chief executive of Visit Newport Beach Inc.; Bobby Sento, sales manager at Newport Lexus; Gavin Herbert Jr., president and CEO of Roger's Gardens; and Shannon Fowler of the American Cancer Society.

Laguna Beach resident Lester Savit will serve on Paul Merage School of Business' Dean's Advisory Board at UC Irvine. The board serves as the school's primary advisory panel, providing perspective and counsel for academic and professional programs. "I am pleased to be appointed to the Dean's Advisory Board," said Savit, an attorney. "The support of the university is crucial to the continued success of the Orange County business community and the development of tomorrow's business leaders.

It was arguably the most prestigious social event of the Southern California business community. On Feb. 17, some 450 executives from all over Southern California converged upon the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Laguna Niguel, for the 16th Forum for Corporate Directors awards dinner. The high-powered function was hosted by Michael A. Mussallem , chairman and chief executive of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation. Edwards was also one of the overall event sponsors, joined by the Walt Disney Co. assisting in underwriting the evening.

The city of Newport Beach will be the first city in 2011 to host the landmark "helping 100 businesses for 100 days" workshop. There is no cost to attend this event on Saturday at the OASIS Senior Center in Corona del Mar. The doors will open at 8:30 a.m. and the workshop will go until 1 p.m. At the event you will be able to network with civic and business leaders, learn about social commerce and ways to monetize social networks, get motivated with...

  More than 600 guests, including 105 physicians, local business leaders, staff and community supporters attended St. Joseph Hospital’s “Celebration 2009!” event in Orange County. “ We are very pleased with the contributions and raised $150,000 and the success of our ‘Raise the Paddle’ fundraiser,” says Dr. Connie Bartlett, Celebration Co-Chair and St. Joseph Hospital physician. “The proceeds will benefit the new hybrid operating room and The Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment, while $46,000 from ‘Raise the Paddle’ was raised specifically for our biospecimen research program.

Taco Bell President Greg Creed will discuss his background in the restaurant industry during an hourlong presentation Nov. 18 at UCI. Creed will speak with MBA students about marketing and other business issues. The speech, part of The Paul Merage School of Business Distinguished Speaker Series, is the first in the series and is scheduled to begin about 5:30 p.m. The cost is $50 for general admission, $25 for UCI alumni and free for current students, staff and faculty.

UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business announced its lineup for the Distinguished Speaker Series for 2008-09 Thursday. The list includes business leaders from large companies ranging in product offerings. Starting the lineup Nov. 18 will be the president of Taco Bell, Greg Creed. Creed will be followed by the president of Northrop Grumman Space Technology, Alexis Livanos, Feb. 10, then Black & Decker Home Division President Jim Caudill on April 7, then Quicksilver Chief Executive Bob McKnight on May 19. This is the business school’s third year of holding the speaker series.

“I watched as a family approached the wall. The husband got down on his knees and kissed the ground,” shared Nicole Laderberg , speaking about her personal experience visiting Jerusalem’s Western Wall, perhaps the most sacred historic site in Israel for the Jewish people. “It was such a moving, emotional moment. I felt that I too was connected, my family was part of the chain,” added Laderberg. She had come to a cocktail reception at the handsome costal hillside residence of Allison and Howard Hyman to welcome one of the world’s most prominent business leaders and philanthropists.