Best CEO’s Of 2012. As 2012 comes to a close, it’s the time of year to list some of the best CEOs of the past 12 months. These CEO’s are not chosen only on the basis of the work they did in 2012, but due weight-age is also given to the efforts put in previous years, which paid off in 2012, and in coming years. Finally, we used our proprietary system to decide on the final top five best CEOs.
Dan Hesse (Sprint)
Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) CEO, Dan Hesse, joined the company in late 2007 as it was in free fall, twirling from the tenure of Gary Hesse. One of the first and most clairvoyant things Hesse did was make simpler rate plans by offering “Simply Everything” plan in early 2008. Since then, ‘uncomplicatedness’ has become one of the most important brand values and flagship of Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S), which at present stands as the only Tier 1 wireless carrier offering unlimited smartphones plans to new subscribers.
Hesse, who headed Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) since late 2007, saved the company after a long trajectory of failed attempts. He did not achieve the chore by improving operations, instead, he found an investor keen to buy a majority interest in the company — not an easy job given how badly placed the third biggest cellular company in the United States has been. Sprint’s third-quarter results are a sufficient indication of the trouble the corporation would have as an independent operation without outside financial backing.
Jeff Weiner (LinkedIn)
Jeff’s open and empathetic leadership style kept the company budding at the rate of two new members every second (that converts into 175 million registered users in more than 200 countries). The business mantra “Next Play”, which Jeff has adopted, borrowed from Duke University Basket Ball coach Mike Krzyzewski who shouts ‘next play’ every time the ball changes hands. The coach uses the phrase to make certain the Duke University Blue Devils don’t spend too much time rejoicing a victory or feeling down about a miss. Instead, they are trained to concentrate on one thing: the next challenge.
Weiner describes how powerful and encouraging the phrase has been for the company. Even today 16 months after the Linkedin Corporation (NYSE:LNKD) IPO, employees endure to talk about their Next Play and stay concentrated on delivering results.
Brian Thomas Moynihan (Bank of America)
Moynihan held numerous banking positions before joining as the president of consumer and small business banking at Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) in January 2009. According to a CNN report in 2011, Brian Moynihan was the man capable of turning around things in Bank of America, which was suffering from a damaged reputation and huge mortgage losses, the company was lurching under financial crisis. Initially in his first seventeen months, Moynihan did little to dismiss the image of Bank, he then rocked Wall Street by disclosing a milestone settlement that took a huge step towards finally putting the home loan mess behind Bank of America. In October 2012, Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) took everyone by surprise by turning out to be the Best Capitalized Bank, leaving behind JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), Well Fargo and Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C).
Jeff Bezos (Amazon)
Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has now ascended to the number 2 spot, up from number 7 in HBR 2010 list. Under his leadership, the company brought industry-adjusted shareholder returns of 12,266 percent and saw its value upsurge by $111 billion. Last month Fortune recognized him its Business Person of the Year. Jeff Bezos created Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) in 1994 as an online bookstore. As CEO, he has created it into the largest retailer on the Web, selling everything from groceries to electronics and shoes. Amazon constantly flourishes with risky new ventures, which Bezos attributes to firmness and an obsession with customer needs.
Daniel R. DiMicco (Nucor)
Daniel R. DiMicco, as the CEO of Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) for almost 12 years, led the company through one of its most explosive and lucrative growth periods, with total shareholder return of 463.9%. He is passing this honor and responsibility on to the current President and Chief Operating Officer, John J. Ferriola effective January 1, 2013.
DiMicco, 62, who served as Nucor’s CEO longer than anyone since founder Ken Iverson, took over as Nucor’s leader in September 2000, near the beginning of an economic crash that drastically reorganized the steel industry in the United States and abroad. DiMicco will remain with Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) as Executive Chairman.
