Magnetic CEO Ken Bakunas Named CEO of the Year by Tampa Bay CEO Magazine
TAMPA, Fla. - (Dec. 12, 2007) - Magnetic CEO Ken Bakunas was named the 2007 CEO of the Year by Tampa Bay CEO Magazine, taking top honors overall and in the technology category.
"There are so many great CEOs in the Tampa Bay region, and our goal with this award was to recognize their work and accomplishments from both a business and community perspective," said David C. Glass, CEO & Publisher, Tampa Bay CEO Magazine (www.tampabayceo.com). "Ken has done some amazing things with Magnetic as well as within the community, demonstrating a level of vision and leadership that sets him apart from his contemporaries. He truly personifies everything we were looking for in our first CEO of the Year."
The CEO of the Year selection was based on the strength of each candidate's corporate vision, leadership, market performance and community involvement. Bakunas, who founded the full-service Web development firm in 1997, was selected for the honor from more than 200 nominations in eight categories, including technology, advertising and marketing, customer service, business to business, financial services, community action, real estate and under age 30.
Nominations were judged by an independent panel of business leaders: Robert Forsythe, Dean, University of South Florida College of Business; Bob Gaudreau, President and CEO, Media Golf Productions; Devin Herz, President, MediaFX; and Dustin Jurman, CEO, Rapid Systems.
"This is an amazing honor, particularly given the caliber of leadership among the finalists," said Bakunas. "However, I could not have achieved it without the strength of the Magnetic team behind me. It is their dedication to providing high-quality, innovative service that is at the heart of our success."
The CEO of the Year honor is just the latest in a string of awards for Bakunas and Magnetic. The firm was named the 2007 Small Business of the Year in the 21-50 employee category by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, and was selected as one of Tampa Bay Business Journal's "Best Places to Work," receiving the highest score of all categories for the second year in a row.
Also this year, Magnetic was a finalist for the Business Journal's 2007 Business of the Year Award, earned the 2007 Interactive Media Awards™ (IMA) Outstanding Achievement Award in the Pharmaceutical category, and was awarded its second Shopping Standard of Excellence WebAward from the Web Marketing Association.
"It has been an amazing year for Magnetic and this recognition of Ken's leadership, vision and dedication to the community is a wonderful way to wrap it up," said Jennifer Bakunas, President, Magnetic. "Ken has always been an inspiration to the Magnetic team and we are thrilled that others have recognized his passion and drive for success, not only for Magnetic but for the Tampa Bay community as a whole."
About Magnetic Based in Tampa, Fla., Magnetic is a full-service Web development company that helps businesses reach their full web potential through strategic consulting, Web design, e-commerce, database integration, content management, systems integration, Web marketing, and Web hosting. Founded in 1997, and celebrating its 10th anniversary, Magnetic offers both business and technical expertise to help medium- to large-size businesses achieve greater profitability and sales through the Internet. For more information, please visit www.magnetic.com.
