December 31, 2009
Career, Finance, Investing, Private Equity, Venture Capital
1 Comment
Mr. Neilson was tapped by State Economic Development to launch the newly born Utah Fund of Funds in 2003. As the first staff member, Mr. Neilson has been working for the program’s success for the past five years, three of which he was the sole management team member. Mr. Neilson sits on the advisory boards of the Women Tech Council and Upstart Ventures. Prior to the Utah Fund of Funds, Mr. Neilson was an associate with the University Venture Fund where he spent time working closely with local and national venture capitalists on company due diligence. Mr. Neilson started his professional career at Neilson Elggren, in their Los Angeles office, a fraud and bankruptcy forensic accounting firm, where he worked on a number of matters including Adelphia’s billion dollar bankruptcy and one of Americas largest Ponzi schemes. Mr. Neilson holds a finance degree from BYU, an MBA from the University of Utah and a Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest School of Law.
March 31, 2009
Career, Entrepreneurism, Finance, Investing, Leadership, Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Real Estate, Venture Capital
1 Comment
As chief executive officer of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, Greg Miller oversees all automotive, sports and entertainment, and real estate divisions. These holdings include 40 automotive dealerships and one motorcycle dealership located throughout six Western states; credit, insurance and advertising agencies; two professional sports teams; a motorsports park and an arena; an independent television station; restaurant and catering companies; a sports apparel retail chain; movie theaters; and an office complex.
Miller assumed his current position in July 2008 but has worked in the family business since 1979, when his father, Larry H. Miller, purchased his first auto dealership – a Toyota store located in Murray, Utah. Greg Miller, who was 13 at the time, began his career by sweeping floors and working in the parts department. Since then, the group has expanded into one of the nation’s 200 largest privately-owned companies.
Miller has 29 years experience working in a variety of positions that enabled him to learn the family business firsthand. During that time, he focused on areas ranging from finance to minor league hockey. His many accomplishments include: starting up Performance Automotive, which provides chemicals, printing and specialty products to auto dealerships; managing several multimillion dollar construction projects; and serving as general manager of both a Toyota and a Honda dealership.
Prior to his current position, Miller oversaw construction and had operational oversight of Miller Motorsports Park, in Tooele, Utah. During his tenure, he was instrumental in developing and improving sales and marketing operations. The state-of-the-art motorsports park garnered international recognition within its first year of opening.
Miller has served on the boards of several philanthropic organizations including: Larry H. Miller Charities; the Ron Boone Golf Classic benefiting the Huntsman Cancer Institute; the Utah Bicycle Coalition; and the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation.
An avid cyclist, Miller logs thousands of miles on his bike each year, and his interest in cycling led to several family vacations at the Tour de France. He currently is chairman of the Tour of Utah, a multistage bicycle race that climbs 30,000 feet and is over 300 miles long. Miller has played a significant role in the race’s growth and success.
During his teens, Miller developed an interest and appreciation of cars that continues today. He still owns his first automobile, a 1965 Mustang fastback.
Miller has three brothers and one sister, and is the oldest child of Larry H. and Gail Miller. He is married to Heidi Black Miller. They are the parents of six children (three sons and three daughters), and their family resides in Sandy, Utah.
September 17, 2008
Career, Entrepreneurism, Private Equity
No Comments
Mr. Bullock is a co-founder of Sorenson Capital and a Managing Director. Mr. Bullock was the President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002. He joined the Organizing Committee in May of 1999 and acted as its Chief Operating Officer until his appointment as President and CEO in April 2002. As COO, Mr. Bullock directed Games Operations, and as CFO, he played a key role in balancing the budget of $1.31 billion for staging the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, ultimately generating a $100 million profit. The Salt Lake Games are widely recognized as one of the most successful and best operated in history.
Mr. Bullock was an original Partner of Bain Capital from 1984 to 1986. Prior to his experience at Bain Capital, Mr. Bullock was employed by Bain & Company, initially as a consultant and later as a manager.
In 1996 Mr. Bullock founded Alpine Consolidated, LLC, a company specializing in effecting business consolidations, and served as a Managing Director until 2002. In this capacity, Mr. Bullock sourced companies for consolidation, raised the requisite money and negotiated terms.
Mr. Bullock received a Master of Business Administration and a B.A. in Economics from Brigham Young University.
August 14, 2008
Career, Entrepreneurism, Finance, Real Estate
No Comments
For over 25 years Lane Beattie has been a real estate broker and developer by profession.
Lane Beattie was elected to the Utah State Senate in 1989. In 1991 he served as Senate Majority Whip and in 1992 became Majority leader and in 1994 was elected Utah Senate President. He served as president for six years until June 2000.
Senator Beattie was chairman of Business, Labor and Economic Development Standing committees in his first year in the Senate.
Beattie proposed and implemented some of the most sweeping changes in the legislative process in several decades, including total internet access for legislators as well as the public. This made the legislative process significantly more efficient and allowed more legislator and citizen involvement.
The president is highly respected among his colleagues. Senator Craig Peterson, former Senate Majority Leader, made the following observation: “Under President Beattie’s leadership, the Senate has become more efficient, productive, professional, and more open to the public. He led the Senate in major tax reforms and reductions across the state which have saved taxpayers millions of dollars.”
W President Beattie has been a guest speaker and lecturer locally, nationally, and internationally.
In 1996 President Beattie was invited to address the European Union in Florence, Italy to speak on Federalism and State’s rights.
In 1998 President Beattie was elected as Chairman of the National Senate Presidents Forum representing all United States Senate Presidents.
In 1999 President Beattie was invited to head a delegation from the United States on an official visit to China as a guest of the Vice-President of China.
After 12 years in the Senate in March of 2000, President Beattie surprised both local and national leaders by announcing he would not seek re-election and was returning to private business.
In June 2000, Governor Leavitt asked Lane to accept the post as Chief State Olympic Officer for the State of Utah to oversee and manage the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
President Beattie assumed leadership of the Salt Lake Chamber on July 1, 2003. By unanimous vote, the Chamber Board of Governors chose Beattie after an exhaustive process that considered 95 candidates from across Utah. “We were looking for someone who needed no introduction,” says A. Scott Anderson, Chamber Board of Governors co-chair. “Lane has the experience and reputation to help the Chamber play a bigger role in our community and state. He has been around for a long time and knows all the key players. He has seen where Salt Lake has been and has the vision to take it into the future.”
President Beattie and his wife, Joy, are the parents of three children and the proud grandparents of three wonderful grandsons and a beautiful granddaughter. President Beattie enjoys golf, skiing, and raises quarter horses and is a Utah State Quarter Horse Team-Penning Champion.
May 12, 2008
Career, Finance
No Comments
CFOs – Kay Hall (Zions Bank), Randy Plant (Alphagraphics), and Jeff Morrin (APX Alarm) / Moderator – Tom Stringham
Bio’s
Tom Stringham
Tom Stringham is a Director in the ROTH Capital Partners Corporate Finance Group. Prior to joining ROTH Capital, Mr. Stringham worked for Merrill Lynch & Co. in the Investment Banking Group in New York, where he worked with companies in diverse industries including: paper and forest products, transportation, consumer products, apparel and electronics. He also worked with Merrill Lynch & Co. as a specialist with expertise in private equity transactions; alternative investment and asset allocation strategies. Mr. Stringham is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of Utah, where he also served as a member of the University Board of Trustees. Mr. Stringham’s MBA is from Harvard Business School.
Kay Hall
Kay B. Hall is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Zions First National Bank. He has over 17 years of banking experience. He began his career at Zions in 1990 as an internal auditor. In 1993, he was promoted to the position of assistant controller and then to controller. Kay received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Utah and his master’s degree from Westminster College.
Randy Plant
Randy Plant joined AlphaGraphics, Inc. as CFO in August of 2003. His most recent position was Chief Financial Officer for Flying J Oil & Gas Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Flying J Inc. From 1985 until 1997, Plant was vice president and controller for Huntsman Corporation, which was then the largest privately held chemical company in the U.S. His experience also includes nine years with financial consulting firm Arthur Andersen & Co. Plant earned a B.A. from the University of Utah and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University. He is a certified public accountant and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and Financial Executives International. He is an active member of his community, serving several youth sports programs as coach.
Jeff Morrin
Jeff is currently the CFO of APX Alarm. Prior to APX Alarm, Jeff worked in various roles such as Vice President of Finance and Director of Finance for large companies, namely, InSight Health Corp., Black & Decker, MultiLink Technology Corp., Honeywell, and Ford Motor Company. Jeff graduated with a degree in Business Management from Brigham Young University and followed with an MBA, emphasis in finance, also from Brigham Young University.
December 1, 2007
Banking, Career, Finance
No Comments
Mr. Hatch will be speaking to us at our next lunch meeting on Dec 13th. Please see his bio below.
Mr. Hatch began his banking career as a Trust Administrator with First Security 39 years ago after graduating with honors from the UofU in political science and economics. He has since served in various banking positions including SVP, Trust Manager, President over the Community Banking Group, and currently serves as President of Wells Fargo Utah. He also graduated with honors from the prestigious Pacific Coast Bankers School. He has served and currently serves on various community and economic advisory boards. The breadth and depth of his experience is too great to fit into one paragraph.
Recap:
Mr. Hatch shared with us “Ten Strategies I Found Helpful”. We have posted the list below:
1. Do not look back - only forward.
2. Tell the truth.
3. If you are going to be somewhere - be there.
4. For every hour you spend on improving technical skills, spend 2 hours on personal skills.
5. Nobody makes it alone.
6. Get connected to each other.
7. Deliver on what you promise.
8. Have some fun in your life - laugh more.
9. Listen to your gut, not just your mind.
10. Find something in your life that makes you sing.
