Direct Supply founder receives entrepreneur award
Bob Hillis, entrepreneur and founder of Milwaukee-based Direct Supply has been selected as the eight annual Ken Hendricks Memorial “Seize the Day” award at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference.
The award, which celebrates entrepreneurial leaders who have been crucial to Wisconsin’s economic growth, is named in honor of the late Ken Hendricks, a Beloit businessman and 2006 “Seize the Day” award winner who died in an accident in late 2007.
“Bob Hillis epitomizes what it takes to make a start-up company successful, even when times are tough. His persistence built one of Wisconsin’s leading companies to what it is today,” said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.
Direct Supply is a fully employee-owned company that provides a continuum of products, technology and services in the field of eldercare.
Madrigrano-Friebus honored by Carthage
Gina Madrigrano-Friebus, former vice president of WOW Distributing Company, has received Kenosha-based Carthage College’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award.
While at WOW, she was one of the founders of the Professional Women’s Development Network, a group of female business owners, managers and professionals in Waukesha County. She is now board president of the recently-established Kenosha chapter of Tempo International, Inc. Madrigrano-Friebus’s other community activities include membership on the Kenosha Public Library Foundation board.
DDN hires former Genzyme director as COO
Menomonee Falls-based DDN, the largest privately-held provider of outsourced channel management and business services to the life science industry, has named Larry Sweeney its chief operating officer.
DDN is a subsidiary of the 153-year-old Dohmen Company.
In his new role, Sweeney will be responsible for operations at DDN’s distribution facilities in Memphis, Tenn., and Ontario, Calif., as well as for DDN’s information technology, order-to-cash, contract management and client initiatives/process improvement functions.
DDN president Mark Wiesman said, “Larry has extensive operating experience with some of the most successful pharmaceutical companies in the world. Larry’s most recent experience in the biological and cold chain areas will continue to expand our capabilities in this key growth area. His experience will be a tremendous addition to our organization.”
Sweeney previously was senior director of distribution and logistics for Genzyme Corp., a manufacturer of pharmaceuticals, biologicals, medical devices and genetic/diagnostic testing, based in Framingham, Mass.
UWM names founding dean of the School of Freshwater Sciences
Australian scientist David E. J. Garman, a specialist in water resources and pollution control, has been named as the founding dean of the graduate School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM).
His appointment will become effective Sept. 1.Garman comes to UWM from the Environmental Biotechnology Cooperative Research Centre (EBCRC) in Eveleigh, New South Wales, Australia, where he has been executive director since 1996. The EBCRC brings together the multidisciplinary skills of researchers, engineers and industry participants to discover novel technologies for environmental and other applications.
The UWM School of Freshwater Sciences is the only graduate school in the nation dedicated solely to the study of freshwater issues.
“Dr. Garman brings tremendous experience to our university and represents exactly what we want our new school to become: an international leader in the field of freshwater sciences,” said UWM Chancellor Michael Lovell. “His agreeing to become the founding dean of the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences is an indication that there is global recognition of our region’s potential to be a world leader in water research, policy and technology development.”
“David Garman brings a truly global perspective on freshwater science that bridges the public and private sectors. His experience in developing and applying water technology solutions throughout the world is uniquely suited to advancing the School of Freshwater Sciences’ goal of being in the forefront of water research globally,” said UWM Provost Johannes Britz.
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