BizTimes Media today unveils Wisconsin 275, a new publication naming the most influential business leaders in the state.
This 124-page book profiles 275 Wisconsin business leaders in a variety of industries, doing business in all corners of the state. Industries represented include: accounting, agriculture, banking & finance, construction, education, energy and utilities, entertainment, health care, insurance, law, manufacturing, nonprofits, real estate, restaurants, retail, sports, staffing, technology, tourism, transportation & logistics.
Click here to see the full list of the Wisconsin 275, with links to their profiles. Click here to purchase the print edition of the Wisconsin 275 book.
The selection process for Wisconsin 275 began early in the year. The BizTimes Media editorial team started by reaching out to leaders around the state for their suggestions. We also brainstormed internally, identifying candidates for consideration. After we had our initial list, we looked at it by industry and did more outreach, this time to leaders in specific economic sectors to ask for their input.
Ultimately, we developed a list of nearly 500 names for consideration. That’s when the work and debate really started. We went through our list multiple times, asking ourselves if someone met our criteria for being influential.
We did our best to make sure we represented a range of industries and geographies in Wisconsin’s economy. Our deliberations often came down to whether someone is shaping the direction of the state’s economy. There is no single objective measure that can truly compare business leaders across industries for a list like this, and we inherently had to apply some of our own subjective judgement in making final decisions.
One thing that did not factor into our work is whether an honoree’s company would advertise.
We originally set out to feature 250 leaders, but settled on 275.
Once we identified the 275 individuals on our list, we asked them to fill out questionnaires providing greater insight into their careers and approaches to businesses. The responses from those who participated formed the basis of their profile. In cases where individuals did not participate, we used our own research and reporting to compile a profile.
There was only room to include a portion of the questionnaire responses in the profiles for the print edition of Wisconsin 275. The full responses to the questionnaires will be added to the profiles on our website, and featured in print editions of BizTimes Milwaukee, over time and will be available online to BizTimes Insiders. Click here to become an insider.
In addition, watch for future features at BizTimes.com about the Wisconsin 275, taking a look at how they responded to particular questions in the survey.
If you have suggestions for individuals to consider for future editions of Wisconsin 275, please email them to us at: wis275@biztimes.com.
