Chairman and CEO, Verisign
When Jim Bidzos last year returned to the CEO job at the Internet security and domain name company (he was the company's founder and first CEO, serving from April 1995 to December 2001), he inherited a company with flagging sales and slow growth. Under Bidzos' leadership, Verisign (VRSN) surged this year, with increased net income, revenue growth, and a steady stock price performance. The company's outlook looks even better as it reaffirmed it will continue running the iconic ".com" domain after a government review of its ownership. --OA
He's a pro-customer, tightfisted risk-taker who is conditioning Wall Street to embrace his erratic earnings. If you're running a business with high margins - watch out.
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