Best CEOs 2015: Lindner found his niche in nonprofits after Air Force, corporate life
Last Thursday night, the Austin Business Journal honored five outstanding individuals across multiple industry sectors with its annual Austin Business Journal’s Best CEOs Awards. We at PeopleFund are beyond thrilled to announce that among the winners was our very own President and CEO, Col. Gary Lindner, who won the Best CEO Award in the nonprofit category.
This year, the ABJ’s award ceremony was held at the downtown JW Marriott. Participating candidates were nominated by their peers, and finalists were determined by a panel of judges evaluating everything from record of innovation and performance to company culture and community leadership roles that make a difference.
After receiving the award, Gary was asked to offer his best advice to peer leaders and other CEOs: “Your employees are a treasure. Treat them with respect and inspire them to be the best. Ensure [they] all understand the goals of the business, and empower them to act decisively on your behalf. Show confidence in you employees and they become more confident, motivated, and productive. As CEO, one of your fundamental responsibilities is to develop the potential of others. Take care of your people, and they will take care of the mission— and you.”
Gary came to PeopleFund ready to reshape and grow the small nonprofit into a thriving charity able to elevate populations in need across Texas. He has worked tirelessly to advocate for the needs of minorities, and his commitment to the populations we serve inspires all of us to come to work and diligently fight for those who need a voice to be heard. As we as a CDFI continue to push for a community of believers ready to end poverty and joblessness through the power of opportunity finance, we are extremely proud to have our President and CEO awarded alongside such a talented and inspirational group of Austin community leaders.
Congratulations to all the winners, and many thanks to the Austin Business Journal and participating sponsors for recognizing the hard work of our wonderful leader. For more information on the 2015 Austin Business Journal’s Best CEOs Awards ceremony and for a list of other award winners, click here.