Beta Gamma Sigma International Exchange

Beta Gamma Sigma is proud to announce the recipients of the Society’s 2009 International Honoree, Medallions for Entrepreneurship and Business Achievement Awards. Each award recipient has been a model of ethical business leadership in his or her career and has exemplified the highest honor and integrity consistent with the ideals of Beta Gamma Sigma.

BGS International Honoree

Sharon L. Allen
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Deloitte LLP

As Chairman of the Board of Directors of Deloitte LLP, Sharon L. Allen is responsible for the governance of an organization with nearly $11 billion in annual revenues and oversees the organization’s relationships with a number of major multinational clients.

With 35 years of audit and consulting experience, Allen was elected as Chairman of the Board in 2003 and re-elected in 2007.

Her responsibilities and influence extend beyond her U.S. leadership roles. She is a member of the global board of directors of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, where she serves as the U.S. representative on the global governance committee and chairs the global risk management committee.

A frequent speaker on governance, diversity, ethics, and workplace issues, Allen has addressed such prestigious forums as Fortune Boardroom Reports, Forbes Executive Women’s Forum, The City Club of Cleveland, the Dallas Friday Group, the Detroit Economic Club, and the UN Economic Development Fund. She also has addressed major business schools including those at Brigham Young University, Cornell, Duke, MIT, Notre Dame, the University of Illinois, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Southern California.

Allen has been honored for her contributions to business and community leadership. She has been named to Forbes list of “the 100 most powerful women in the world” for the past three years. In 2008, Allen was once again named by Directorship as “one of the 100 most influential people in corporate governance,” and Crain’s NY Business cited her as one of the most powerful business women in New York. She is a past designee as one of the “50 Women to Watch” by the Wall Street Journal and a “Woman of the Year” of the New York City Police Athletic League.

Allen holds an honorary doctorate in administrative science from her alma mater, the University of Idaho.

Medallion for Entreprenership

Charlie Amato
Chairman, Southwest Business Corporation
Nominated by: Sam Houston State University

Charlie Amato co-founded Southwest Business Corporation (SWBC) with lifelong friend Gary Dudley in 1976. In his more than 30 years in business, Amato has been recognized in the community and financial services industry for his creative, relationship-building approach and commitment to delivering quality service.

Amato has been vital to growing the company from a two-person operation to a corporation that now consists of 1,200 employees and more than $1 billion per year in premiums and loans. SWBC provides a wide range of insurance, mortgage and investment services to financial institutions, businesses and families. The company has been able to sustain its growth by continuously adding new products and services and gaining and retaining clients.

In his 25 years as Chairman of SWBC, Amato has been recognized for his entrepreneurialism and business success. In 2006, he was inducted into the San Antonio Business Hall of Fame and in Sam Houston State University’s College of Business Hall of Honor. In 2004 The San Antonio Business Journal also named him “One of the Most Influential San Antonians,” and in 1992 he was recognized as the South Texas Entrepreneur of the Year in the financial services category.

Amato has been very active in the community as a participant in numerous corporate leadership activities and charities throughout his lifetime. He is the Chairman of the Lone Star Capital Bank advisory board and past Chairman of the Board of the Christus Santa Rosa Health Care Corporation. He has served as a board member of the University of the Incarnate Word, the University of Texas-San Antonio College of Business Advisory Council and the UTSA Development Board, the Alamo Bowl, the San Antonio Spurs Foundation, the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation, the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, where he served as chairman in 2000, and the United Way.

Prior to establishing SWBC, Amato worked at Bay City Bank & Trust and attended Sam Houston State University where he graduated with a bachelor of business administration degree in 1970.

Kenneth R. Bartee
Former CEO, McDonald Bradley, Inc.
Nominated by: James Madison University

Kenneth R. Bartee is the former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of McDonald Bradley Inc., (MBI) a company that provides information sharing and IT solutions to the defense, intelligence, homeland security and civilian agency markets.

Under Bartee’s leadership, MBI significantly increased its revenue and earned recognition as a leading technology service provider to the government and one of the fastest growing companies in the Washington, D.C. area. In 2005, McDonald Bradley was named the small business Government Contractor of the Year.

Bartee joined MBI in 1994 as Vice President of Finance and Administration and assumed the role of Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer in 2001. He helped build and implement the firm’s strategic plan and directed all technical and business developments. He was also successful in managing several acquisitions that grew MBI’s competencies and client base.

In 2007, MBI was acquired and became a subsidiary of ManTech, a technologies and solutions provider for mission-critical national security programs in the intelligence and defense markets. For companies in the government contracting industry, such as MBI, mergers and acquisitions are common. Bartee knew that a sale of MBI was inevitable, so prior to the acquisition, he successfully restructured the company so that it was in the best position to sell.

Before joining MBI, Bartee held several executive positions in the information technology services sector at companies such as Computer Sciences Corporation, Innovative Systems Solutions and General Electric. His experience has earned professional recognition as a finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and as a finalist for the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce Government Contractor Small Business Executive of the Year.

Bartee is a 1983 graduate of James Madison University and holds a BBA in Information Systems. He also holds a master’s degree from the University of Colorado and CPA Certification in the state of Virginia. He is a past recipient of James Madison University’s Faculty Award for Teaching Innovation and the former Chairman of the school’s Executive Advisory Council.

Robert Carr
Chairman & CEO, Heartland Payment Systems
Nominated by: Seton Hall University

With a commitment to maintaining high moral and ethical standards, Robert Carr founded Heartland Payment Systems (HPS) in 1997. A leading credit and debit card processing company providing payment solutions for 150,000 small and mid-sized organizations nationwide, HPS maintains that same level of integrity.

As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Carr is responsible for the strategic guidance and growth of HPS. Under his direction, HPS has increased its workforce from 25 to 2,900 employees and its client locations from 2,500 to 250,000. The company has also risen to become no. 5 in the nation and no. 9 in the world in the payments industry with a bankcard volume portfolio of more than $80 billion.

Carr also helped guide the development of The Merchant Bill of Rights, a public advocacy initiative that launched in 2006 to educate merchants about fair credit and debit card processing practices. HPS is recognized as its founding supporter and today, The Merchant Bill of Rights is formally endorsed by 150 state trade organizations, merchants and business partners.

The professional community has noted Carr’s innovative leadership over the years. He received Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award twice, both in 2004 and 2007. He has also been acknowledged as The Eastern Technology Alliance’s “Technology CEO of the Year,” and received America’s Business Awards’ “Best Executive,” an honor recognizing the efforts and achievements of performers in American business.

Prior to founding HPS, Carr started another company in 1987 – Credit Card Software Systems – a consulting business for small and mid-size businesses. And before his career in the payments industry, Carr held the roles of professor, president and director of the computer center at Parkland College in Champaign, Ill.

Carr’s entrepreneurial sights haven’t just been set on business enterprise. He is also the founder of Give Something Back Foundation, a nonprofit which funds academic scholarships for disadvantaged children, recognizes teaching excellence and provides donations to many charitable organizations.

Carr holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an honorary doctorate in humanities from Lewis University.

Gary Dudley
President, Southwest Business Corporation
Nominated by: Sam Houston State University

As co-founder and President of Southwest Business Corporation, Gary Dudley,has continued to lead the development of technology, administration and delivery systems for the company for more than 30 years. Since founding the financial services company in 1976 with longtime friend Charlie Amato, the firm has provided insurance and financial services to more than 2,000 financial institutions and businesses in all 50 states and London and Bermuda.

Much of SWBC’s longevity and success has been attributed to the company’s ability to diversify its product offerings and expand into new territories. Dudley’s leadership has helped guide that growth. In 1990, SWBC met the stringent requirements of the Lloyd´s of London Tribunal and qualified to represent this respected insurance organization. And in 1997 SWBC went global and purchased an interest in a Lloyd’s correspondent brokerage firm in London. Today, Dudley is also President of SWBC’s three subsidiaries: Employees Life Insurance Company, Financial Services Acceptance Corporation and Cotrak Insurance Services.

Throughout their business partnership, Dudley and Amato have shared all aspects of management, including financial matters, hiring decisions and company and product growth. Together, they have also fostered a family-oriented company culture that promotes innovation and encourages personal and professional development. In 2008, SWBC’s corporate office was ranked No. 8 in the San Antonio Business Journal’s listing of “Best Places to Work.”

As a successful leader and visionary, Dudley has remained as active in the community that he has prospered as he has in the development of his organization. Dudley currently serves on the board of directors for the San Antonio Spurs Foundation and is part owner of the team. He is also a board member of the San Antonio Economic Development Board and the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

Dudley received his education at Sam Houston State University and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 1969. He has served on the university’s President’s Council and College of Business Administration Advisory Board. He is also a past recipient of the University’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Mary Lou Quinlan
Founder & CEO, Just Ask a Woman
Nominated by: Saint Joseph’s University

On a five-week sabbatical from her high-powered career as CEO at a large advertising agency, Mary Lou Quinlan came up with an idea for a company that would make her one of the nation’s leading and most sought after marketers.

In 1999, Quinlan founded Just Ask a Woman – a strategic branding consultancy that specializes in marketing “with” women. The key to the company’s success has been its unique research technique. Instead of conducting large, impersonal focus groups, Quinlan found that participants were more compelled to discuss their feelings about product brands in a high-energy, intimate, talk show-like environment. Just Ask a Woman has advised several major corporations in the consumer and retail industries, such as Kellogg’s Special K, Tums, Estee Lauder, Wal-Mart, Bloomingdales, KFC, Johnson & Johnson and Yahoo.

Prior to the creation of Just Ask a Woman, Quinlan led a successful career in advertising. She worked at DDBNeedham Worldwide and N.W. Ayer, where she held several senior management posts, including Executive Vice President and CEO. She also spent 10 years at Avon Products where she eventually became Director of Advertising.

Today, Quinlan has been revered as one of the most accomplished women in the marketing and communications industry. The Wall Street Journal even dubbed her “the Oprah of Madison Avenue.” She has authored two bestselling books, “Just Ask a Woman, Cracking the Code of What Women Want and How They Buy” and “Time Off for Good Behavior: How Hard-Working Women Can Take a Break and Change Their Lives,” and has been featured and published in Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, More, and O magazines. She has co-starred on ABC’s primetime product competition, “American Inventor,” and is the women’s correspondent for the CBS Early Show.

The renowned consumer strategist has received some of the highest accolades in her field. In 1995, Quinlan was named Woman of the Year from Advertising Women of New York and received the Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications in 1997.

Quinlan is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Fordham University. She was awarded an honorary doctorate in communications from Saint Joseph’s University where she was also a trustee. Quinlan has served on the board of the Advertising Council and the Partnership for a Drug Free America.

Business Achievement Award

Admiral Thad W. Allen
Commandant, United States Coast Guard
Nominated by: United States Coast Guard Academy

In 2006, Admiral Thad W. Allen became the 23rd Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, leading America’s oldest, continuous seagoing service and largest division of the Department of Homeland Security. The Coast Guard is a federal law enforcement agency and a branch of the armed forces. Its major duties and responsibilities include protecting ports and maritime infrastructure, saving lives and property at sea, securing U.S. borders, defending the nation, responding to natural disasters, and conducting humanitarian operations.

Admiral Allen joined the Coast Guard in 1971 and has demonstrated leadership in times of crisis throughout his career. Following the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, he was the primary federal official leading the search-and-rescue and relief efforts. His effective leadership led to the rescue of 33,500 victims of the storms. He also led the Coast Guard as Commander of the Atlantic Area and U.S. Maritime Defense Zone in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

In his previous assignments, Admiral Allen has conducted and organized missions that support the security, safety and environment of the nation. He directed all operations in the Southeastern United States and Caribbean as a Flag Officer in command of the Seventh Coast Guard District and served aboard three Coast Guard cutters, the Androscoggin and Gallatin and commanded the Citrus. He was also the Commanding Officer of Group Long Island Sound and Captain of the Port, and commanded Group Atlantic City and Long-Range Aids to Navigation (LORAN) Station Lampang, Thailand.

Throughout his 38 years with the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Allen has been recognized for his service and dedication. He was the first recipient of the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal and has been awarded three Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medals and the Legion of Merit.

Admiral Allen received a Master of Public Administration degree from the George Washington University, and a Master of Science degree from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2007, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of science from the National Graduate School. Admiral Allen is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Raymond G. Chambers
Founder, Amelior Foundation
Nominated by: Seton Hall University

Philanthropist and humanitarian Raymond G. Chambers is the founder of the Amelior Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides education, job skills and employment opportunities for at-risk youth. Chambers founded the organization in his hometown of Newark, N.J. in 1983 in an effort to improve the social and economic situation in the community.

Chambers’ desire to help young people started in the early 1980’s while he was working at Wesray Capital Corporation, a well-respected private equities firm he founded with former U.S. Secretary of Treasury William E. Simon. During the height of the company’s success, Chambers felt something was missing and became involved with the Newark Boys & Girls Club.

His enthusiasm, business savvy and capital helped expand the organization’s services, which included the creation of scholarship programs in high schools and colleges. Finding personal fulfillment and satisfaction from this work, Chambers closed Wesray in 1989 to dedicate himself full-time to philanthropy.

As an advocate for education, Chambers has developed and funded many programs through the Amelior Foundation such as READY (Rigorous Education Assistance for Deserving Youth), which provides mentoring, tutoring and tuition assistance to low-income children and their families.

In addition to his commitment to the Amelior Foundation, Chambers has founded and contributed to numerous national charitable and service-oriented organizations and programs. He is the founding Chairman of Points of Light Foundation, an initiative that encourages volunteering, and co-founder, with Colin Powell, of America’s Promise–The Alliance for Youth. Chambers is also the founder of the National Mentoring Partnership and founder and Co-Chairman of Malaria No More. He has served as the Chairman of The Millennium Promise Alliance.

Chambers’ humanitarianism has not gone unnoticed. In 2003, he was the recipient of the Lenore and George W. Romney Citizen Volunteer Award from Points of Light Foundation & the National Network of Volunteer Centers and named one of 50 most influential and powerful nonprofit leaders in the U.S. by The NonProfit Times in 1999. He was also honored in 1990 with a national award from the United Way for his youth work.

Chambers holds a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and a master’s degree from Seton Hall University.

Brian Duperreault
President & CEO, Marsh & McLennan Companies
Nominated by: Saint Joseph’s University

Insurance veteran Brian Duperreault has earned recognition for being a reformer for the work he has done in his nearly 40 years in the financial services industry. He has held various senior executive positions at leading companies and in 2008 he assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer at the world’s largest brokerage firm, Marsh & McLennan Company, Inc. (MMC).

Duperreault began his career in 1973 at American Insurance Group, AIG, where he was employed for 25 years. He diligently made his way through the ranks to eventually become Executive Vice President of AIG Foreign General Insurance and Chairman and Chief Executive of AIG’s American International Underwriters (AIU).

The experience he gained at AIG prepared him for his next post at the Bermuda-based insurer Ace Limited, where he served as CEO and Chairman of the Board from 1994 to 2004. Under Duperreault’s leadership he was able to grow and transform Ace from a boutique, specialty insurer into a global enterprise by presiding over many company acquisitions, including the significant 1999 purchase of Cigna Corp.’s property and casualty insurance division.

Throughout his career, Duperreault has been affiliated with numerous organizations and causes. Currently, he is the director of Tyco International Ltd and a member of The American Academy of Actuaries. He is also Chairman of the Centre on Philanthropy and has been a member of the Board of Trustees of AICPCU/IIA (American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters/Insurance Institute of America).

Duperreault was born in Bermuda but received his education in the United States. He obtained a B.S in mathematics from Saint Joseph’s University in 1973 and has continued to serve his alma mater over the years.

Duperreault has served as a member of Saint Joseph’s Board of Trustees and donated $10 million dollars to help fund the acquisition of the school’s Maguire Campus in 2006. In 2002, Duppereault was the recipient of the Haub School of Business’s Hall of Fame Award – an honor that acknowledges execellence in business leadership.

Joe Max Green
Chairman, Joe Max Green / Insurance Concepts
Nominated by: Stephen F. Austin State University

With a mission to create a customer oriented, community-centered company, Joe Max Green founded Joe Max Green Insurance Agency in Nacogdoches, Texas, in 1962. Today, nearly 50 years later, and now Joe Max Green/Insurance Concepts, the company has grown to be one of the largest insurance agencies in the nation.

Green has been instrumental in taking the agency, which offers commercial, group, personal, surety, life and health insurance products, from a regional company to a national operation. In 1995, Joe Max Green Insurance Agency merged with a growing southeast Texas company, Insurance Concepts, making the company one of the largest insurance companies in East Texas. And only two years later, Joe Max Green/Insurance Concepts acquired Ben Franklin Insurance Agency (BFIA) in Chicago, Ill.

As a company that has proven its ability to sustain growth and achieve national prominence, in 2008, Joe Max Green/Insurance Concepts became affiliated with a network of leading regional agencies by joining Bancorp South Insurance Services, Inc., one of the top agency/brokerage firms in America.
Prior to his business career, Green attended Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1960. However, his involvement with the school did not end at commencement. In 2008, Green was appointed to the SFA Board of Regents by Texas Gov. Rick Perry and has served on the board of the SFA University Foundation. Green has also been inducted into the SFA University Hall of Honor and received the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Over the years and throughout the success of his founding company, Green has also remained engaged and active in his profession and the Nacogdoches community. He is currently the regional vice president of the Texas Association of Insurance Agents, and a member of the National Council of Insurance Agents. He is also a member of the Nacogdoches Rotary Club, the Nacogdoches Economic Development Committee and former President of the Nacogdoches Booster Club and the Nacogdoches Jaycees.

Green has been honored for the work he has done in the community. He has received the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship Award and named Citizen of the Year by the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce.