Brightpoint - Turnaround Exec

Company: Brightpoint
Entered by: Ruder Finn
Company Description: Brightpoint, Inc is a global leader in the distribution of wireless devices and in providing customized logistic services to the wireless industry.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Turnaround Executive

Nomination Title: The Man Behind the Magic: Robert Laikin’s Role in Brightpoint’s Turn Around

1. Tell the story about what this nominee achieved in the past year (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Robert Laikin isn’t the kind of Fortune 1000 CEO who intimidates employees and
has a larger than life personality. He’s more of a quiet mastermind with a
calculated approach to becoming the world’s leading provider of wireless
distribution and logistics.

Laikin co-founded Brightpoint in 1989, took the company public in 1994 and
right out of the gate had a market capitalization of approximately $25
million, reaching approximately $1 billion by the late 1990s. Between 2000 and
2002, the company went into a downturn with market capitalization hitting a
low of $10 million by 2002. 

Today, Brightpoint is a $2.4 billion global leader in wireless device
distribution and customized logistics with operations in 15 countries and more
than 20,000 B2B customers around the globe.

Brightpoint persevered through difficult times – including skeptical
financers, the technology bubble burst at the millennium and a once-troubled
balance sheet – but Laikin’s determination to turn the company around never
wavered. 

By April of 2006, Brightpoint’s market capitalization reached a record $1.4
billion due to Laikin’s laser-like focus on four specific areas:

1. Profitability/cash flow
2. Balance sheet
3. Customer and supplier relationships
4. Management team/employees

Under Laikin’s leadership, Brightpoint ended 2006 as the wireless industry’s
undisputed leader in wireless distribution and logistic services. 
Accomplishments for 2006 include:

-Strong balance sheet – cash totaling over $50 million and liquidity of $134
million

-2006 revenues of $2.4 billion, an increase of 13 percent from 2005

-Announced an agreement to Acquire certain assets of CellStar for $88 million
in cash, bolstering Brightpoint’s presence in the Latin American mobile market

-Handled a record 53.5 million wireless devices in 2006, an increase of 27
percent from 2005

-Featured in 63 articles – more than five times the number of the next closest
competitor – resulting from an aggressive public relations program

-Opened a new 321,000 square foot facility in Indianapolis, nearly doubling
its warehouse capacity in the United States

-Opened an approximately 240,000 square foot dedicated facility for T-Mobile
Logistics in Louisville, Kentucky

-Expanded into the Russian market in June 2006

-Named to Forbes Platinum List of Best Big Companies in America

-Ranked #19 in BusinessWeek’s “InfoTech 100” list of the top 100 global tech
companies

-Acquired Trio Teknologies, gaining access to more than 1,000 VARs and system
integrators to help grow its AWS division (launched in 2005)

-Added as constituent in the S&P 600 Small Cap Index

-Raised corporate credit rating to BB-

-Selected for the NASDAQ Global Select Market Index

-Rang the NASAQ opening bell on July 17, 2006

To validate Brightpoint’s success even further, the March 2007 issue of
FORTUNE magazine listed the company as one of “America’s Most Admired
Companies.” Thanks to Laikin’s strong leadership skills, dedication and
ability to anticipate the evolution of the global wireless industry,
Brightpoint remains the “secret weapon” of many of the wireless industry’s
biggest players.

2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

Media Coverage

-Intele-Card News, “Top 10 to Watch in 2007”
http://www.intelecardnews.com/ten.html

-Wall Street Journal, “Smartphones Aim at New Markets”
Link NA (Subscription Required)

-VARBusiness, “Ripping Out The Wires: VARs mine new wireless-solution
opportunities in the enterprise”
http://www.varbusiness.com/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=OAX31UZXRGKC2QSNDLPCKHS
CJUNN2JVN?articleID=195400023&queryText=brightpoint

-BusinessWeek, “The InfoTech 100”
http://bwnt.businessweek.com/it100/2006/index.asp

-Reuters, “Brightpoint eyes new partners in India after Nokia”
http://in.tech.yahoo.com/060718/137/65yy0.html

-RCR Wireless News, “Brightpoint Not Just Distribution Moving Forward”
Link NA

-RCR Wireless News, “Wall Street Celebrates Brightpoint's Third Quarter, HTC
Handset Contract”
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-154510523.html
(subscription required to view article in full)

-RCR Wireless News, “The Holiday Outlook: Big carriers, big handset brands,
low prices”
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-154510500.html
(subscription required to view article in full)

-Wireless Week, “Brightpoint Buys Select CellStar Assets”
http://www.wirelessweek.com/article/CA6401342.html

-Investor’s Business Daily, “Bulking Up For The Winter”
Link NA (subscription required)

-MSN Money, “Brightpoint to distribute Motorola”
Link NA

-BusinessWeek, “Brightpoint to distribute Motorola”
Link NA

-Indiana Business Magazine, “Brightpoint: It's not a household name, but the
global distributor touches one of every five wireless devices in U.S. and 42
Million Worldwide”
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5357007/Brightpoint-it-s-not-a.html
(subscription required to view article in full)

-Material Handling Management, “Brightpoint North America Expands Capacity”
http://www.mhmonline.com/viewStory.asp?nID=4632&pNum=1

-Associated Press/BusinessWeek, “Brightpoint acquires Persequor”
Link NA

-Indianapolis Star, “Brightpoint shares climb 18% on jump in quarterly profit”
Link NA

-BusinessWeek, “Brightpoint 4Q Profit Up on Sales Surge”
Link NA

-RCR Wireless News, “MVNO competition spreading to MVNEs”
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-141920279.html
(subscription required to view article in full)

-RCR Wireless News, “Brightpoint extends Exclusive Distribution Agreement With
Nokia”
Link NA

-Intele-Card News, “10 to Watch in 2006”
Link NA

-Investor’s Business Daily, “Growth of Virtual Mobile Firm Helps Telecom
Services Outfits”
Print Only

-TWICE, “The Wireless Future”
http://www.twice.com/article/CA6296905.html?text=brightpoint

Press Releases

-Brightpoint Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2006 Financial Results
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=959488

-Brightpoint Enters into Agreement to Acquire Certain Operations of CellStar
(December 18, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=943206&highlight=

-Brightpoint to Distribute Dopod Smart Devices in Australia (November 21,
2006) http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=934508

-Brightpoint Reports Third Quarter 2006 Financial Results (November 8, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=928667&highlight=

-Brightpoint to Distribute New HP iPAQ in the United States (November 7, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=927860&highlight=

-Brightpoint North America to be Sole Distributor of HTC GSM Devices to
Regional Operators and their Distribution Channels (November 6, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=926939&highlight

-Brightpoint Joins Verizon Wireless Business Solutions Program (October 23,
2006) http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=919609&highlight=

-Brightpoint Completes Acquisition of Trio Teknologies (October 16, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=916632&highlight=

-Brightpoint Selected as the Provider of Integrated Logistic Services by
Vonage (October 2, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=910803&highlight=

-Brightpoint Australia Enters into Distribution Agreement with NetComm
(September 27, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=909573&highlight=

-Brightpoint Selected by Newegg as Strategic Vendor (August 23, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=898527&highlight=

-Brightpoint Increases its Estimate for Units Handled in the Second Half of
2006 (August 16, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=896265&highlight=

-Brightpoint Announces Preliminary Second Quarter 2006 Summary Financial
Results (July 31, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=889542&highlight=

-Brightpoint CEO to Ring NASDAQ Opening Bell (July 7, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=879669&highlight=

-Boost Mobile Appoints Brightpoint as Distributor of its Products and Services
(June 29, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=877536&highlight=

-Brightpoint to be Included in NASDAQ Global Select Market and Ranked in
BusinessWeek's Top 100 Tech Performers (June 26, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=876272&highlight=

-Brightpoint Expands into the Russian Market (June 23, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=875658&highlight=

-Brightpoint Enters Into Distribution Agreement With SanDisk (June 22, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-
newsArticle&ID=875221&highlight=

-Brightpoint Reports First Quarter 2006 Financial Results (May 9, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-
newsArticle&ID=854207&highlight=

-Disney Mobile and Brightpoint Reach Agreement for Integrated Logistic
Services (April 6, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-
newsArticle&ID=839716&highlight=

-Brightpoint Enters into Agreement with Motorola (March 29, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-
newsArticle&ID=836596&highlight=

-Brightpoint Secures HELIO as New Integrated Logistic Services Customer (March
27, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=835607&highlight=

-Brightpoint Announces Agreement with Motricity to Sell Mobile Content
(February 13, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=815903&highlight=

-Brightpoint Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2005 Financial Results
(February 7, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=813876&highlight=

-Brightpoint and Nokia Extend Exclusive Distribution Agreement for the United
States (January 19, 2006)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111858&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=806072&highlight=

3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the nominee:

Robert J. Laikin co-founded Brightpoint in 1989 and in just over 17 years has
turned the company into a more than $2 billion global leader in wireless
distribution and customized logistics. Laikin has served as a director of
Brighpoint since its inception and Chairman of the Board and CEO since 1994. 
Prior to Brightpoint, Laikin was President of Century Cellular Network, a
retailer of cellular telephones and accessories.

Additional achievements:

-United Way Central Board of Directors
-Indiana University Kelley School of Business Dean's Advisory Council
-Recipient, 1995 Indiana Entrepreneur of the Year Award
-Honorable mention in 1995 Inc. Magazine National Entrepreneur of the Year
Award