Unica Corp.
Company: Unica Corporation
Company Description: Unica Corporation, founded in 1992, is a leading provider of enterprise marketing management (EMM) software that helps businesses increase their revenues and improve efficiency and measurability of marketing operations. Its Affinium software, used by more than 300 companies in an array of industries, addresses marketing and customer analytics, demand generation and marketing resource management.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Executive
Nomination Title: Yuchun Lee, co-founder and CEO, Unica Corporation
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:
Yuchun Lee – The Talent
Before transforming his focus on marketing automation into a $60 million dollar company, Yuchun Lee was already a seasoned entrepreneur having founded two companies before graduating from college. In high school, Yuchun started a graphic arts software company and, while attending M.I.T., he founded a PC-compatible direct mail company. After working at Digital Equipment Corporation and M.I.T.'s Lincoln Labs post-graduation, Yuchun decided it was time for change. Realizing the expanding need for businesses to have a platform built specifically for marketers to manage their operations and deliver consistent returns, Yuchun set out to create an innovative company that would fill this gap.
Yuchun Lee – The Vision
A business connoisseur, Yuchun took the specialized skills gathered in his youth and applied them in 1992 to co-found Unica, now a leading provider of Enterprise Marketing Management (EMM) software. Yuchun realized the growing need for businesses to optimize customer acquisition and relationship management and jumped at the opportunity to create a company that would empower strategic market planning and help businesses bolster profitability and marketing success.
Yuchun believed so deeply in his vision that he helped found the company with a mere $33,000 gathered from his personal savings; his investment paid off as the company now earns more than $60 million in annual revenue and attracts customers such as Best Buy, Crate & Barrel, Orbitz, and Wachovia. In 2005, the company also added Monster Worldwide and Laurentian Bank to its already impressive client roster. His decision to focus on EMM epitomizes Yuchun’s talent to recognize opportunities within industry trends. Today, according to industry analysts, EMM is one of the hottest sectors of the CRM marketplace and, thanks to Yuchun, Unica is positioned as its clear leader.
Continuing the Momentum in 2005
Yuchun continued to expand on his vision for Unica this past year when he led the company in its recent IPO. While the IT market continued to consolidate and acquisition appeared as the preferred exit strategy, Yuchun chose the path less traveled and brought Unica to its successful IPO. Since the IPO, Unica has moved quickly and announced the acquisitions of both MarketSoft and Sane Solutions, companies with technologies complementary to Unica’s established suite of software products allowing Unica to become the only company to offer customers a complete end-to-end marketing automation solution.
The company’s achievements in 2005 recently earned Unica a position in the “Leaders” quadrant of Gartner, Inc.’s “Magic Quadrant for Multi-channel Campaign Management, 1Q06.”1
Under Yuchun’s leadership, the company also earned positions on the 2005 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 List and, for an unprecedented sixth time, the 2005 Deloitte & Touche New England Technology Fast 50 List. Unica also received the CRM Magazine “CRM Market Leader” award in marketing automation for the second year running and the 2005 DM Review Readership Merit Award.
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]:
Supporting News Articles:
Yuchun Lee’s Big Scores – BusinessWeek Online
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/
2006/03/yuchin_lees_big.html#more
From CRM to EMM – The Economic Times
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1397260
,curpg-1.cms
When It's Time to Think About an IPO - Inc.com
http://www.inc.com/resources/inc500alumni/articles/20051101/evans.html
Fastest tech growers: Nine firms make 'Fast 50' list – MetroWest Daily News
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=109721
The 2005 CRM Market Leaders, Part 2 – destinationCRM.com
http://www.destinationcrm.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=5449
HDFC in the process of floating international fund – The Hindu Business Line
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blnus/17091706.htm
Epiphany Is Snatched Up By SSA While Unica Goes Public – destinationCRM.com
http://www.destinationcrm.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=5327
Marketing 'brain' yields smart services – ZDNet News
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9593_22-5623381.html
Monster Upgrades Software to Improve Targeting – Direct Magazine
http://directmag.com/news/monster-02-08-05/
Marketing Automation Hits the Mark – destinationCRM.com
http://www.destinationcrm.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=4784
Unica Builds On Affinium 6 – CRM Daily.com
http://www.crm-daily.com/story.xhtml?story_title=Unica-Builds-On-
Affinium--&story_id=29907
Supporting Press Release:
Monster Selects Unica's Affinium to Increase Personalization of Multi-Channel Consumer Communications
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=96
Unica and Affinium Plan Positioned in Visionary Quadrant of Magic Quadrant for Marketing Resource Management
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=94
Laurentian Bank Chooses Unica's Affinium to Maximize Customer-Centric Focus
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=93
Unica Receives “Positive” Rating in Leading Analyst Firm's
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=92
Salmat Joins Forces with Unica to Offer EMM Technology to Australian-Based Enterprises
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=44
Unica Announces Marketing Innovation Award Finalists
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=39
Unica Corporation Prices Initial Public Offering
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=90
Unica Announces Enhancements to Affinium Plan
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=110
Unica Corporation Named One of New England's Fastest Growing Technology Companies in Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 Program
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=111
Unica Selected as “Winner” of CRM Magazine's 2005 CRM Market Leader Award
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=112
Unica Named to the 2005 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 List as One of the Fastest Growing Technology Companies in North America for Sixth Consecutive Year
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=118
Nationwide Building Society Wins Industry Honour for its Customer Marketing
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=127
Unica Corporation Named a Leader in Enterprise Marketing Platforms by
Independent Research Firm
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=187
Unica to Acquire Sane Solutions
http://www.unica.com/news/pr.cfm?id=202
3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the nominee:
Yuchun Lee, CEO of Unica, is responsible for the company’s strategic direction, and day-to-day operations. He co-founded Unica in 1992 to meet the technology needs and challenges specific to marketers. Through Yuchun’s leadership and commitment to customers, Unica’s customer base has grown to over 300 worldwide, and its Affinium Suite has garnered top analyst marks. Prior to founding Unica, Yuchun held senior-level positions with Digital Equipment Corporation and M.I.T.'s Lincoln and Media Labs. He holds both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from M.I.T. and an M.B.A. from Babson College.