2012 Hall of Fame: Volker Petersen - Smooth Sailing to Success

Guy Gleysteen, senior vice president for production at Time Inc., feels Petersen combines a keen analytical approach to problem solving with a grasp of the practical, thus boasting that rare ability to understand whether an idea will actually work.

"Volker is a fountain of ideas, and he's able to do that, in part, because he's willing to let the ones go that don't get traction with customers or that don't seem to make sense once the conversation progresses," Gleysteen remarks. "But, he also displays the relentlessness that's needed in today's business world. He's constantly thinking about what could be done differently, what needs to change and who might have the next idea—that's what drives innovation and success. And that is what allows his organization to compete as well as they do."