Blaise Thomas “Tom” Golisano Essay

Blaise Thomas â€Å"Tom† Golisano is the founder of Paychex, the second-largest payroll processor in the United States. He also owns the Buffalo Sabres hockey team. He ran for governor of New York in 1994, 1998, and 2002. He lost all three elections but surprisingly defeated incumbent New York Governor George Pataki in the hotly contested 2002 elections. The founder of Paychex built a high-performing organization on an unconventional premise at the time: Hire people with the right attitude and then teach them the skills to do the job. But rapid growth in the 1990s showed Paychex that it needed a more systematic approach to reliably execute this philosophy throughout its geographically dispersed operations, especially at the important front line of customer service. The resulting solution  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  one that includes more sophisticated hiring practices, more extensive training and development, and multiple reinforcement mechanisms  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  still serves the company well today. He stands for good government, political reform and fair play.   In January 31, 2006 he announced his decision to no longer run for public office due to personal and professional reasons.   He is involved in many business interests, and will continue to remain active in Paychex and other entrepreneurial ventures.   He also said he will continue his philanthropic activity. He is still committed to the economic development of New York, as well as promoting responsible government. He has received many awards for his prowess in business: David T. Kearns Medal of Distinction – recognizing significant achievements in business, public service and education, by the University of Rochester’s William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration Rochester Business Hall of Fame (2001) The 1987 Herbert W. VandenBrul Entrepreneurial Award, presented by Rochester Institute of Technology’s College of Business â€Å"Master Entrepreneur† award in Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year awards competition for Western New York Humanitarian of the Year Award, presented by the Boy’s Town of Italy, and the Commerce and Industry Award of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce. Outstanding Alumni Award from the American Association of Community Colleges He has been actively involved in a great deal of charitable work. In 1984, he founded the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation. His foundation awards grants to organizations dedicated to providing opportunities for those with disabilities and offering support to their families. In 2002, The University of Rochester re-named their pediatric hospital Golisano Children’s Hospital where he donated $14 million in March 6, 2006 as well as $6 million to Bishop Kearney High School and Our Lady of Mercy. Reference: Edited by Investor’s Business Daily. â€Å"Profiles in Business Success 51 Top Leaders and How They Achieved Greatness.†. New York: McGraw-Hill p. 50. Retrieved from the web:   http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Golisano   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     http://www.golisano.com http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgin/abstract/109792492/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&RETRY=0