Polycom CEO Named 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year

Robert Hagerty has added yet another award to his bookcase. The CEO and president Polycom, a telepresence, video and voice communication solutions provider, has been named the 2009 Northern California Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year in the Technology category.

 

Hagerty was selected by an independent panel of judges. He accepted the award at a gala event at the San Jose Fairmont last Saturday. He was among 28 Northern California finalists up for the award, TMCnet reported.

 

"This recognition is truly an honor," Hagerty said in a statement. "I'm fortunate to work with a great team of professionals who have embraced our entrepreneurial spirit and helped Polycom (News - Alert) thrive year after year. By remaining innovative and open-minded, we continue to deliver best-in-class telepresence, video and voice communications solutions to our customers."

 

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses. It is the 23^rd year of the program.

 

"We are proud to recognize the achievements of Bob Hagerty," said Ernie Cortes, Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur Of The Year program director for Northern California. "Award build leading businesses and contribute significantly to the strength of our region's economy. Their success helps our area grow stronger."

 

 As the regional award winner, Hagerty, pictured below, is eligible to win the national award later this year. That award will be announced Nov. 14 at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, CA (News - Alert).

 

This isn’t the first time Hagerty has been recognized for his work. In 2005, Hagerty was named CEO of the Year in 2005 by industry analyst group Frost & Sullivan (News - Alert), TMC) reported.

 

Prior to joining the Pleasanton, California-based company, Hagerty was president and CEO of Stylus Assets, Ltd. and held senior leadership positions with Logitech Inc., Connor Peripherals, Signal Corporation, and Digital Equipment Corp. He also serves on the board of Palm, Inc. (News - Alert)

 

Earlier this year, Polycom was recognized earlier this year with the World Class New Center award from the Association of Briefing Program Managers (ABPM) for its Polycom Executive Briefing Center, a testing and demonstration facility that provides Polycom employees and channel partners with the ability to demonstrate telepresence, video and voice communication solutions.

 

Meanwhile, Polycom has been expanding its telepresence solution technology into a variety of areas. For example, the company announced its technology is being used by a “telemedicine” group to help serve patients and manage visual communication activities and resources, and ease integration with existing applications.

 

In addition, Polycom brought its telepresence solutions to the educational system with the Manhattan School of Music, connecting instructors and professional musicians with students who might otherwise never have access to top talent. What’s more, Polycom’s telepresence system has played a vital role in the arts, bringing the creative minds behind the Broadway smash “Rent” to Japan.

 

That’s not all. Polycom partnered with producers from "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to install a new Polycom HDX 7000 room telepresence system for two Las Vegas sisters who suffer from a life threatening immune deficiency disease, TMCnet reported.