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CEO Petro: leading by example: Haynes exec makes United Way an annual priority(Kokomo Tribune Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sep. 13--As retirement approaches for Haynes International CEO Francis Petro, there won't be a wholesale abandonment of the formula that led him to success in business. "My retirement will be a lot like what I do now," he said. "Probably one week a month I'll be around home. "I have to be active. I can't go from all this to absolutely nothing. That would be a sure death sentence," he added. Petro wanted the challenge of leading Haynes back from the brink of insolvency, leading a company crushed by debt from a leveraged buyout back to profitability and a listing on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Kokomo has been good to Petro, and that's why part of his mission in retirement includes continuing his local philanthropic work. The United Way of Howard County has been the recipient not only of Petro's goodwill, but of a high level of giving from the entire Haynes community, from line workers producing specialized alloys to the executives in the front office. Petro has a philosophy about philanthropic giving, and as he's passed it on at Haynes, he's also hoping to lend a bit of that spirit to the rest of Kokomo. The executive, who will step down from his day-to-day role Sept. 30, but remain on the Haynes board of directors, said his view of philanthropy has evolved. "The issue is the individual themselves, and how they view not only their role in life, but relative to things like community involvement, supporting mankind in general," he said. "As you become more successful in life, your opinion of what you should be doing relative to mankind, the community, etc., all kinds of things change." With the annual United Way campaign getting under way, local United Way officials hope to put a spotlight on generous donors like Petro, letting the donors tell their own stories as to why they support the United Way. Petro is a member of the United Way's Alexis de Tocqueville Society, a group of individuals and couples who have given upwards of $10,000 in a single campaign. And one thing he's trying to impress on others is the importance of individual giving. "Certainly Haynes, as a company, is very supportive of this community," he said. "But whether people realize it or not, in the U.S., 90 percent of charitable gifts come from individuals. So in spite of what people think about huge foundations and huge corporations generating the dollars ..." "Individual givers may be worth $50 billion, like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, but most donations come from everyday people," he added. "It comes from all of us." Most individuals who donate to the United Way have a special interest in one or more of the specific charities (more than a dozen) supported by the United Way of Howard County, and Petro is no different. While he maintains a home in Syracuse, N.Y., and is actively involved in the governance of an alcohol rehabilitation center there, in Kokomo, he's perhaps best known for his active support of Boy Scouts. In addition to his United Way campaign giving, Petro has also given directly to local scouting efforts. Bring up the subject, and he is liable to produce a fact sheet from the Boy Scouts of America, showing correlation between scouting and honorable career paths later in life. About 92 million men are scouting alumni, including Petro, who said his parents wouldn't have heard of him not joining his local troop. He's been personally involved in scouting for 45 years. Scouting, among other benefits, gave Petro an appreciation of the power of leadership. "In the end, everything comes down to some form of leadership to make things more successful," he said. "The United Way becomes more successful when you have dynamic campaign management." Petro has turned down numerous interview requests over the years, but when he has something to say, he can make a point with eloquence and persuasiveness. He doesn't mind being a bit self-deprecating either. Providing an example of philanthropy to his entire work force, Petro said he's proud that Haynes for some years has led the United Way in per capita giving among employees. "Eventually people get the sense that things are different, that Haynes is different because it's becoming more involved, and that goofy, gray-haired guy over there is getting more involved," he said, smiling. "I think each individual should look at where they are in life, and the gifts he or she's been given," he said. "If I'm not honest enough, and grateful enough, to share some of the things I've been given, then I really wouldn't be much of a human being." Scott Smith may be reached at (765) 454-8569 or via e-mail at [email protected] To see more of the Kokomo Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.kokomotribune.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, Kokomo Tribune, Ind. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |