Honored Leader: Celeste Ford, Founder and CEO
Company Name: Stellar Solutions
Location: Palo Alto, Calif.
Nature of Business: Aerospace engineering services.
Founded: 1995
Revenue: $6-10 million
Growth Rate (2002): 8 percent
Number of Employees: 61
Average Tenure: 3.3 years
Key Workplace Traits and Programs:
- Flat management structure
- Employees in leadership roles
- Open-book management
- Employee opinion surveys
- Accessible leader
- Company-wide meetings
- Profit sharing
- Employee recognition programs
- In-house training programs
- Subsidized external learning
- Company social events
- Matching gifts program
Ford on leadership: "People are a critical resource. Treat them fairly
and empower them to have high impact both within your company and with your
customers.
"Customers are the life blood of your company. Provide solutions to
their critical needs and make them heroes. Offer a total solution that goes
beyond their expectations and enables them to succeed with their mission."
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