The Next CEOs

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, May, 2001 by Cindy Gillis, Sarah Gonser

Ramella, 49, is a talented strategist and a candid and personable manager both in prosperous and difficult times. "He is completely rational and calm in any kind of a crisis or challenge situation," says Kathy Torgerson, senior vice president of Penton's human resources and executive administration. And his remarkable public speaking skills, noted throughout the industry, enable Ramella to convey not only an idea, but also its value, she says.

Ramella learned the business in more than 23 years with Penton, serving in marketing and sales roles, as publisher of Restaurant Hospitality, senior vice president of publishing and, for the past decade, as president and COO.

While recognizing Rameila's strengths as a strategist, Kemp says it is his ability to successfully execute plans that produces results. Penton has made significant acquisitions in the past five years--for example, Mecklermedia--as part of its transformation from a traditional publisher to an integrated media company. During that time, the company has also seen significant dollar growth. Revenue increased from $166 million in 1996 to $404 million last year, and EBITDA grew from $21 million to $9l million in the same period.

THE CHALLENGE: Ramella's only real challenge, according to three industry leaders, is that he is so closely identified with Cleveland-based Penton that some in the business are quick to pigeonhole him when pairing CEO candidates with potential opportunities.

REGINA STARR RIDLEY

PRESIDENT, CMP MEDIA'S SPECIALIZED TECHNOLOGIES GROUP Some executives are innovators and others are aggregators. Regina Starr Ridley, president of CMP Media's specialized technologies group, is considered a synthesizer--someone who nurtures her employees' creativity, listens to their ideas and then creates a logical business strategy.

She is a people person, says Don Pazour, CEO of PBI Media, who supervised Ridley for more than a dozen years at Miller Freeman. David Nussbaum, a former Miller Freeman colleague, says that Ridley's greatest strength is her ability to lead--to recognize and capitalize on talent and inspire loyalty.

Ridley's people skills are the key to her ability to produce growth and revenue, the litmus test of what makes a good CEO. "Her instincts and passion for the business come through," says Gary Marshall, CEO and president of CMP Media. "Ridley is a good leader who is able to make tough decisions and has a track record for growing a business," he says.

Ridley's group, in 2000, accounted for $168.2 million in revenue, roughly 23 percent of CMP's total revenue figures for the year, according to a company spokeswoman. Ridley, 44, has tremendous knowledge in the fields of software and game development, Nussbaum says, and she has been instrumental in encouraging her employer, throughout her career, to focus on those areas.

Nearly a dozen years ago, Ridley was responsible for two magazines, a trade show and 25 people. Today, she leads a group of 20 magazines, 15 events, eight portal sites and more than 500 people. Miller Freeman's parent company, United Business Media, acquired CMP 18 months ago and shifted Ridley's group into that company. She has managed launches, including Web Techniques and Game Developer Magazine, and been responsible for acquisitions that include Telecom Library, a $130 million purchase of three magazines and two trade shows.