Ken Gutman spent 22 years at Sign-A-Rama, a West Palm Beach, Fla. franchisor of business-sign shops, climbing from store manager to chiefoperating officer of the 1, 300-unit chain.
His career in the auto industry began in 1978 at Europe's largest tiremaker, Michelin, where he worked for 18 years, moving up the ranks from plant manager to chiefoperating officer.