MUNDELEIN, IL--(Marketwire - June 29, 2011) - Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (LFGSM) honored Medline President Andy Mills with the Distinguished Executive Award for 2011 for his exceptional leadership and his contributions to the community. Mills accepted the award and delivered the Commencement Address to LFGSM's MBA Class of 2011 and 2,000 guests, during a ceremony held in the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom on June 26, 2011.
Each year since 1978, Lake Forest Graduate School has presented its Distinguished Executive Award to one Chicago-area executive who unmistakably demonstrates managerial excellence, and has been an exemplar of the highest performance standards and business ethics.
"We are pleased to honor Andy Mills with our Distinguished Executive Award," said John Popoli, LFGSM President & CEO. "He has demonstrated continuous outstanding business leadership, has been a strong champion of education and has modeled personal character and high ethical values. We have been impressed with Andy's leadership of a highly competitive business, and knew we'd made a great choice for this year's award when he took the time to attend some LFGSM classes and to interact with students, faculty, and staff in preparation for his commencement address."
Medline, the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, prospers in an intensely competitive industry despite pressure from increasing cost-management demands. The main lesson Mills shared with the graduates is that "you must set your goals high."
"You can have a lot of great companies competing in the same industry, which I believe is the case in the healthcare industry, and if you set your goals high enough even if you fall short you can still be tremendously successful."
Mills also praised the class of 223 MBA graduates, encouraging them to reach out to their employers and ask "what else they think you can take on with your new MBA knowledge," urging them to be leaders and take initiative.
"The fact that you now have a graduate degree earned while working full time says to me that you are capable of accomplishing a great deal in life. And, I don't think I am alone with this thought."
Andy Mills joins the elite group who have received this award in recent years, including: Michael Englehart, President, Advocate South Suburban Hospital (2010); David B. Speer, chairman & CEO of Illinois Tool Works (2009); David M. McDonough, president & CEO of The Trustmark Companies (2008); John W. Rogers, founder and CEO of Ariel Capital Management (2007); LFGSM Past Presidents Maurice F. Dunne, Jr., Raymond E. Britt, Jr. and Rhett Butler (2006); Edward Liddy, chairman & CEO of Allstate (2005); and Miles D. White, chairman & CEO of Abbott Laboratories (2004).
Mills has been the President of Medline since 1997. He is also on the board of directors of NorthShore University HealthSystem, a comprehensive and fully integrated healthcare delivery system that serves the greater NorthShore and northern Illinois communities. He graduated with a BA from Tulane University and received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
About Lake Forest Graduate School of Management
LFGSM is an independent, accredited, not-for-profit graduate business school offering the Chicago area's premier MBA program for experienced professionals, with campuses in Chicago, Schaumburg and Lake Forest, and on site at some of the area's leading companies. Learn more about LFGSM's degree programs and corporate learning solutions at www.LFGSM.edu.
About Medline Industries, Inc.
Medline, the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, manufactures and distributes more than 125,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, home care dealers and agencies. Headquartered in Mundelein, IL, Medline has more than 1,100 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.
Over the past five years, Medline has been the fastest growing distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the U.S., serving as the primary distributor to over 450 major hospitals and healthcare systems. As a leading distributor, Medline offers a comprehensive array of consulting and management services encompassing the supply chain and logistics, utilization and standardization, business tools and enhanced reporting capabilities, and on-staff clinicians.
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