Outstanding Business Leader Award - 2008

Outstanding Business Leader Award | 2008

A scratch golfer, Mark King earned a golf scholarship at Northern Illinois University and earned a bachelor's in general business at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. He began his career in 1981 as a territory representative for a start-up company, TaylorMade Golf, went on to senior level executive positions in the company and rose to his current position in 2002. He increased the revenues of the company from $300 million in 1999 to over $1 billion in 2006 and it is still growing. Under his leadership, the company has transformed the world of golf with the introduction of metal woods and movable weight technology. In an interview with Edward F. Pazdur, chairman and CEO of The Executive Golfer, King observed, "We dared to dream about becoming No. 1 and became determined to do it."

He was inducted into the University of Wisconsin Green Bay Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and in 2008, he became the first two-time winner of the ING Industry Honors Business Achievement Award. He was the first to donate $1 million to the First Tee, a program designed to get kids excited about golf. His company has been actively involved as title sponsor of the Golf 'Fore' your Heart Pro-Am Tournament benefiting cardiovascular services at the Tri-City Medical Center.

About Mark King

• Earned golf scholarship to Northern, Illinois University
• Finished college (last 2 years) at U.W. Green Bay
• Began career in 1981 as a Territory Rep. for a start up company Taylor Made Golf
• Became VP Sales for Taylor Made in 1989●Became President of Taylor Made in 1999
• Became President and CEO of TaylorMade-adidas Golf in 2002

Accomplishments

• Increased TaylorMade business from $300 million in 1999 to over $1 billion
• Inducted in UWGB Sports Hall of Fame 2002
• Selected as Golf Industry Executive of the Year in 2001
• Feature articles written about Mark in Fortune, Brandweek, and Harvard Business Review
• Scratch handicap