Mike Shane
Founder and Chairman of Lastar, Inc.

Mike Shane is an inspiring work, start and lead BIG story. He took his vision, and then partnered with others to turn that dream into an organization with over $100 million in annual revenues, 500+ employees, an international presence and a reputation as a great place to work.

Tell us about your career. I started a computer store in 1982. Next came being a business operator, a manager, then CEO of my firm and now being its chairman.

What’s been key to your success? Being open to change. Over the years, I've gone through a number of personal "re-engineering" phases. Each phase required an entirely different set of tools and demanded accelerated learning to meet the pace of the job.

What has shaped your thinking? My involvement with The CEO Project has been the inspiration for many of the processes we've incorporated at Lastar over the years. It's also been the foundation for my personal growth and development.

What's been an unexpected benefit of participating in The CEO Project? I've developed some great relationships with some gifted people and great leaders. The intangible factors have been even more valuable than the tangible ones.

What's next for you? I've been thinking about my next phase, and right now, I'm viewing it as being an entrepreneurial investor and advisor. I've starting blogging to serve as a living diary of sorts while I deal with this challenging career and life transition.

"The combination of my involvement with CEO Project and these various roles have shaped my entire perspective to business and provided me with unique experiences to leverage into my next phase."

A little more about Mike…

He was recognized as 'Member of the Year – 2009' by The CEO Project. He has served as Entrepreneur Mentor in Miami University's (Oxford, OH) Entrepreneurship Mentoring Program. In 1993 he received Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

In conjunction with Lastar's community service projects, Mr. Shane has served as a judge for the Better Business Bureau's Student of Integrity Scholarship Award. He is a member of the Southwest Ohio Board for the American Heart Association, chairing their HeartWalk in 2006 and 2007. More recently, Mr. Shane was appointed to The Federal Reserve Bank's Dayton (OH) Business Advisory Council.

Lastar, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of low-voltage cabling and connectivity solutions for North America and the United Kingdom.