(1913-2001)

Known for: Hewlett-Packard (Net revenue, 2010: $126 billion)

Quote: “Men and women want to do a good job, and if they are provided the proper environment, they will do so.”

About: His strength lay in circuit technology. He served in the Army during World War II, during which David Packard ran the company. Hewlett was on the staff of the Army’s Chief Signal Officer and then headed the electronics section of the New Development Division of the War Department Special Staff. During this latter tour of duty, he was on a special U.S. team that inspected Japanese industry immediately after the war. In 1947, shortly after he returned to Palo Alto, Hewlett was named vice president of HP. He was elected executive vice president in 1957, president in 1964, and also was named chief executive officer in 1969.

University education: Bachelor’s degree, Stanford University; M.S., MIT