Kenn Ricci

Chairman, Flexjet

Education: Cleveland State University College of Law; University of Notre Dame

What Success Looks Like to Me: To be passionate about what you do and compassionate about how you do it. Wealth and success should be the consequence of, and not the focus of, what you do.

Favorite Quote: My father had a saying: “Don’t miss the five best days of your life.” It meant that you never know which ones they will be, so you have to be ready to enjoy them all.

My Leadership Style: Provocateur. I like to probe the issues and solutions to ascertain not only how the issue was resolved, but also the process that was used. If you challenge the process and not the result, you are creating the foundation for solving future problems. 

What Would Surprise Someone to Learn About Me: I began my college career studying to be an actor.

An Important Lesson I Learned: Displaying faults and vulnerabilities is a great way to build trust. When you expose your weakness, you are signaling that you are willing to have a deeper relationship with someone and that you trust them.