About the CEO series

It has been said there's no better way to avoid mistakes than learn from those who have done it before you. With the economy slowly working on a rebound, the Bradenton Herald thought there was no better time to put this theory to the test.

The Herald is publishing this occasional series of exclusive interviews between business reporter Josh Salman and prominent executives who have retired to the Bradenton-Sarasota area. Because we want to give you words just as they came out of the speaker's mouth, the series will be in a Q&A format.

We hope to present readers with a little insight as to what made these folks so successful, what they see in today's changing economy and why they opted to retire in Southwest Florida. Our goal is to publish at least one or two of these articles each month.

If you have any ideas on retirees in Southwest Florida who fit the bill, please share them with Josh Salman at jsalman@bradenton.com. We're also looking for ideas on interesting questions you would like to see asked, so feel free to share those as well.