LINDA GIRARD:
 




 
 
 
 
 
Co-founder and CEO of Pure Visibility, Inc. in Ann Arbor. Since she co-founded the search engine marketing firm in March 2005, Pure Visibility has tripled in size. Linda has been working in the search industry since the late 1990s. She also serves on the board of the Ann Arbor Ad Club as education chair and past president. Pure Visibility helps clients appear on the first page for key phrases and search terms that generate revenue on search engines.


WHERE BORN: "Detroit."

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS: "My big brother, Mike Loszewski. I admire his strong business sense and his absolute positive position on everything. He's been a real strong guide for me. And one of the most important people in my life, my business partner, Catherine Juon. I love her magical ability to turn every situation into a business opportunity. I call her a marketing genius."

LAST BOOK READ: "Small Giants: Companies that Choose to Be Great Instead of Big by Bo Burlingham."

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: "Vivacious, passionate, positive, and my personal favorite, a Google geek."

WHERE MY FIELD/INDUSTRY IS HEADED: "I feel that we are going to have more evolved information Web sites. Information architects will play a strong role in their development. As a result, search engine algorithms will become more complicated. Search engine optimization companies will be very busy making Web sites compliant with those needs. Branding will become even more dominant and evident online, and it will be necessary for all businesses to integrate an Internet marketing strategy into their business plans. Competition is only going to get fiercer and if a company does not having a strong clear message delivered in two seconds, the visitor will move on to the next Web site to search for the answer."

FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL GADGET: "Google Notebook. Love it."

FAVORITE PLACE: "Surfing the Internet on the beach."

FAVORITE HOBBIES: "Kayaking, hiking, and volleyball."

FAVORITE FOOD: "Sushi and vanilla latte."

MY HIDDEN TALENT: "Magic dust. That's what everyone calls me. I have magic dust."

HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED: "As a fearless leader -- that I made a positive impact in the lives of my employees and clients, and to my family as the best mom in the world."

Grant Thornton Website At the annual awards reception in April 2009, one Leader & Innovator from the previous 12 months will be selected as the Grant Thornton Leader & Innovator of the Year.