Peter Karmanos, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Compuware, Corp. will talk about the current economic crisis and offer winning strategies for businesses to emerge as stronger, more competitive companies at JVS’ 13th Annual Strictly Business Networking and Awards luncheon 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 15th, at the Hyatt Hotel in Dearborn. The event will also honor Sherwood Food Distributors Sherwood Food Distributors with the Business Leadership Award and four former JVS clients who have achieved personal and professional status.
    Karmanos founded Compuware in 1973 with the late Thomas Thewes and Allen Cutting, Jr., whom he had met on separate projects in the then brand new IT industry. Pooling $9,000 in collective tax refund checks, they combined the words computers and software to name their start-up company Compuware. Together, they wanted to build “…a 20 to 25 person company that would be a fun place to work.” Instead, they created Detroit’s technology giant, with more than 4,000 employees and greater than $1.1 billion in annual revenue.
     Karmanos learned the basics of business at Peter Karmanos, Sr.’s diner in Detroit. They called it Pete’s Place, though it was really named Grand & Lahser Hamburgers, where he learned firsthand what it meant to meet the expectations of customers. And the importance of having more money coming in than going out has stayed with Karmanos since his days running the cash register.
     Compuware is now a global company with 34 offices in 22 states and 43 offices in 26 countries. Since 2003, world headquarters have been located in a $400 million, 15-story glass tower in the center of Detroit at Campus Martius Plaza.
     In addition to running a huge corporate enterprise, Karmanos is also an athlete and sports fan, which led him into co-ownership of three hockey teams--the Carolina Hurricanes (National Hockey League), the Plymouth Whalers (Ontario Hockey League), and the Florida Everblades (East Coast Hockey League)--and drove him to create youth hockey programs for the children of Southeast Michigan.
     Karmanos is deeply committed to philanthropy. He has made gifts of more than $50 million to establish and support the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, the only nationally recognized center to be named for a woman. Along with Compuware employees around the world, Karmanos supports a wide variety of other causes, including JVS.
     “As honorary chair and keynote speaker at Strictly Business, Karmanos will add the zest of his personality plus the acuity of his business expertise which will certainly inspire the more than 600 business and community leaders expected to attend,” said JVS CEO Barbara Nurenberg.
     Beth Gotthelf, a partner in the Butzel Long law firm and Aaron Chernow, president of Resource Technologies Corp., are co-chairs of Strictly Business. Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit JVS, a nonprofit human service organization with offices in Southfield, Detroit, West Bloomfield and Roseville, which served 12,670 job seekers, people with disabilities, frail seniors, homeless individuals and at-risk youth last year. For ticket and sponsorship information, contact Judy Strongman at  jstrongman@jvsdet.org or call 248-233-4213.