Camille Nicita joins Lawrence Tech’s list of Leaders & Innovators
As seen in Lawrence Technological University’s “Leaders & Innovators” series
Camille Nicita: President and CEO of Gongos, Inc., in Auburn Hills. Gongos, which includes Gongos Research and O2 Integrated, provides research on initiatives spanning the entire product and marketing life cycle, and combines enterprise and research knowledge through consultative relationships. Gongos works with corporations such as Coca–Cola, Visa, Johnson & Johnson, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler. First named to the Inc. 5,000 list of the Fastest Growing Companies in America in 2007, the company was a 2010 finalist in Inc. magazine’s Winning Workplaces and is among the Honomichl Top 50 U.S. marketing research organizations. Gongos is certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. Under Nicita’s leadership, the company increased revenue growth 12 percent in 2013, and the number of full–time employees increased by 15 percent. During the past five years Gongos experienced 70 percent revenue growth and 70 percent full–time employee expansion. Nicita is vice chair of the advisory board of Michigan State University’s master’s in market research program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan and her MBA from Wayne State University
WHERE BORN: “Taylor.”
MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS: “My husband. He has given me and our family a real appreciation for the natural world – trees, flowers, plants – and has opened my eyes to a whole new part of life. Also, my dad, without question, for his amazing rags–to–riches– type story. Even with his accomplishments, he never forgot where he came from. He was a big influence in teaching me that all people are equal. And, a couple of years ago, I got into the Tudor dynasty and Queen Elizabeth, the first serious queen of England, who ruled for 44 years and was not just a warrior but a pioneer. As a woman at that time, it was unheard of, and she was considered the people’s queen.”
LAST BOOK READ: “Typically, I have two going at the same time. The last great one was Switch by Dan and Chip Heath about how to change when change is hard. For personal reading, the Divergent series.”
WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: “Possibilities thinker, always trying to see what can be done, how can we improve. Always have a good flow of ideas. Chief storyteller; we have a rich history and cool story and my job is to remember the past and write the story of the future.”
WHERE MY FIELD/INDUSTRY IS HEADED: “It’s such an exciting time and is changing so much. It gives companies like us the opportunity to pave our own path. We’re in the decision intelligence space, an industry based on consumer behavior, which is being impacted by so many things – social media, technology, and the sheer explosion of data and information that clients have at their disposal. We help them understand that information and use it for making great decisions to give them a leg up and help them grow their business. From a talent perspective, we are able to attract people with diverse backgrounds new to this field.”
FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL GADGET: “My dual zone wine fridge. It keeps white and red at the right temperature. There’s nothing better than having a perfect temperature glass of wine.”
FAVORITE PLACE: “Lake Michigan, the stretch between Saugatuck and Glen Arbor, where the sand is better than any beach in the world.”
FAVORITE HOBBIES: “Home renovation, I’m always thinking of new things to do to our home.”
FAVORITE FOOD: “The avocado. It’s delicious, can add to almost anything, and it’s good for your skin, for your heart, and has good fat.”
MY HIDDEN TALENT: “I’m a really great travel planner. As a family, it’s one of the most important things we do together. If I wasn’t doing my current job, I’d consider doing it for other people.”
HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED: “As someone who brought a fair bit of positivity to your life, making your life just a little bit better. All the little bits add up.”
See the original article here