Sunnie Kim, Rick Caruso Honored by Ernst & Young
Hana Financial Inc. Chief Executive Officer Sunnie Kim and Casuso Affiliated President and CEO Rick Caruso were among the Los Angeles honorees for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Hana Financial was founded by Kim in 1994 and has grown to become a fully diversified financial-services company and one of the top factoring companies in the country, serving a range of industries, including apparel.
Kim was among eight Los Angeles–based award winners, including David Overton, chairman and chief executive officer of The Cheesecake Factory Inc.; Peter Dameris, president and CEO of On Assignment Inc., a placement agency for the technology, healthcare and life-sciences sectors; Jeffrey Clark, president and CEO of Anthony International, manufacturer of glass doors and display equipment; Jon Kirchner, chairman and CEO of DTS Inc., a high-definition-audio provider; Simon Bax, CEO, and Bill Tillson, president and chief operating officer, both of broadcast and digital-media company Encompass Digital Media Inc.; and Bob Brisco, CEO and director of Internet Brands, owner of CarsDirect.com.
Caruso received the Entrepreneur of the Year Master Award. Real estate developer Caruso Affiliated is the owner of several retail properties, including The Grove and The Americana at Brand lifestyle retail centers in Los Angeles and Glendale, Calif., respectively.
Ernst & Young selected 1,700 nominees nationwide, citing the group’s clout as employers of nearly 926,000 people. In total, the honorees’ businesses have generated more than $235 billion in revenue in 2012. The assurance, tax, transaction and advisory-services firm also hosts its Entrepreneur of the Year Awards event in more than 50 countries. The company has been hosting its annual entrepreneur awards for more than 25 years.—Alison A. Nieder
