Spotlight on Success: Geoffrey Kent, Cognis ITBy Brian J. Odelli
What would be the dream job for any MBA graduate? How about running a company for a Philadelphia sports legend? Would that be possible and what would it take to land such a position? These seem like farfetched questions or pie in the sky scenarios, but they’re not. In fact, this is exactly what happened to Geoffrey Kent, CEO of Cognis, IT.
After graduating from college, Geoffrey Kent spent a few years building his resume by working for AT&T and Xerox. Kent made the decision to attend business school and although he applied to a number of institutions across the country, his top, and only real choice, was the Wharton School of Business. Kent applied and was accepted. During his summer internship between his first and second year of graduate school, Geoffrey had the good fortune of interning with the Wharton West Philadelphia Project, where he worked on the marketing plan for a large construction company. Kent’s third semester was spent oversees at the Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands. Upon his return, Geoffrey decided to stop by the Wharton West Philadelphia Project office to see his old coworkers. That visit set in motion a series of events that would make anyone jealous.
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Have you ever met someone and felt as though you have known them all your life? They possess a welcoming personality that makes talking to them effortless. Dave Magrogan is one of those people. We have had the pleasure of getting to know each other over the last few months and I now have the good fortune of calling Dave Magrogan my friend (I hope that he feels the same way). While I can, and will, share Dave’s story of success with you in a moment, I think the story of what has lead to Dave’s success, is truly inspiring.
When we think about all the issues and challenges facing our nation today, it can be quite unsettling.
As 2012 gets into full gear, we all look forward to contemplating the promise that a new beginning brings. The same is true for the Entrepreneurs Forum of Greater Philadelphia. As an organization, we reflect upon the past year with a sense of accomplishment. We pride ourselves as being the “go to” place where entrepreneurs, executives and business leaders can come together, gain valuable educational content on business issues that affect us all and make new friends through great networking. Our panel discussions with some of the region’s top business leaders have provided us with an inside look at the characteristics that make someone successful. The Board of Directors and I hope that you came away from our meetings with new and helpful information which can be implemented into your business and that it may, in some way, lead to continued success in 2012.

