BRYAN FINNERTY:
 
Bryan Finnerty




 
 
 
 
 
Co-founder and CEO of ProtectCell in Novi. ProtectCell offers extended warranties and insurance for wireless devices that feature protection against loss, mechanical failure, and damage; device buyback programs; identity theft protection; and Digital Leash, which provides backup of device data as well as the ability to wipe a device clean of data, lock it remotely, and use GPS to track it. Finnerty, along with co-founder Rob Emery, was honored in Crain's Detroit Business's Salute to Entrepreneurs in the $30.1 million to $50 million revenue category. The company has 70 employees, works with more than 400 dealers, and has over half a million subscribers. Placed No. 459 on the 2012 Inc. 500 with three-year growth of 828 percent, ProtectCell also was honored with the 2012 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility. The company donates 3 percent of the total value of reclaimed phones to Cell Phones for Soldiers and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Finnerty is also a founding partner of High Velocity Sports Center, a 120,000-square-foot facility in Canton, and was recognized as one of Crain's 40 under 40 for the venture. As a member of the men's soccer team at San Diego State University, where he received his bachelor's degree in sports marketing and finance, he led the Aztecs to three NCAA berths and a championship final. He was drafted by the Detroit Rockers in their inaugural season. During his career, Finnerty was named the 1990–91 Rookie of the Year, won an NPSL Championship (in which he was also the series MVP), and landed in the starting line-up of four All-Star teams. Finnerty established The Sports Facilities Advisory, which focuses on working with clients to open and operate sports centers across the country. He sold his interest in 2010. For almost 20 years, Finnerty has served as the honorary chair for the Michigan Tri-county D.A.R.E. Association, where he talks to young people about staying drug and violence free. He also serves on several educational and recreational committees, acting as a positive role model on and off the soccer field. As a result, he was recognized by President Bill Clinton for outstanding service and dedication in the community.


WHERE BORN: “Dana Point, Calif.”

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS: “My mom. She was an entrepreneur and I learned the entrepreneurial spirit from her – what it meant to do books from home, manage people, etc. Also, my high school soccer coach. He helped me set goals and understand the value of doing that. We achieved a lot as a team and learned what it takes to be a man and do the right thing.”

LAST BOOK READ: “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Kline.”

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: “Competitive, compassionate, a good steward, and willing to make fun of myself.”

WHERE MY FIELD/INDUSTRY IS HEADED: “We call them the 'screens in our lives' – TV, phone, tablet, computer, car, refrigerator display – and our industry is moving to a place where the screens are starting to converge and talk to each other. How do we make sure the information is secure and on the other end, when I communicate once, I can talk to all of those screens? The wireless lifestyle is becoming interconnected and in adding social networking to that, it's really quite amazing. Our job is understanding and protecting that information.”

FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL GADGET: “My fish finder – I'm amazed by it. I also have an EZ Guitar, which teaches you how to play. I can plug it into my phone and play a lesson and the keys light up where I should play.”

FAVORITE PLACE: “Kona, Hawaii.”

FAVORITE HOBBIES: “Surfing, fishing.”

FAVORITE FOOD: “Sushi – I love the art form of it. If I have a chance, I sit at the counter and watch the sushi chefs.”

MY HIDDEN TALENT: “I can cut hair, much to my twin boys' amazement and laughter.”

HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED: “As a man who honored God, loved his family with all of his heart, and created a place to work that would only happen once in a lifetime.”


Grant Thornton Website At the annual awards reception in April 2014, one Leader & Innovator from the previous 12 months will be selected as the Grant Thornton Leader & Innovator of the Year.