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Nick Padgett, a 1988 graduate of Western Illinois University, is the recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University’s College of Business and Technology.
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Nick Padgett Named 2012 Distinguished Alumnus by WIU College of Business and Technology

January 24, 2012

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MACOMB, IL – Nick Padgett, a 1988 graduate of Western Illinois University, is the recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University's College of Business and Technology.

Padgett co-founded Frontaura Capital LLC in July 2007 after researching and visiting Africa's frontier companies and stock exchanges. He graduated summa cum laude and as co-valedictorian from WIU, with a bachelor of science degree in computer science and minors in math and finance.

The WIU College of Business and Technology will honor Padgett with a community luncheon during his visit to the Macomb campus Monday, Feb. 6. He will also speak to economics, finance and computer science classes while on the Macomb campus.

Padgett is frequently quoted in the global business media and he serves as a conference speaker on the topic of frontier markets.

The Frontaura company was conceived while Padgett was on a two-year sabbatical, which culminated in a 65-country trip around-the-world honeymoon with his wife.

Before the launch of the new company, Padgett was involved with Inforte Corp., a global technology-consulting firm. He provided the seed money for the 1993 birth of the business, served as a member of its board of directors and was one of its largest shareholders in 2003.

Padgett joined the company full-time in 1997 as its chief financial officer, a job he held through 2003. He coordinated the company's initial public offering in 2000.

The American Business Awards named Padgett as Financial Executive of the Year in 2003, highlighting his ability to accurately forecast revenue, manage costs and meet earnings guidance in an environment that bankrupted many direct competitors.

Prior to Inforte, Padgett worked as a research analyst at investment bank William Blair & Company, covering technology stocks from 1994 through 1997.

He graduated in 1994 with an MBA from The Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College. Prior to business school, he worked as a consultant for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), with assignments in Chicago, London and Manila. He has held the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation since 1997.

For more information, contact Becky Paulsen, CBT director of development, at (309) 298-2442 or B-Paulsen@wiu.edu.





Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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