04.29.21
Kodak Executive Chairman and CEO Jim Continenza is being recognized as a Maverick of the Year in the 19th Annual American Business Awards Stevie Awards.
This year’s competition received more than 3,800 nominations – the highest in its history – from organizations of all sizes and industries.
Judges said that Continenza is a bold and decisive leader and is driving an impressive turnaround at Kodak.
Since he was appointed executive chairman in Feb. 2019, Continenza has centered his focus on strengthening Kodak’s balance sheet and growing its core businesses of print and advanced materials and chemicals.
Under Continenza’s leadership, Kodak has eliminated its debt from bankruptcy and secured approximately $300 million in new capital for growth.
Continenza has restructured Kodak’s operations for a customer-first approach and ignited significant momentum with innovation, as evidenced by the company launching eight new products in 2020 and 2021.
“Jim has been the driving force in Kodak’s turnaround over the last two years and is the definition of a Maverick,” Kodak CFO Dave Bullwinkle said. “When he took over as executive chairman in 2019, he quickly focused the Company on our core strengths and united the previously siloed businesses around a One Kodak approach. Since then, he has led the effort to eliminate unnecessary spending, focus on cash generation and strengthen our balance sheet. As a result, today Kodak is in its strongest financial position in years and is poised for growth.”