Cielo Founder and CEO Sue Marks Receives "Seize the Day" Award at 2019 Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference

MILWAUKEE – Sue Marks, Founder and CEO of Cielo, received the 16th annual Ken Hendricks “Seize the Day” award at the 2019 Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference on June 4, held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The award celebrates entrepreneurial leaders who have been crucial to Wisconsin’s economic growth. It is named in honor of Ken Hendricks, a Beloit business leader who was the 2006 “Seize the Day” winner. The award is not given for technical innovation, but for innovative leadership – the ability to turn opportunity into success. It recognizes entrepreneurs who fulfill five criteria:

• Vision – Recognizing opportunities where others do not
• Courage – Vigorous, dedicated pursuit of opportunities in the face of risk and skepticism
• Adaptability – Rapid and repeated reinvention in response to changing markets
• Persistence – Maintaining optimism and effort in the wake of setbacks
• Resourcefulness – Overcoming obstacles and finding ways to fund growth

“Sue Marks is an outstanding entrepreneur who knows what it’s like to launch, grow, and succeed with companies in a competitive environment,” said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, which sponsors the award.

As a serial entrepreneur, Sue has started and scaled multiple successful organizations, and as an Angel Investor, she has supported entrepreneurs in their drive to create companies.

Cielo, headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin, is now an international recruiting powerhouse, supported by global private equity firm Permira Partners, with 2,000 employees serving clients through 9 offices across 97 countries in 36 languages.

“In today’s economy, and certainly in tomorrow’s, capital is abundant, the half-life of innovation and technology is growing shorter and competitive advantage is short-lived. At the end of the day, we bet on talent. Talent always wins.” Sue said. “I’ve dedicated my life to building businesses that create opportunities for talented and diverse people to own their success. Cielo is a company that attracts and retains the very best people in the markets we serve, who make a difference for our clients and for each other every day. Thank you to the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference who selected me for this recognition, you have my commitment to continue to earn it."

The 2019 Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference took place June 4-5 at Venue Forty Two, 1130 N. 9th St., in Milwaukee.