L. Joseph Bauman

Chairman and CEO Cardinal Brands Inc.

L. Joseph Bauman of Lawrence is chairman and CEO Cardinal Brands Inc. After graduating from the University of Kansas in 1961 with a degree in mechanical engineering, Bauman joined Bendix Corp. In 1965 he was hired as a manufacturing engineer at IBM, where he contributed to the firm's success through a variety of positions.

From mid July to mid August of 1980, Bauman became a member of the task force that developed the IBM PC and later a member of the team that built it and put it into production.

The team's effort and IBM's unquestionable reputation for excellence set a worldwide revolution in motion. The PC was catapulted into the realms of commercial necessity and popular culture icon.

Bauman subsequently held several leadership posts at IBM, serving as vice president of manufacturing, PC Division; and director of materials. As director of quality for Manufacturing and Development, IBM's Rochester, Minn., plant won the revered Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

From 1990 to 1995, Bauman was the eighth dean of the KU School of Business and a professor of management. During his tenure, the KU MBA program was recognized by Business Week as one of the 10 best values in the United States. In 1997, he became president and CEO of Adams Business Forms. At Adams, Bauman crafted the merger of Adams and Eagle OPG Inc. in 2000 to form Cardinal Brands Inc., a leading manufacturer of office and related products. The company has about 1,200 employees and locations in North America and the United Kingdom.