Peter Cuneo
Encyclopedia
Peter Cuneo was born during WWII at Alameda Naval Air Station in California
where his father was a Navy pilot. His family followed his father through numerous military assignments associated with World War II
and the Korean War
. Before age 10, he lived in Pensacola
, Florida
; Seattle, Washington; San Diego, California; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
Cuneo’s family settled in Queens
, New York
in the 1950s. His father eventually retired as a lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department. His mother was an EMT emergency medical technician
in New York.
Cuneo entered Alfred University
in 1961 and initially was not a good student. During a leave of absence from Alfred, he resolved to “get serious” about academics and subsequently earned several dean’s list distinctions. He graduated in 1967 with a B.S. degree in Glass Science (Ceramic Engineering).
After a year working as a quality control engineer for Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation, Cuneo entered the U.S. Navy – graduating with honors from Officer Candidate School
in Newport
, Rhode Island
. He served for three years on the USS Joseph Strauss, a guided missile destroyer
, as Damage Control Officer and as Communications Officer. The Strauss participated in several war cruises during the Vietnam War
and Cuneo was decorated for service in that conflict.
After the Navy, Peter enrolled at Harvard Business School
. He was awarded academic honors and was President of the International Business Club. He graduated with an MBA in 1973.
His corporate career started at W.R. Grace in financial and strategy assignments. He then spent almost 15 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb
. Cuneo accomplished his first business turnaround in the early 1980s while President of Clairol’s Personal Care Division which was owned by Bristol-Myers. Later, he was President of Bristol-Myers Pharmaceutical Group in Canada
as well as Chairman of the Canadian Infant Formula Association and a member of the Board of the Canadian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.
In the early 1990s, he moved to Black & Decker
Corporation as President of the Security Hardware Group, responsible for six businesses around the world with sales in excess of $500 million. During his tenure, turnarounds of distressed businesses were accomplished in Italy
, Germany
and the United States.
Cuneo then became President and eventually CEO of Remington Products
. The company, known for its electric shavers, was on the verge of bankruptcy. Cuneo accomplished a historic turnaround that included purchasing the personal care business from Clairol and merging it into Remington. After a four year turnaround, the company was sold to a leverage buyout firm.
He joined Marvel Entertainment
as Chief Executive Officer in 1999, immediately after it emerged from bankruptcy. This was his seventh turnaround effort – all have been in media intensive consumer product companies with globally known brand names and quality reputations.
Cuneo completing a successful multiyear turnaround of Marvel as CEO, returning the company to a leadership position in the entertainment industry. Cuneo then became Vice Chairman of the company's Board of Directors where he served until Marvel's sale to Disney at the end of 2009. Since 1999, Marvel’s stock price had risen from a low of $.96 to over $50.00 per share. In December, 2009, the Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel for over $4 billion.
Peter is currently Managing Principal of Cuneo & Company., LLC., a private investment and management company. He has served on the Board of Directors of a number of companies including Waterpik, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange
company where he was Chairman of the Audit Committee, Iconix Brand Group, Inc., a publicly traded licensing and brand management company which owns and licenses iconic apparel brand names, Marvel Entertainment Inc., Remington Products Company among others.
He is also Chairman of the Alfred University
Board of Trustees. and on the Board of the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Peter has served as a Senior Advisor to several investment funds on consumer and media oriented businesses.
Cuneo has been a regular keynote speaker on turnaround leadership, including talks at the Conference Board, Harvard Business School
, Wharton
, Columbia
, USC
, University of Texas, Peking University
(Beijing
) and at several MBA programs in Europe
.
Peter and his wife Maris live in Connecticut
. They have two children.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where his father was a Navy pilot. His family followed his father through numerous military assignments associated with World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Before age 10, he lived in Pensacola
Pensacola
Pensacola is a city in the western part of the U.S. state of Florida.Pensacola may also refer to:* Pensacola people, a group of Native Americans* A number of places in the Florida:** Pensacola Bay** Pensacola Regional Airport...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
; Seattle, Washington; San Diego, California; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Cuneo’s family settled in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the 1950s. His father eventually retired as a lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department. His mother was an EMT emergency medical technician
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
in New York.
Cuneo entered Alfred University
Alfred University
Alfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred in Western New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester and two hours southeast of Buffalo. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students...
in 1961 and initially was not a good student. During a leave of absence from Alfred, he resolved to “get serious” about academics and subsequently earned several dean’s list distinctions. He graduated in 1967 with a B.S. degree in Glass Science (Ceramic Engineering).
After a year working as a quality control engineer for Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation, Cuneo entered the U.S. Navy – graduating with honors from Officer Candidate School
Officer Candidate School
Officer Candidate School or Officer Cadet School are institutions which train civilians and enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a commission as officers in the armed forces of a country....
in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. He served for three years on the USS Joseph Strauss, a guided missile destroyer
Guided missile destroyer
A guided missile destroyer is a destroyer designed to launch guided missiles. Many are also equipped to carry out anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface operations. In the U.S...
, as Damage Control Officer and as Communications Officer. The Strauss participated in several war cruises during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and Cuneo was decorated for service in that conflict.
After the Navy, Peter enrolled at Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
. He was awarded academic honors and was President of the International Business Club. He graduated with an MBA in 1973.
His corporate career started at W.R. Grace in financial and strategy assignments. He then spent almost 15 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb , often referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical company, headquartered in New York City. The company was formed in 1989, following the merger of its predecessors Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation...
. Cuneo accomplished his first business turnaround in the early 1980s while President of Clairol’s Personal Care Division which was owned by Bristol-Myers. Later, he was President of Bristol-Myers Pharmaceutical Group in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as well as Chairman of the Canadian Infant Formula Association and a member of the Board of the Canadian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.
In the early 1990s, he moved to Black & Decker
Black & Decker
Black & Decker Corporation is a corporation based in Towson, Maryland, United States, that designs and imports power tools and accessories, hardware and home improvement products, and technology based fastening systems...
Corporation as President of the Security Hardware Group, responsible for six businesses around the world with sales in excess of $500 million. During his tenure, turnarounds of distressed businesses were accomplished in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the United States.
Cuneo then became President and eventually CEO of Remington Products
Remington Products
Remington Products, commonly known as simply Remington, is a worldwide personal care corporation which manufactures razors , epilators, and haircare products for both men and women. It is a subsidiary of Spectrum Brands.-History:...
. The company, known for its electric shavers, was on the verge of bankruptcy. Cuneo accomplished a historic turnaround that included purchasing the personal care business from Clairol and merging it into Remington. After a four year turnaround, the company was sold to a leverage buyout firm.
He joined Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC , formerly Marvel Enterprises and Toy Biz, Inc., is an American entertainment company formed from the merger of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. and Toy Biz, Inc....
as Chief Executive Officer in 1999, immediately after it emerged from bankruptcy. This was his seventh turnaround effort – all have been in media intensive consumer product companies with globally known brand names and quality reputations.
Cuneo completing a successful multiyear turnaround of Marvel as CEO, returning the company to a leadership position in the entertainment industry. Cuneo then became Vice Chairman of the company's Board of Directors where he served until Marvel's sale to Disney at the end of 2009. Since 1999, Marvel’s stock price had risen from a low of $.96 to over $50.00 per share. In December, 2009, the Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel for over $4 billion.
Peter is currently Managing Principal of Cuneo & Company., LLC., a private investment and management company. He has served on the Board of Directors of a number of companies including Waterpik, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
company where he was Chairman of the Audit Committee, Iconix Brand Group, Inc., a publicly traded licensing and brand management company which owns and licenses iconic apparel brand names, Marvel Entertainment Inc., Remington Products Company among others.
He is also Chairman of the Alfred University
Alfred University
Alfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred in Western New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester and two hours southeast of Buffalo. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students...
Board of Trustees. and on the Board of the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Peter has served as a Senior Advisor to several investment funds on consumer and media oriented businesses.
Cuneo has been a regular keynote speaker on turnaround leadership, including talks at the Conference Board, Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
, Wharton
Wharton
-Academic institutions:*Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania*Wharton Center for Performing Arts, at Michigan State University-Places:*Wharton, Cheshire, England*Wharton, Cumbria, England*Wharton, New Jersey*Wharton, Ohio*Wharton, Texas...
, Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, University of Texas, Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
(Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
) and at several MBA programs in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Peter and his wife Maris live in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. They have two children.