Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> October 19, 1998
S. LESLIE FLEGEL is Chairman and CEO of The Source Information
Management Company (The Source), a comprehensive category management
organization, specializing in 'check-out' design and management. The
firm is also a leading exclusive provider of magazine sales information
and related marketing services to the operations of hundreds of retail
chains in the grocery, convenience, mass merchandiser and pharmacy
industries. Their integrated proprietary software systems is designed
to efficiently and accurately monitor sales of high volume consumers'
products primarily to optimize sales incentive payments offered by
manufacturers. The Company tracks sales of thousands of items resulting
in sales in billions of dollars and will collect incentive payments on
behalf of their retailer clients in excess of $250 million annually.
Prior to his position at The Source, Mr. Flegel was owner of CEO of
Display Information Systems Co. (DISC) for 14 years, which merged with
PMM to form The Source. From 1976 to 1981, he was senior vice president
of marketing for ARA Services, a $4 billion diversified service company
with over 100,000 employees. While at ARA, Mr. Flegel set up
distribution of periodicals to all of the United States Naval bases
throughout the world and to all ships at sea. He personally negotiated
this project with Admiral Moore Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
and Admiral Ryan, the Director of Navy Exchange business worldwide. Mr.
Flegel served in the United States Army from 1961 to 1962 and was honor
graduate at the Ft. Leonard Wood Training Center in 1961. A graduate of
the University of Missouri-Columbia, Mr. Flegel earned his B.A. degree
in 1959. He and his wife Elynor has since established the Elynor and
Leslie Flegel for minority students majoring in journalism at the
University of Missouri-Columbia, the Clara Fishman Fund for Single
Parent Families and the Keyser/Flegel Scholarship Fund for children from
single parent families. He is a member of the Jefferson Club and The
Davenport Society at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has been a
frequent lecturer at the Business School of Washington University and
was invited back to his Alma Mater as Executive in Residence at the
School of Business and Administration. Mr. Flegel has won many business
and has served on numerous community boards. Profile
your history, your products and services and your customers?
Mr. Flegel: I don't know if I can do that briefly, but I
