The CAD Society announced today that Robert "Bob" McNeel, founder and president, Robert McNeel & Associates, is the winner of the 2005 CAD Society Leadership Award. The award will be presented at a ceremony on April 16, 2005 at COFES2005: The Congress on the Future of Engineering Software, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
In announcing the award, a statement from the CAD Society said that "McNeel has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the CAD industry from the very beginning of his career. McNeel and Associates quickly became the largest Autodesk reseller in the U.S. due in large part to a solid customer focus. He went the extra mile for his customers and always gave frank opinions making him a trusted reseller. His customer focus and business leadership has propelled AccuRender and Rhinoceros to the forefront of the industry."
Popular UK CAD journalist Martyn Day comments, "Bob's contribution to the market has been on many levels. He has shown how a big dealer can still be close to its customers, demonstrated that powerful software doesn't have to cost the earth and pushed visualization and 3D surfacing to the front."
Past winners of the CAD Society Leadership award are: Tony Affuso, 2004; Tom Butta, 2003; Frank Perna, 2002; Bernard Charles, 2001; and Jon Hirschtick, 2000.
The CAD Society Award for Leadership is awarded to an individual in the CAD industry whose outstanding technical and/or business leadership over the past year has significantly contributed to the benefit of CAD community. The CAD Society is a not-for-profit industry association with the goal of fostering a community and encouraging open communication among those who make their living within the CAD industry including AEC, mechanical, manufacturing, and GIS.