Francis Price

MBA Class of 1975

CEO
Hybrid Manufacturing and Engineering Technologies

Ask Francis Price about life’s greatest gifts, and his response is immediate and emphatic: education. Price credits his own education at the University of Rochester and Simon for landing his first job, at Xerox Corporation where, he says, his early opportunities there put him on the road to impressive successes in the business world.

From Xerox, Price joined Interact Performance Systems Inc. in 1983 as president of the fledgling organization, which boasts more than 400 Fortune 1000 customers, including General Motors, Mazda, and Hewlett-Packard. His exposure to automotive clients led to the acquisition and development of Q3 Industries Inc. Price is now CEO of Hybrid Manufacturing and Engineering Technologies.

At Simon’s 2007 commencement, Price received the David T. Kearns Medal of Distinction, which recognizes significant achievement in business, public service, and education. Throughout his career, Price has been concerned that as the cost of higher education continues to climb, many students will be left out regardless of merit. For this reason, he is particularly dedicated to helping Simon provide opportunities to deserving African-American students and those from African cultures. “African-Americans are poorly represented in all measures of wealth and well being,” he notes. “A Simon education is not a panacea, but it can be an antidote to this problem.”

To help provide such remedies, Price serves on the University’s board of trustees and has been a generous donor to the School through the years. “I began with a small gift in the early 80s and have continued to give,” Price says. He currently contributes through a donor-advised fund. Price feels that many students today lack perspective and the social responsibility of reaching back to pull others along. As Price built businesses near the inner cities of the Midwest, he observed that there are two kinds of dealers—drug dealers and jobs dealers—both of which make a lasting impact on the communities in which they operate. “It’s all too easy to misunderstand the purpose of wealth creation,” Price says. “What, how, when, and with whom are all important considerations in the wealth building process. Fattening your own pocketbook without growing your community can be shortsighted.”