Junior Achievement Hall of Fame Laureate: Will Anderson President and CEO Koniag Inc.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa
• Position: Special section: Junior Achievement Alaska Business Hall of Fame

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

When Will Anderson was in first grade, his family moved from Kodiak where he was born, to Whidbey Island in Washington state. But his roots remained deep in Alaska, as did his commitment to his Native village and regional corporations.

"Even after we moved, I maintained a close relationship with people in Kodiak, spending every single summer with my grandparents," explained Anderson, president and chief executive officer of Koniag Inc. "I've always considered it my home."

After graduating from Oak Harbor High School in Whidbey, Anderson went on to earn a bachelor's degree in general studies from Seattle Pacific University, and a second bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree at Western Washington University in Bellingham. He paid his way through college working in the cannery at Wards Cove Packing Co. before being offered an accounting position with the company.

GIVING BACK

"While working for Wards Cove, I was inspired to serve on the board of Koniag as a way to repay the fact that they'd given me a scholarship for college," Anderson said. "The first time I ran for the board, I didn't win; the second time I ran, I was elected, and I served for four years."

After graduating with his master's degree, Anderson began working for the Boeing Co. in Seattle before taking a job as the vice president of finance with a Koniag subsidiary, ICRC (Integrated Concepts and Research Corp.) outside Washington, D.C. "I hated Washington--it was too crowded, too hot, too humid, too busy," Anderson said. "When I got a job offer to serve as a finance manager for my village corporation, I jumped at the opportunity. I drove cross-country with my wife and three children."

After working at Afognak Corp. for six months, Anderson was recruited to serve as the vice president of finance at Koniag Inc. "This was a truly tough decision--I loved working for my village corporation and being in my hometown," Anderson said. He and his family decided to move to Anchorage, and Anderson served as Koniag's chief financial officer for six years before being promoted to its president and CEO five years ago.

Since Anderson took the position, the corporation has thrived. In 2011, the company's diversified portfolio of assets grew to more than $160 million, an increase of more than $17 million from the previous year. After-tax earnings were $8.7 million, a 36 percent increase from 2010, and shareholders' equity increased 5 percent to more than $79...