San Ramon CEO Competes in IronmanTriathlon

San Ramon-based Accela CEO Competes Alongside Business Leaders in Hawaii Triathlon

While it’s not uncommon for a CEO to be up at 4 a.m. with thoughts of his company’s success running through his mind, Maury Blackman, president and CEO of Accela, takes this scenario literally. He starts each day before dawn with a two-hour exercise routine that includes running and swimming, and then heads into the office of his international software company that connects people to government services. Blackman also spends his weekend “downtime” biking 50-miles through the areas surrounding his Danville, California home.

This drive to succeed has not only impacted his company’s success, it also helped him secure one of only 15 coveted qualifying slots, sought after by nearly 100 C-suite athletes, in the 2008 CEO Ironman World Championships held October 11, 2008 in Kona, Hawaii. With an overall time of 11:36:04, Blackman placed seventh among the other participating CEOs. Quite an impressive move considering he has only competed in three other Ironman events.

CEO, Maury Blackman Crossing Finish Line in Ironman Hawaii Triathlon

For Maury, personal fitness is like keeping a car in peak condition: the more care and attention you give it, the better and longer it will perform. He believes the same goes for a well-conditioned company: an organization whose culture supports healthy lifestyles and that operates under principles of speed, agility and endurance is better equipped to anticipate and respond successfully to market trends and challenges.

He recently issued a personal directive to employees to take ALL their allotted vacation time off, for their own good and that of the company. And under his leadership Accela offers free flu shots to all employees and provides fresh fruit in lieu of candy as an office treat. Maury also insists that staff get plenty of sleep during offsite events like sales meetings and user conferences. He has been known to call the hotel room of key employees to make sure they “made curfew.”

In addition to keeping his company and himself healthy, Blackman brings a driven, youthful approach to the role of CEO, which in some companies is thought of as a stuffy “suit” position. It’s not uncommon to hear him use phrases like “killer” or “awesome” when he describes Accela’s products that connect citizens and the business community to government services in more than 500 agencies worldwide.

More information about Accela can be found at www.accela.com.