Robert M. Simenson
Robert
M. Simenson was born in 1938 in Wisconsin, and of Norwegian and Swedish heritage. After majoring in
accounting (Bachelor of Business Administration) from the University of Wisconsin in 1961, he went on
to work for Arthur Andersen & Co., in Milwaukee as Senior Auditor and Small Business Consultant.
In 1964, Simenson attended the Harvard Business School, where he was awarded an MBA with distinction in 1966.
That was also the year Bob (as he would always be known) married Joyce Rewolinski in Milwaukee, and then joined FMC Corp.
For the next 15 years, Bob worked in a variety of financial positions in the giant chemical corporation, including 6 years in Belgium and France, before moving to Chicago, IL.
Bob Simenson and Del Bloem
meet and found ICS Medical
Bob met Del at his last FMC position in 1977. Right
from the beginning, the two men got on well and complemented each other. Together, in 1981, they helped
close down the FMC Environmental Equipment Division.
Also in 1981, they came across the medical division of Instrumentation and Control Systems (ICS) – and bought it (along with three employees). Although interest rates were 21-22% at the time, it never occurred to either of them that the new venture would not be successful. Del was the technology person, and Bob was the business manager. Both were people persons.
Bob
still enjoying the view from behind his desk on
the occasion of
the company’s 10th anniversary.
From 1981 to 2000, Bob helped build the company into a market leader in computer-based ENG/VNG and EP instrumentation and services for otoneurologic diagnosis.
By 2000, the company employed approximately 30 people covering research and development, manufacturing, marketing and administration.
Bob’s wife, Joyce, helped out at ICS Medical from the beginning. She was Assistant to the President (Del) and handled Marketing Administration and Human Resources for ICS. Joyce contributed significantly to the company's success.
ICS
Medical was sold to GN ReSound in 2000
By 2000, Bob was nearing retirement age
and so, when GN ReSound made an offer they couldn’t refuse, it was easy to take the decision to sell.
The agreement included a commitment to continue in his current capacity for two years.
On January 1, 2001, ICS Medical joined Madsen Electronics, Danplex, and Hortmann under the GN Otometrics “umbrella”. Bob Simenson then took up the position of Executive Vice President, GN Otometrics, and still based in Schaumburg, IL until his retirement on December 31, 2002.
Retirement
can be a busy time of life
With two homes, Bob and Joyce spend the summer in Illinois
with their family – two children and two grandchildren. Then they escape the snow by spending the winter
in Naples, Florida, where they enjoy lots of friends and visitors.
In Bob’s own words, “I’m not sure exactly what we do, but I don't know how we had time to work before retirement.”
They also do a lot of traveling, and spent a month in Eastern Europe and Russia during the summer 2005 and a month in China in 2004.