U-Haul International Inc., which operates more than 1,300 self-storage locations across North America, announced CEO Edward J. "Joe" Shoen will be awarded the 2017 Executive of the Year Award by the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University (ASU). The award honors business leaders who’ve created and sustained superior organization performance, and whose presence exemplifies a model for future business leaders, according to a press release.
Shoen is the 34th Executive of the Year chosen by the school’s dean council, a national group of executives who advise the W. P. Carey School of Business. He’ll be honored at a luncheon on April 19 at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley, Ariz. The 11:30 a.m. event is hosted by the Economic Club of Phoenix, which includes city business leaders.
"In his three decades as the chief executive at U-Haul, Joe has demonstrated the sort of vision and leadership that this award was designed to recognize," said Amy Hillman, dean of the W. P. Carey School. "He's overseen not just growth but also diversification, helping to grow and enrich the U-Haul brand along the way. And, of course, as an ASU alum leading a prominent Phoenix-based business, we couldn't be more proud to honor Joe this year."
Shoen is also president, chairman and CEO of AMERCO, U-Haul’s parent company. He’s a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, Harvard Business School and ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. Shoen, 68, grew up in the U-Haul organization and became president in 1987. His parents founded the company in 1945, and his sons, Sam and Stuart, are the third generation actively managing U-Haul as a family business.
In 1987, Shoen set out to refocus U-Haul on its core business to serve the do-it-yourself moving and self-storage customer. At that time, U-Haul had 4,600 rental outlets. Today, it has more than 21,000 locations across North America, with a fleet of 285,000 trucks, trailers and towing devices, the release stated.
Established in 1945, U-Haul has more than 44 million square feet of storage space at its owned facilities throughout North America.
The W. P. Carey School of Business is internationally regarded for its research productivity and its faculty members, including a Nobel Prize winner. Students hail from more than 100 countries and include more than 50 National Merit Scholars.