Eddy Zakes

Eddy grew up in his family business, learning the ropes from an early age. Over the course of his career, prior to joining Earth Development, Eddy founded and successfully exited another blue-collar service company, and served in leadership positions in a variety of small- and mid-sized businesses.

With a clear passion for helping entrepreneurs maximize their potential, Eddy has served in multiple mentoring, teaching, and coaching roles. He also served as Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center at IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain, where he led an international team supporting entrepreneurs in more than 140 countries. In 2019, Eddy was also named an Expert on Entrepreneurship and Innovation by the World Economic Forum.

Eddy is a strong proponent of servant leadership and continuous improvement and leads the Earth Development team with the goal of serving others. In sum, Eddy and his team are in a “persistent pursuit of perfection.”

Earth Development was founded more than 20 years ago on the principle of “doing it right the first time, every time.” It is perhaps for this reason that Eddy found a perfect home in Earth Development and, in 2015, his leadership skills were recognized by his peers and the business community when he was designated as a regional Forty Under 40 Leader.

Eddy sharpens his own abilities through avid reading, executive training, and education (he has his MBA from IESE Business School). Eddy is also participating in SIMA training by Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) where he is an Advanced Snow Manager. SIMA unites snow and ice management professionals and helps them stay committed to the highest standards in the industry.

Eddy is married to Autumn and together they have three children and make their home in Green Bay, Wisconsin, a snow market averaging 56 inches of snow and an average January temperature of 18 degrees.