Peter Cuneo is celebrated as one of the best turnaround CEOs in America. Since 1983, he has completed seven turnarounds of distressed branded businesses in the global media and consumer products sectors. From 1999 to 2009, Peter played a lead role in the turnaround of Marvel Entertainment Inc. (NYSE-MVL). As President and CEO, he led Marvel, post-bankruptcy, to a prominent position in the entertainment industry. He then served as Vice Chairman of the Board, providing active strategic leadership as Marvel continued to grow into one of the world’s leading entertainment brands. This culminated in a $4.5 billion sale to Disney at the end of 2009. Other notable turnarounds include Clairol, Black & Decker, Remington.

The Navy Veteran recently launched his podcast Superhero Leadership, which explores outstanding leadership through the lens of some of the most successful "superhero leaders" in business, sports, politics, the military, and public service. Each episode draws on Cuneo's 32 essential leadership qualities and provides practical takeaways for aspiring leaders in any industry.

He is currently the managing principal of Cuneo & Company, LLC, a private investment and management company, of which his sons, Gavin and Colin, are partners. Cuneo & Co. was started in 2010 and is focused on making investments in private companies within the consumer, media and entertainment-oriented industries. This included Valiant Entertainment Inc. (comic book character-based entertainment). The company was sold in 2018 for approx. 15x the firm’s investment. Some current investments include, among others, Herotainment, LLC (mobile gaming-based children’s entertainment) and Blendtique LLC. (wine blending for consumers) and Cuneo Films LLC. Peter, Gavin, and Colin hold board seats in most of Cuneo & Co’s portfolio companies and work actively with their management teams.

More About Peter Cuneo

Cuneo’s corporate career started at W.R. Grace in financial assignments. He then spent 14 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Cuneo accomplished his first business turnaround in the early 1980’s while President of Clairol’s Personal Care Division, which Bristol-Myers owned. Later, he was President of Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Division in Canada, Chairman of the Canadian Infant Formula Association, and member of the board of the Canadian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.

In 1990, he moved to Black & Decker as President of the Security Hardware Group, responsible for six businesses around the world with sales of $500 million. During his tenure, turnarounds of underperforming businesses were accomplished in Italy, Germany, and the United States. In 1993, Cuneo became President and eventually CEO of Remington Products. The company, known for its electric shavers, was on the verge of bankruptcy. Cuneo brought his old personal care business for Clairol and merged it into Remington. The company eventually sold in 1996 for $225 million to a leverage buyout firm.

Cuneo was Chairman for Iconix Brand Group (NASDAQ). He served as interim CEO for eight months through April 2016 and again in 2018. Peter is also Chairman of BeyondView Inc., a San Francisco-based AI company developing digital mapping solutions for global industries. He has been board member of public and private companies such as Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE-MVL), Iconix Brand Group (NASDAQ-ICON, Chairman of the Audit Committee). WaterPik Technologies Inc. (NYSE-PIK, Chairman of the Audit Committee) and Remington Products (private).

In 2020, he joined the board of ElectroCore (NASDAQ-ECOR). The company sells a non-invasive medical device for the treatment of migraines, cluster headaches, and PTSD that is FDA approved. The product is also approved for the treatment of asthma in COVID-19 patients. In 2021, Cuneo became Chairman of the company. In 2019, Cuneo co-sponsored a TMT (technology, media and entertainment, telecommunications) SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company). The company (CIIG) was listed on NASDAQ after raising $260 million. In 2021, the same team co-sponsored its second SPAC (CIIG2) and went public on NASDAQ after raising $290 million. In 2024, Peter became Chairman of Ocsial, a nanotechnology company based in Luxembourg.

Peter graduated in 1967, with a BS degree in Glass Science (Ceramic Engineering) from Alfred University. He has served on the Board of Trustees at Alfred since 1990. After six years as its Chairman, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in 2013. Additionally, he received a second honorary doctorate degree in 2022.

Post-graduation, he entered the U.S. Navy, where he earned the rank of lieutenant. He was Damage Control Officer and then Communications Officer on the USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16), a guided missile destroyer. The Strauss participated in several deployments into the Vietnam War.After active service with the Navy, he earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. He received first-year academic honors and was President of the International Business Club.

He currently sits on the Board of the National Archives Foundation in Washington, DC. He previously served as Co-head of the Development Committee, Chair of the Audit Committee, and Co-head of the Nominating Committee. Cuneo is also a board member of the National Policing Institute in Washington, D.C., and was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2016. Peter has given numerous speeches on turnaround leadership worldwide and has often appeared on business-oriented cable television.