A look at the people behind the numbers in area business:

GEORGE DEMOU AVTEX, PRESIDENT

In an industry where change is the norm, George Demou, 45, the new president of Bloomington-based information technology firm Avtex, isn't sitting still.

Demou oversees growth plans calling for sales at Avtex to double to $100 million by 2015, organically and through mergers and acquisitions. Avtex, owned by the Pohlad Family Cos., offers "customer experience solutions" to help businesses optimize interactions with customers, employees, partners and prospects.

Demou, former president and CEO of Transcend Communications, has decades of experience in communications. He's seen the focus shift from maximizing call center efficiency to integrating e-commerce and social media into the customer-contact strategy.

"It's exciting to have an industry that reinvents itself and tries to stay a step ahead of the way customers want to interact with the companies they do business with," Demou said.

The four main practices at Avtex are: unified communications, customer relationship management, contact center technologies and portals -- online repositories that make information accessible to customers or employees.

Avtex is a leading national systems integrator, Demou said, customizing Microsoft technology to use Exchange or Outlook for all messaging and communications, not just e-mail.

"Our biggest value is building custom, business-driven applications on these technologies," said Demou, noting that the company's 220 employees include more than 50 developers.

Demou, who had worked at Avtex from 1997 to 2004, returned in June as senior vice president of sales. His promotion to president was announced last month; former president Bob Denman has moved into an advisory role.

QYou briefly studied hotel and restaurant management?

AI'd worked at restaurants all through high school. But I dropped out after my first semester (at the University of Wisconsin-Stout) and took up business with a minor in finance. Food science wasn't for me. One thing I did learn in hotel and restaurant management, though, was client service.

QWhat's it like working for the Pohlads?

AThere are no better owners in the state of Minnesota. They want us to be innovative. They want us to grow conservatively. They want us to invest in our employees. They'd like to use our technology with their other interests.

QWhat do you like to do away from the office?

AWe have five kids 14 and under. I enjoy spending time with them at the cabin. ... I try to instill my interests in them, so they've learned to love to fish and to exercise and play soccer.

TODD NELSON