Now this executive is vowing to do something about global warming.
Don Bell is passionate about what he does -- whether it's running his 2,000 employee technology company with offices in six countries, or sharing what he learned last week at the North Pole.
"After going there, I would say I'm a true believer," said Microproducts Chairman & CEO Don Bell.
Bell was invited to helicopter in by British explorer David Hempleman-Adams.
Sled dog teams were anxious to show him evidence the ice cap is melting, disappearing faster than computer models have forecast.
What he saw has changed him.
"I'm not an Al Gore. I'm not doing it because he's doing it. This is really real. You lose the ice, maybe you lose the planet," said Bell.
Bell is on the executive committee of the Bay Area Council and on the board of the Silicon Valley leadership group.
He is anxious to mobilize fellow CEOs to find solutions and to work with India and China, whose carbon footprints are growing.
"We're hosting groups back and forth to try to have an impact not only on what we're doing but to have an impact on what they're doing, such as building clean buildings and green buildings and things that don't burn as much power, but we've got a long way to go," said Bell.
Bell says his North Pole visit makes it clear to him that the valley has to do more than install sensors to turn out lights in empty offices.
"Private sector's got to find a way to make this work because we all know that government leadership never quite gets you there," said Bell.
Don Bell admits he doesn't have all the answers. But he knows the valley's track record for innovation and problem solving.
Seeing is believing, and now don bell is on a new mission.
