Michael M. Hayes Honored as Siena Entrepreneur of the Year

Photo source: https://www.siena.edu/news-events/article/michael-m.-hayes-67-named-entrepreneur-of-the-year

Michael M. Hayes, president and CEO of M.M. Hayes Co., Inc., was named 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year by Siena College on April 24, 2017.

Hayes, a 1967 Siena graduate, founded MM Hayes in 1971. In the early years, MM Hayes focused primarily on workforce management solutions as a partner of Kronos Incorporated. This led to the development of their own software applications, Quickcharge and Workforce Access. The company’s flagship product, Quickcharge, allows organizations to manage cashless payment at workplace dining and retail venues with features such as online ordering, a mobile self-service app, and a powerful point of sale solution. Through continuous development over the past 20 years, MM Hayes has quietly emerged as a leader in the cashless payment industry. Today, Quickcharge can be found in major organizations across the U.S. including The Boeing Company, Mayo Clinic, and Cleveland Clinic.

“I got a lot of ideas from my first job out of college and was afforded the opportunity to go into business for myself,” Hayes said. “I come from a family of business people, so it was a natural road for me to start my own company.”

The Entrepreneur of the Year award is presented annually to a Siena graduate who has excelled as an entrepreneur, positively impacted his or her community, and is driven by the entrepreneurial spirit and values of Siena.

“The entire Siena College community congratulates Michael Hayes on this achievement,” said Brother F. Edward Coughlin, O.F.M., Ph. D., president of Siena. “His business achievements are impressive, as is his devotion to his family and community.”

“Michael Hayes is an excellent role model – both personally and professionally – for Siena’s current students and alumni,” said Matthew Cusack, executive director of Stack Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “The company he has built impacts the employees, human resources and operations of Fortune 500 companies across the country.”

Previous winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year award include Judy Capano-Michaelson, co-owner of pharmaceutical advertising agency and medical device marketing firm Calcium; Michael Barranca, vice president and co-founder of the Rowlands + Barranca Agency; and inaugural winner Antonio Civitella, president and CEO of global logistics software company Transfinder.