Brad Anderson, CEO, Best Buy

And this year, Anderson has continued Best Buy's rapid pace for growth, adding musical instruments to the myriad products it already offers and adding Best Buy Mobile stores within each of its 962 locations.

In another coup, Anderson and his crew earned the exclusive right to be the first third-party retailer of Apple's iconic iPhone, adding it to all Best Buy Mobile Stores. The iPhone feat came just weeks before the Minneapolis-based retailer announced its plans to buy digital music service Napster for a reported $121 million.

Throughout it all, Anderson has run the ship to focus on the customer, launching a movement dubbed "Customer Centricity" is which each store is catered to specific customer needs and behaviors according to the demographics of the store's locations.

And through services, like the Geek Squad precincts located in every store and in some standalone locations and Magnolia Home Theater Installation teams, Best Buy has gotten more in touch with its customers. Its offers services and in-home installation and, along with those services, Best Buy offers service protection on high dollar items.

The tiered service protection includes a premium level that adds extra services like limited free telephone troubleshooting, anti-virus/spyware protection, HDTV calibration and preventative maintenance checks on major appliances.