Richard Russell started his career of giving financial advice by losing money.   

As Imperial Capital Bancorp Inc.'s (NYSE: IMP) chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer, George Haligowski is focused on focusing his bank's needs to be ready for opportunity.   

Mike Maslak has served as CEO of North Island Credit Union since he came to San Diego in 1987. During his tenure, North Island's assets have grown from $300 million to more than $1.5 billion, with more than 17 branches throughout San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties.   

As managing principal of the San Diego office of Fish & Richardson, John Phillips spends much of his time positioning the firm for growth.   

For San Diego attorney Harvey Levine, 2007 was like any of his previous 30-plus years practicing law: busy, successful and marked by personal recognition.   

Locally, San Diego attorney Jay Jeffcoat is perhaps known more for his community service than for his law practice, and that's no knock on the veteran litigator.   

An attorney specializing in public works, construction and eminent domain litigation, James Gilpin sees his work as having a long-term impact on San Diego.   

Stephen Ferruolo wants San Diego to have its own Genentech (NYSE: DNA). That's a tall order considering the San Francisco-based company launched in 1976 has more than 10,000 employees and is widely considered the founder of the biotech industry.   

San Diego's vibrant legal community should become more active in 2008, especially in the first couple of months, according to industry analysts.   

He's been called one of the deans of corporate law in San Diego.   

As co-founder and principal of San Diego-based activist investment firm Relational Investors LLC, Ralph Whitworth has the delicate job of informing chief executives at some of the world's largest companies that, to varying degrees, their management is flawed.   

Janice Kassebaum Patterson got her first taste of the banking business at the age of 16.   

On Aug. 1, Irene Oberbauer assumed the role of president and CEO of San Diego County Credit Union, the county's largest locally based credit union with $3.9 billion in assets. Oberbauer ascended to the chief executive position after more than 10 years with the credit union, where she worked her way up from head of business development and administrative services when she came aboard in 1995.   

When Ramona National Bank wanted a complete overhaul of its operations in early 2006, its board of directors turned to John McGrath.   

John Chalker is focused on civic involvement and providing his clients with the best investment strategies possible.   

As director of six Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) offices in San Diego County, Joseph Campano is responsible for managing more than 200 employees for the firm, including 134 financial advisers with approximately $13 billion in assets under management.   

Union Bank of California is fighting for customers against some stiff competition in Southern California, where large institutions like Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) have established a major presence. According to Union Bank's retail market president Joseph Benoit, Union Bank manages to stand strong by acting like a small community bank, in terms of both service and involvement.   

After helping a local, San Diego firm attain national prominence, attorney Roy Bell is now taking his talents to an international stage.   

By most accounts U.S. markets fared surprisingly well during 2007 considering the amount of bad news.