Three of the most influential leaders in Utah’s tech industry were inducted into the Utah Technology Council’s Hall of Fame at the group’s annual awards ceremony Friday.

Fraser Bullock, co-founder and senior advisor of Sorenson Capital; Carine Clark, president and CEO of MaritzCX; and Peter Genereaux, founder and CEO of the Utah Information Technology Association, which was the predecessor of the UTC, were recognized by the council for their strides to bolster the tech industry.

Gov. Gary Herbert praised the inductees, as well as existing members of the Hall of Fame and the UTC, celebrating its 25th year, for their efforts in helping Utah’s tech industry become one of the strongest in the country.

“Utah is great for economic development; this is a hotbed for tech. … the fact that we are number one today is in large part because of the work you do,” he said. “I don’t think there’s ever been a time in Utah’s history to be more optimistic. Good and great things are happening now and good and great things will happen in the future as we continue to work together.”

Bullock, who also sits on numerous boards, including Sorenson Media, Curza and Bamboo HR, is chairman of Health Catalyst, the Polynesian Cultural Center and DMBA, and was COO and CFO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, was lauded for his ability and willingness to help others reach great new heights.

“When others see obstacles, Fraser sees the path forward. Fraser has courage,” said Dan Burton, CEO of Health Catalyst. “He has a rare gift of helping others find their courage, find their leap of faith.”

Bullock said after a life-threatening heart attack last year, he has found increased gratitude and purpose in each day, and is focused more on helping others through meaningful service.

“The fabric of life is human to human connection,” he said. “We enrich it through kindness, and deepening that fabric is so meaningful.”

Clark, who played a pivotal role in Maritz Research acquiring Allegiance to create the present-day MaritzCX, has decades of building successful software companies under her belt. Before MaritzCX, she was president and CEO for Allegiance, and past experience includes heavyweights like Altiris and Novell. Her ability to create strong teams—and forge rock-solid loyalty through her genuine caring for the welfare of employees—was perhaps her greatest strength as a leader, said Greg Butterfield, a 2009 Hall of Fame inductee.

For Clark, the honor was a touching mark of the success she, a “super nerdy girl,” had accomplished through passion and hard work. She credited the support of family and friends, and particularly her husband and children, for helping her achieve her accomplishments and battle ovarian cancer. Clark also nodded to mentors who have helped her along the way, and encouraged others to find people to mentor, particularly young people and mothers re-entering the workforce after caring for young children.

“I am so humbled to be here tonight because there are a lot of reasons why I shouldn’t be,” she said. “A mentor is someone who opens a door for you, and not only opens the door but shoves you through, so I’m very grateful [to have had so many great ones].”

In 1989, Genereaux was tasked by then-Gov. Norman H. Bangerter to form a nonprofit organization to attract, nurture and retain high-tech companies in Utah—the Utah Information Technology Association. Genereaux, who had worked for IBM, was more than equal to the challenge, said Jack Sunderlage, a business and technology heavyweight who was the chairman of the board of trustees for the UITA.

“Peter had the vision and ability to form a plan to capitalize on the abilities of entrepreneurs,” Sunderlage said. “He was the right man in the right place at the right time.”

Genereaux, still sprightly at 83, credited the efforts of all involved with the UITA, and those who continue that group’s mission today in the UTC, for much of what he accomplished.

“I’m recognized for this Hall of Fame award partly because of what I did, but I had a wonderful group of people who helped me 27 years ago, starting the predecessor to the UTC,” he said. “To everyone who helped, you earned a share of my Hall of Fame.”