Scott R. Elkins (Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics ’02) was named by Ernst and Young as a 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year for Greater Philadelphia. Founded in 1986, the Entrepreneur of the Year program celebrates the ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in countries around the world; the Greater Philadelphia division of the program includes eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware.
Elkins is the CEO of Zeus Fire and Security, established in 2022 to build a fully integrated and tech-enabled national network of fire protection and security providers recognized for execution excellence across a variety of service lines and end markets. Zeus operates throughout North America with offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Hawaii. “Being named a finalist and then a winner of the 2025 EY Entrepreneur of the Year was a very special moment for not just me, but for our entire team at Zeus Fire and Security,” says Elkins. “The recognition helps to provide another source of validation that the work we do every day at Zeus truly matters. When an independent third party like Ernst and Young recognizes our work and our efforts, it is special for everyone involved—and gives everyone a bit more motivation to drive hard to build the best business in our industry.”
Regional Entrepreneur of the Year finalists, including Elkins, were invited to the Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs this month. “As I said at the ceremony, the award should really be renamed ‘the person who is fortunate enough to have the best team,’” says Elkins. “While my name is on the award, I won it because of the incredible work of our leadership team as well as our 1000 employees who work incredibly hard each day to fulfill our mission of protecting people, property, and profits.”
Understanding organizational dynamics is key to effective leadership
An alumnus of Penn’s Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics, Elkins recognizes the importance of teamwork as well as leadership for the long-term success of a business. “Winning this award and being surrounded by entrepreneurs from across the country gave me continued perspective on how bright the entrepreneurial spirit is, what is possible, the importance of ‘team,’ and the value of being open to learning from others,” he adds.
While completing his studies at Penn, Elkins served as president for a family business which inspired and shaped his studies. “I was fortunate enough to be able to select classes that I felt most impacted my career,” he recalls. “I used nearly every class to dive deep into what makes family businesses successful, and what causes them to fail. I looked at my professors and my classmates as if they were members of my first board of directors: Those who challenged me to think about business differently.” Elkins continued to grow his family business for another 20 years before it sold. He became the CEO of Zeus Fire and Security in 2022.
Although Elkins graduated from the master’s degree program in 2002, he says that the lessons he learned continue to stay with him today. “More than anything, I walked away with a deep appreciation for curiosity, constant learning, and the value of being surrounded by incredible people,” he reflects.
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