AmerisourceBergen's Scrimp-and-Save Dave

R. David Yost is acutely aware of tougher times ahead for his customers. Consumers are cutting back on prescription drugs to save money and retailers are struggling with less demand. But the AmerisourceBergen chief isn't worried. The balance sheet of the drug distributor, which acts as a middleman between drugmakers and retailers, is strong. Besides, Yost has been tightening his belt for years.

Even in an industry known for its razor-thin margins, Yost is remarkably cheap. He answers his own phone, flies economy class, and rarely strays beyond a shortie turkey hoagie with provolone from the local deli near his sterile industrial park headquarters in Valley Forge, Pa. Yost, 61, admits that his $66.1 billion company could absorb the cost of getting him extra secretarial help and a more comfortable seat on planes, but that's not the point. "The leader is very important in controlling business costs," says Yost, whose headquarters lobby is decorated with plastic plants to save on watering.