Business North Carolina Power List 2022

NORTH CAROLINA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL LEADERS

presented by

TIMELY LEADERS

‘The measure of a man (or woman) is what he does with power.’ — Plato, updated.

reat leadership never goes out of style. The need for it has never been greater.

Whoever made those statements first, thank you. I’ll share them as a contribution and rationale for Business North Carolina’s Power List, our annual report on the state’s most influential leaders.

Demand for steady, competent leadership is unquestionable. Just look at the war in Ukraine, inflation reaching 40-year highs, and negative effects lingering from a horrible pandemic. It’s a challenging time.

Fortunately, our state is full of terrific leaders, as evidenced by this publication. Our magazine created the list after seeking nominations, talking with dozens of sources, undertaking significant research and spending years covering North Carolina’s business community from our unique statewide perspective.

We realize this is a small sampling that reflects our best efforts to cite those making the most impact. There are thousands of great leaders in the state. We love to hear feedback from readers reminding us of key omissions.

The people on the list shared some thoughts on their early morning routines, keys to success, favorite hobbies and great hangouts and restaurants. The responses provide considerable insight and some humor.

My personal favorites:

“Sometimes things don’t go as planned, and it’s OK to walk away.”

— SAS Institute CEO Jim Goodnight

“The happiest you will ever be in your life is when you bring joy to others’ lives.”

— developer Greg Keith

“Everyone stumbles. What people remember is how you move forward, not that you fell.”

— Accenture’s Caroline Helwig Dudley

Asked for favored dinner guests, seven people cited Barack Obama. Only one cited Joe Biden or Donald Trump.

Elected officials and government executives aren’t included, as we focused on private- and quasi-private-sector officials. An exception is UNC System chancellors, whose large organizations wield major economic clout.

There’s a bias toward leaders in the big metropolitan areas, where most economic activity occurs. Great rural leaders often get overlooked.

Special thanks to my colleagues for the intense effort to produce this publication, particularly designers Peggy Knaack and Ralph Voltz. Peggy came up with the retro images of vintage toys and old equipment models to combine a glimpse of history while honoring some exceptional people. They should spark some memories for many readers — and maybe questions from younger ones. We are most appreciative of our sponsors and the many people who contributed to this snapshot of North Carolina’s business leadership in 2022. ■

Contact David Mildenberg at dmildenberg@businessnc.com.

PUBLISHER Ben Kinney

EDITOR David Mildenberg

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Jennings Cool, Colin Campbell, Cathy Martin

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Edward Martin

SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Pete M. Anderson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Ebony Morman, Alyssa Pressler, Tucker Mitchell

CREATIVE MANAGER Peggy Knaack

ART DIRECTOR

Ralph Voltz

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Jennifer Ware

ADVERTISING SALES

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

Melanie Weaver Lynch, eastern N.C. 919-855-9380 mweaver@businessnc.com

ACCOUNT MANAGER & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

Scott Leonard, western N.C. 704-996-6426 sleonard@businessnc.com

CIRCULATION: 818-286-3106

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REPRINTS: circulation@businessnc.com

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Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels Jr., Frank Daniels III, Lee Dirks, David Woronoff

PUBLISHED BY Old North State Magazines LLC

PRESIDENT David Woronoff

Ackermann, Stacy 85

Adamczyk, Darius 101

Allen, Brian 125

Allison, Darrell 27

Andrews, Kelly 19

Andrews IV, Alex ‘Andy’ 125

Appleby, Jennifer 117

Armario, Jose 71

Armato, Carl 63

Armstrong, Gray 95

Ashburn, Leah Wong 71

Asokan, Aravind 95

Atala, Anthony 95

Atkinson, Shannon 109

Bachmann, Anita Hughes 45

Baggett, Chip 63

Bailey, Jack 95

Baker, Kevin 141

Bamford, Lynn 101

Banks, Sherrod 85

Baric, Ralph 63

Barnes, Catherine 85

Barnes, Johnny 11

Barnes, Lee 137

Barnhill, Rob 125

Batten, Natalie 117

Beach, Matthew 117

Beacham, Tripp 117

Beaver, Don 15

Bell, Michael 101

Bell, Jon 125

Berlin, Steve 85

Bernhardt Jr., Alex 101

Bhasin, Aditya 45

Black, Tera 15

Blake, Casey 109

Boddie, Bill 71

Boland, Steve 46

Book, Connie 27

Bourne, Peter 79

Bowman, Jud 79

Boyles, Andrew 11

Boyum, Tim 109

Bradley, Kirk 125

Brannan, Joe 39

Braswell III, Trey 11

Bratspies, Stephen 101

Brazas, Elizabeth 113

Brazil, Mark 15

Brodie, Calvin 125

Brown, Jeffrey ‘JB’ 45

Brown, Kelli 27

Bruggeworth, Robert 79

Brunson, Richard 113

Bryan, Bill 101

Bryan, Jim 101

Bryant, Richard 46

Burks, Wesley 63

Burns, Doug 95

Bushnell, Andrea 126

Cabañas, Jose 63

Cagle, Mary Jo 64

Cahill, Dan 85

Callicutt, Rick 46

Calloway, Tom 118

Camp, Tommy 126

Capps, Michael 79

Carroll II, Roy 126

Carter, Wes 102

Cato, John 137

Catt, Ben 39

Caveney, Brian 95

Cecil Jr., Bill 71

Cecil, Jack 71

Chapman, Richard 72

Chawla, Anil 79

Childress, Richard 15

Chittenden, Doug 46

Christensen, Brent 19

Christensen, Ashley 72

Chung, Chris 19

Clark, Brian 141

Cline, Gary 118

Cohen, Bruce 64

Colbert, Lois 85

Cole, Adrienne 19

Coley, Malcomb 118

Collins, Bill 141

Contreras, Sharon 27

Cooper, Lisa 137

Corrigan, Boo 15

Cox, Roy 141

Cramer, Kit 19

Creed, J. Bradley 27

Cubbage, Amy 113

Cunningham, Bubba 15

Currie, John 15

Curtis, Donald 109

Cuthbertson, David 126

Datin, Jim 96

Davis, Eric 28

Day, Ron 46

De May, Stephen 39

Dean, Pat 126

Deans, Neil 118

Deck, Heather Jacobs 113

Deitemeyer, Kandi 28

Delli-Gatti, Dionne 39

Dobson, Bryan 11

Doheny, Ted 102

Dowd IV, Frank 102

Downie, Chris 79

Drach, Joy Parr 79

Duda, Turan 118

Dudley, Caroline Helwig 118

Duggins, Nathan 85

Duke, David 86

Duncan, Clark 19

Dundon, Tom 16

Dunn, Jim 48

Durham, Geoff 19

Dyke, Jeff 137

Edwards, Dennis ‘Denny’ 72

Edwards, Rob 48

Elias, Ric 109

Ellen, Andy 137

Ellison, Marvin 137

English, Natalie 21

Eshelman, Fred 96

Estes, Russell 11

Evans, Bradley 86

Evans, David 80

Everts, Sheri 28

Eveson, Todd 86

Farmer, Allison 64

Farrin, James 86

Fernando, Anthony 96

Fishburne, Keith 113

Fite, Lee 48

Flow, Don 138

Floyd, Jeff 118

Foster, Geoff 102

Foster, Mickey 64

Fox, Michael 141

Francis, Charles 86

Freischlag, Julie 64

French, Rick 119

Freno, Mike 48

Fussell, Jonathan 72

Gabbard, Tom 16

Gaber, Sharon 28

Gantt, Gregg 141

Gardner, David 80

Gatling, Kimberly Bullock 88

Gaulden, John 119

Geiger, Richard 72

Gentry, Haley 142

George, Brian 138

Gibbs, Joe 16

Gilliam Jr., Franklin 30

Gintzig, Donald 65

Gonzales, Glenn 142

Good, Lynn 40

Goodman, Clark 86

Goodmon, Jim 110

Goodnight, Jim 80

Gordon, Tina 65

Graham, Franklin 113 Gray, Brett 126

Gray, Michael 40

Greco, Tom 138

Green, Gary 138

Green, Maurice ‘Mo’ 113

Gregory, Matt 102

Griffin III, Thomas 88

Grigg, Charles 48

Grindley, Eric 119

Grubb, W. Clay 126

Guskiewicz, Kevin 30

Gwaltney, Peter 48

Hagood, Craig 11

Hall, Todd 49

Ham, Bobby 11

Ham, Meg 138

Hamadi, Ramsey 49

Hamilton, Brian 113

Hamilton, Scott 21

Hanks, Neal 126

Hans, Peter 30

Hansen, Jim 49

Harding, Shawn 11

Harkrader, Carson 40

Harrington, Robert 88

Harris, Jeff 138

Harris, John 72

Harris III, Johno 128

Harrison III, Frank 102

Hatem, Greg 128

Hawkins, Vern 12

Haygood, Jennifer 30

Heckman, Harper 88

Hendrick, Rick 138

Henry, Chad 96

Herring, Tommy 12

Heyl, Jon 89

Hill, Stephen 72

Hillings, Valerie 16

Hoban, Rose 110

Holden, Keith 110

Holding Jr., Frank 49

Hosmer, Patricia 88

Hotchkiss, Nelle 114

Humphrey, Timothy 81

Hunter, Sam 128

Hutchens, Terry 89

Ingram, Bob 49

Isley, Victoria 74

Jamil, Dhiaa 40

Jandrain, Jay 12

Janson, Julie 40

Jarvis-Mackey, Lenora 114

Jeffs, Roger 96

Jenatian, Mohammed 74

Jewell, Stan 103

Johnson, Chris 21

Jones, Roy 41

Jones, Beth Tyner 89

Jones, David 128

Jones, Steve 50

Jordan, Michael 16

Kalland, Steve 41

Kane, John 128

Keen, C. Matthew 89

Keith, Jr., Greg 128

Kelligrew, Jim 50

Kelly, Tamika Walker 30

Kilimanjaro, Afrique 110

Kingery, Maria 41

Kirkland, Byron 89

Klein, Fred 128

Klinck, Ted 130

Koch, Paul 119

Kollins, Katharine 41

Koneru, Phanesh 96

Kuttner, Phil 119

LaBar, Janet 21

Landguth, Michael 142

Lanning, Jim 139

Laport, Mark 74

Lawler, Stephen 66

Lawrence, Paul 90

Lawrence, Thomas 114

Lebda, Doug 50

Ledford, Peter 42

Legg, Ryan 142

Levitan, Scott 22

Lewis, John 142

Lierman, Deverre 81

Lindsey, Jr., Roy Lee 12

Lipson, Jesse 81

Lopez Massas, Ralph 143

Lowe III, Eugene 103

Lowe, Gregg 103

Lowe, Tim 139

Luddy, Robert 103

Luquire, Brooks 120

Lynch, Jim 12

Mabry, Rhett 114

Macdonald, Jamie 96

Mack, Mary 50

Macken, O’Hara 81

Mahan, James ‘Chip’ 52

Malik, Steve 16

Maness, Brian 114

Manske, Rick 52

Marcus, Aaron 52

Marshall, Ju-Don 110

Marsicano, Michael 114

Martin Sr., Harold 32

Masters, Kent 103

Mayer, Mike 52

McCarthy, Brian 54

McClure, Steve 130

McConnell, John 74

McDowell, Valecia 90

McElveen-Hunter, Bonnie 120

McLamb Jr., Carlie ‘Mack’ 139

McLaughlin, Kevin 42

McLaurin, Gene 22

McMahan, Ed 54

Meeson, Martin 97

Meldrum, Guy 103

Melvin, Jim 114

Michel, Gary 103

Mikhail, Sheila 97

MIllar, Scott 22

Miller, Fielding 55

Mims, Susan 115

Minges, Lynn 74

Minton, Tim 130

Mitchell, Charlotte 42

Mitchell, Tom 90

Mobley, Jared 90

Monroe, Chase 130

Moore, Richard 52

Morken, David 81

Morrison, Suzanne 55

Morrison, Marifrances 90

Mounts, David 81

Mullen, David 120

Munro, Jillian 82

Murphy Jr., Wendell ‘Dell’ 13

Murray, Tom 75

Nagowski, Mike 66

Naudé Pierre 82

Nelms, John 23

Nelson, Thomas 104

Newell, Robert ‘Bob’ 54

Newman, Compie 130

Niven, Kathie 75

Nye, Ward 104

O’Brien, Kevin 97

O’Donnell, Steve 16

Oehmig, Leib 104

Olson, Todd 82

Overton, Michael 130

Owen, Dale 66

Owens, Mark 22

Packer, Leslie 90

Page, Bob 139

Paine, Jeffrey 120

Painter, Michael 55

Pappas, Art 55

Pappas, Bill 56

Pappas, Peter 131

Paradise, A. Joseph 121

Parker, Daren 42

Parrish, Doyle 75

Pashley, Tom 75

Patel, Nayan 75

Patel, Nir 139

Patrick, Chad 66

Peck, Phil 143

Peek, Chris 66

Peele, Greg 131

Phillips, Kevin 12

Phillips, James 16

Phillips, Reid 90

Pike, J. Eric 42

Pilon, Mary Claudia ‘MC’ Belk 115

Platé, Chris 23

Poole III, Gregory 131

Pope, Art 139

Porter, Julie 115

Portman, Bob 131

Poston, Edwin 56

Pounds, Crawford 121

Praeger, Michael 82

Pratt, Ryan 82

Prestage, Bill 13

Price, Vincent 32

Purvis, Chuck 56

Qubein, Nido 32

Rabon, Albert ‘Trey’ 110

Rabon, Gary 131

Ralls, Scott 32

Ramsey, Randall ‘Randy’ 34

Randolph, Jimmy 23

Ravin, David 131

Rea, David 56

Rea, Paul 97

Reaves, Jeremy 76

Reece, Laura Helms 97

Reid, Brian 56

Riley, Pat 131

Roberts, Lee 56

Robertson, Allen 90

Robinson, Jenna 34

Rocha-Goldberg, Pilar 115

Rodgers, Pat 132

Rogers Jr., William ‘Bill’ 58

Rogers, Philip 32

Roper, Julie 23

Rose, Jim 58

Rose, D. Edwin 132

Rothblatt, Martine 98

Rucker, Brandon 121

Ryan, Matt 121

Safran, Perry 91

Saidi, Sepi 121

Salamido, Gary 23

Samet, Arthur 132

Samulski, R. Jude 98

Sanchez, Greg 132

Sandner, Jason 58

Scheffer, Jeff 104

Schindler, Jordan 105

Schmidt, Andrew 76

Scott III, Linwood 13

Searcy, Douglas 36

Segrave, Jim 143

Shaffer, Christy 98

Shannon, Colin 98

Sharma, Amit 83

Shaw, Whitney 111

Sherrill, Glenn 105

Shuford III, Alex 105

Shuford, Jim 105

Sills, James 58

Simpson, Dave 132

Sisco, Lee 121

Smith, Eddie 106

Smith, Harry 106

Smith, LaTida 115

Smith, Marcus 17

Smith, Melissa 24

Smith, Tim 132

Sneed, Richard 76

Snow, Matt 121

Solomon, Jason 90

Sotunde, Tunde 59

Steigerwalt, Eric 59

Stevens, Wyatt 91

Stewart, Willy 122

Stith III, Thomas 34

Stonestreet, Dana 59

Strayhorn, Ralph 59

Strickland, Justin 139

Subramaniam, Kamala 83

Sutton, Ben 17

Sweeney, Tim 83

Taft Jr., Thomas 134

Tattersfield, Mike 76

Taylor, Randall 122

Teague, Ben 24

Team, Robin 134

Tepper, David 17

Thompson, Donald 122

Thompson, Paul 143

Tolson, Norris 24

Tomlin, Robyn 111

Topalian, Leon 106

Treadway, Charles 106

Trenary, Lance 76

Triandiflou, Jim 83

Tucker, Lisa 139

Tuttell, Wit 77

Uknes, Scott 98

Van Geons, Robert 24

Vannoy, Eddie 134

Vanore, Richard 77

Vassar, Bill 17

Vick, Lynwood 13

Waldrum, Michael 68

Walker, Kevin 60

Wall, Marshall 92

Waller, Jayson 42

Walter, Greg 77

Walton, Thad 60

Ward, John 60

Ward, Eric 98

Warlick, Anderson 106

Warren, Jeff 36

Warren, Carl 143

Washington, A. Eugene 68

Weaver, David 61

Wells, Roxie 68

Werbicki, Peter 115

Whiteside, Jennifer Tolle 115

Whitfield, Fred 17

Whitmarsh, Rebecca 77

Whitworth, Tammy 134

Wileman, Jay 42

Wilhelm, Markus 42

Williams, Devon 92

Williams, Kevin 92

Willliams, Ted 110

Willis, Mary 60

Wilson, Dontá 61

Wingo, Scot 83

Winston, Robert 77

Wise, Jeff 77

Wohl, David 68

Woltz III, Howard 106

Wood, Whitley 122

Woodie, Patrick 24

Woods, Eugene 68

Woodson, Randy 36

Wooten, Chris 134

Wroth, Tom 68

Wyatt III, James 92

Yalof, Stephen 139

Yost, Steve 24

Yusko, Mark 61

Johnny Barnes

Andrew Boyles

Trey Braswell III

Bryan Dobson

Russell Estes

Craig Hagood

Bobby Ham

Shawn Harding

Vern Hawkins

Tommy Herring

Jay Jandrain

Roy Lee Lindsey Jr.

Jim Lynch

Wendell Dell Murphy Jr.

Kevin Phillips

Bill Prestage

Linwood Scott III

Lynwood Vick

Growing crops and raising livestock — then turning those products into food, fiber and other goods — accounts for a major part of North Carolina’s economy. Agriculture and agribusiness had an economic impact of nearly $96 billion in 2021. The industry employs about 789,000 people, and the state’s 45,100 farms operate on about 8.3 million acres.

JOHNNY BARNES

president | Barnes Farming and Farm Pak

Spring Hope

Barnes Farming started in the early 1960s and now ranks among the largest U.S. sweet potato producers, managing more than 6,000 acres. The Farm Pak was formed in 1969 as sales support for produce grown at the farm.

ANDREW BOYLES

complex manager | Tyson Foods

Wilkesboro

Boyles, who has a bachelor’s degree in poultry science from N.C. State University, oversees the 3,000-employee Wilkesboro location for the giant chicken, beef and pork producer. He serves on the North Carolina Poultry Federation board and was its president in 2020-21.

TREY BRASWELL III

president | Braswell Family Farms

Nashville

The fourth-generation president of a family farm established in 1943 has helped the company become the secondlargest Eggland’s Best franchise in the U.S. An N.C. State University graduate and Nash County native, he started the farm’s organic operation in 2018.

BRYAN DOBSON

CEO | Quality Equipment

Fuquay-Varina

The Scotland Neck native and East Carolina University graduate joined his family’s John Deere tractor dealership, Farmland Tractor, in 1997. The company merged with East Coast Equipment in 2005, then with Quality Equipment in 2018. Quality expanded last year into Wilmington with an acquisition.

RUSSELL ESTES

co-owner | Peak Farms

Jefferson

Peak Farms started in 1979 and has grown more than 400,000 Christmas trees. Estes’ Fraser firs have won several awards from the National Christmas Tree Association. Peak Farm’s trees have served as the official White House Christmas trees.

BOBBY HAM

owner | Ham Farms

Snow Hill

The graduate of East Carolina University has led the business since the 1980s, creating one of the largest U.S. sweet potato farming businesses and an exporter to 16 nations. Founded in 1975, the company also produces processed foods including vegetable and fruit purees.

CRAIG HAGOOD

president, CEO | House-Autry Mills

Four Oaks

The Kansas State University graduate was named CEO in 2010, after joining the business in 2001. House-Autry Mills is a leading supplier of products that include breading, batters and spices. In 2019, the company expanded into gourmet hot sauces with the acquisition of Captain Foods.

SHAWN HARDING

CEO | N.C. Farm Bureau

Raleigh

In 2019, the N.C. State University graduate and Beaufort County farmer became the 12th president of the state’s largest general farm group. Its insurance subsidiary has annual revenue topping $1 billion. The not-for-profit group is owned by more than 500,000 member families.

VERN HAWKINS

president | Syngenta Crop Protection LLC

Greensboro

The Temple University graduate held several key roles within the company since Novartis and AstraZeneca merged to create Syngenta in 2000. ChemChina bought the business for $43 billion in 2017. Syngenta provides seeds, seed treatment, crop protection and traits to growers.

Pre-workday motivation: A hot shower, a hot cup of coffee and all the anticipation of what I will learn and my Syngenta team will accomplish.

Key to industry success: Building and growing strong customer partnerships based on mutual value and joint accountability.

Best advice: Your word is your most valuable influence, so do what you say. Deliver on your promises.

Proud family accomplishment: My family capitalizes on our differences to make us stronger regardless of the highs and lows life brings.

Favorite hobby: I love the outdoors and spend most of my free time enjoying the beauty and sounds of nature, usually in the woods.

Where to entertain a visitor: I love the food at 1618 Seafood Grill on West Friendly in Greensboro. I usually take friends there to experience their Sesame Tuna — amazing, every time.

TOMMY HERRING

president | Hog Slat

Newton Grove

Herring leads the business that employs more than 2,000 to make and sell containment equipment and other products for hog and poultry farmers. It has more than 90 retail locations in eight nations. Under his leadership, Herring’s father, Billy, founded the business in 1969.

JAY JANDRAIN

CEO | Butterball Garner

The Cornell University graduate leads the largest U.S. turkey producer. Since starting in 2002 as director of research and development, Jandrain has held various roles within the company, which is jointly owned by Goldsboro-based Goldsboro Milling and Merriam, Kan.-based Seaboard.

JIM LYNCH

president | N.C. Pork Council Goldsboro

Lynch, who was raised on a family farm, is an environmental specialist for Maxwell Foods. He joined the pork council’s board in 2018 and became president in 2020. He also raises turkeys and has an agricultural business degree from N.C. State University.

ROY LEE LINDSEY JR.

CEO | N.C. Pork Council

Raleigh

Prior to coming to North Carolina in January 2021, the Oklahoma State University graduate oversaw the Oklahoma Pork Council for more than 20 years.

Pre-workday motivation: I start my day by reading the news and catching up on what I need to know for the day. That allows me to start focusing on any pressing issues or new developments that need my attention.

Key to industry success: The secret ingredient to the success of North Carolina’s pork industry is our people. They are an amazing group of dedicated farmers, pork producers, processors and suppliers who contribute more than $10 billion a year to the N.C. economy. It’s also important for us to listen to our members, those who live in the communities where we operate and policymakers who regulate our industry.

Best advice: When I moved to North Carolina, I was quickly advised to stay neutral in the great debate between eastern- and western-style barbecue.

Three people to share a meal: Winston Churchill, George W. Bush and Miguel Angel Jimenez, a professional golfer who has been dubbed the most interesting man in the world. I have no doubt that would be an exhilarating and unforgettable meal.

Proud family accomplishment: My 15-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, absolutely loves other people and goes out of her way to make everyone feel included and a part of whatever is going on.

Favorite hobby: I love to cook and entertain, but I’ll go with golf. One of the best parts of moving to North Carolina is being so close to such a remarkable collection of golf courses.

Where do you entertain a visitor: I love taking visitors to lunch at one of North Carolina’s legendary barbecue establishments, followed by a trip to a local craft brewery. If you were visiting right now, we’d probably be trying to decide between Clyde Cooper’s and The Pit for barbecue and Bond Brothers or Fortnight for a cold beer after dinner.

KEVIN PHILLIPS

president, COO | Case Foods Troutman

Phillips, a N.C. State University graduate, has led the poultry producer since 2012. The 3,000-plus employee company, which was founded in 1986 and is owned by Thomas Shelton, was named Burke County’s Business of the Year earlier this year.

BILL PRESTAGE

founder, CEO | Prestage Farms

Clinton

In 1967, Prestage started Carroll’s Foods with Ottis Carroll. He founded his pork and turkey production company 15 years later. Prestage expects to complete a new turkey processing plant in Kershaw County, South Carolina this year. He’s a member of the halls of fame for the N.C. poultry and pork industries.

WENDELL ‘DELL’ MURPHY JR.

CEO | Murphy Family Ventures

Rose Hill

In 1962, Murphy’s father and grandfather founded a pork production business that merged with Smithfield Foods in 2000. In 2004, Murphy Family Ventures was created to unite the family’s businesses. The family-owned company includes businesses that manage farms and sell cars, boats and real estate.

LINWOOD SCOTT III

vice president, co-owner | Scott Farms

Lucama

Part of a six-generation Wilson County farm family, the Barton College graduate works alongside his father, Linwood “Sonny” Scott Jr., and brother, Dewey Scott. Scott Farms is among eastern North Carolina’s largest farms, with more than 14,000 acres.

LYNWOOD VICK

general manager | Vick Family Farms

Wilson

The Nash County farm got its start with 25 acres in 1975. The N.C. State University graduate’s parents, Jerome and Diane, founded the business, which now encompasses 7,000 acres across three counties with stakes in sweet potatoes, tobacco and cotton.

Don Beaver

Tera Black

Mark Brazil

Richard Childress

Boo Corrigan

Bubba Cunningham

John Currie

Tom Dundon

Tom Gabbard

Joe Gibbs

Valerie Hillings

Michael Jordan

Steve Malik

Steve O’Donnell

Jim Phillips

Marcus Smith

Ben Sutton

David Tepper

Bill Vassar

Fred Whitfield

Arts, entertainment, athletics, motorsports and many other cultural activities have a significant financial impact in our state. Leaders in the sector include the owner of an NFL football team, arguably the best basketball player of all time and performing arts masterminds.

DON BEAVER

CEO | Charlotte Knights

Charlotte

Since moving to downtown Truist Field in 2014, the Mooresville native’s team has ranked among the national leaders in minor league baseball attendance. Beaver, who pitched in the 1952 Little League World Series, owned the Hickory-based Brian Center nursing home chain for more than two decades.

TERA BLACK

COO | Charlotte Checkers

Charlotte

Prior to assuming her current role in 2008, the California native served as vice president of the team, which is owned by wine and spirits distributor Michael Kahn. The San Diego State University graduate has led the team through its transition from different hockey leagues and move to Bojangles Coliseum.

MARK BRAZIL

CEO | Wyndham Championship / Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation

Greensboro

Director of Greensboro’s annual Professional Golf Association tournament since 2001, the Baylor University graduate was named CEO last fall. He also oversees the Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation, which raises money through the Wyndham Championship for philanthropies in the region.

Pre-workday motivation: Two things: How do we most effectively showcase the Piedmont Triad and North Carolina to the rest of the world with a fun and successful Wyndham Championship as the vehicle and the objective of creating a cool, “live music vibe” around the region.

Key to industry success: At the Wyndham Championship, we deal with a bunch of important partners — sponsors, pro golfers, fans, PGA TOUR staff, agents, vendors, Sedgefield Country Club, volunteers, community leaders and others. So, undoubtedly, the key to our success is building and maintaining relationships.

Best advice: When dealing with a request from a sponsor or client, my chair, Bobby Long, always says, “The answer is yes. Now, what’s the question?” Even if the request is challenging, we will always figure out a way to say “yes.”

Three people to share a meal: Michael Jordan, Fred Couples and Kevin Hart.

Favorite hobby: Definitely playing golf. Where to entertain a visitor: I love taking guests to the home of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club. The golf course and clubhouse are absolutely beautiful.

RICHARD CHILDRESS

owner | Richard Childress Racing

Lexington

The Winston-Salem native founded his stock-car racing team in 1969 and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017. Childress, 76, has diverse interests including building Childress Vineyards into one of the state’s largest wineries. It opened near Lexington in 2004.

BOO CORRIGAN

athletic director | N.C. State University

Raleigh

The son of former ACC Commissioner Gene Corrigan took his post in 2019 after working in athletics at the U.S. Military Academy, Duke University and Notre Dame University. He has degrees from Notre Dame and Virginia Commonwealth University. The Wolfpack’s 23-team program employs more than 200.

BUBBA CUNNINGHAM

athletic director | UNC Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill

Since he arrived in 2011, the Tar Heels have won 16 national titles. Cunningham, who has degrees from Notre Dame, was named 2019-20 Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. He previously was AD at Ball State and Tulsa universities.

JOHN CURRIE

athletic director | Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem

Currie brought 18 years of college sports experience in ACC, Big 12 and SEC posts when he joined his alma mater in 2019. From 2009 to 2017 he was AD at Kansas State University.

Pre-workday motivation: Appreciation for the incredible opportunity to serve Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and Demon Deacon student-athletes.

Key to industry success: Listening and relationship building.

Best advice: Hire people that are smarter than me.

Three people to share a meal: Nelson Mandela, Dwight Eisenhower and Condoleezza Rice.

Proud family accomplishment: Resilience and positive support of my wife and children throughout our professional journey.

Favorite hobby: Snow skiing.

Where to entertain a visitor: Reynolda Gardens and Village and The Graylyn Estate.

TOM DUNDON

CEO, owner | Carolina Hurricanes

Raleigh

The Southern Methodist University graduate chairs and is managing partner of Dundon Capital Partners, a private investment company in Dallas. He bought a majority stake in the Raleigh hockey team from Peter Karmanos in 2018. Since then, the Canes have made the playoffs four straight years.

TOM GABBARD

president, CEO | Blumenthal Performing Arts

Charlotte

The nonprofit’s CEO since 2003 manages 110 employees and six Queen City theaters. He has a bachelor’s from Pepperdine University and an MBA in arts management from Golden Gate University. The pandemic caused revenue to shrink from $43 million in 2019 to $23 million a year later.

JOE GIBBS

owner, founder | Joe Gibbs Racing

Huntersville

The Mocksville native, 81, has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and NASCAR Hall of Fame. He started his racing team in 1992. Gibbs’ drivers have won five Cup Series championships. As a coach of the NFL’s Washington Redskins (now Commanders), his team won three Super Bowls.

VALERIE HILLINGS

director, CEO | North Carolina Museum of Art

Raleigh

After 14 years with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation in New York City, the Duke University and New York University graduate succeeded veteran CEO Larry Wheeler in 2018. She is a member of the Association of Art Museum Directors and Association of Art Museum Curators.

Pre-workday motivation: Going over my calendar and emails to remind me of the key tasks and meetings to be accomplished.

Key to industry success: Remaining open to ideas appearing unexpectedly and being in touch with talented people whose ideas and energy can lead to an impact on the organization and community.

Best advice: Remember to praise and thank staff along the way.

Three people to share a meal: Kerry James Marshall, Lee Child and Dolly Parton.

Proud family accomplishment: My family always encouraged the daughters to follow our dreams and ambitions.

Favorite hobby: Travel.

Where to entertain a visitor: The North Carolina Museum of Art.

MICHAEL JORDAN

chair | Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte

Jordan, 59, became the first former NBA player to own a majority stake in a league team in 2010. In 2019, Wall Street investors Gabe Plotkin and Daniel Sundheim joined as minority partners. The Wilmington native won an NCAA championship with UNC Chapel Hill and six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls.

STEVE MALIK

owner, chair | North Carolina Football Club

Raleigh

A medical technology entrepreneur who grew up in Kinston, Malik has a passion for soccer. He bought the Carolina Railhawks in 2015 and rebranded them as North Carolina FC. He then bought and relocated a National Women’s Soccer League team to Cary, the North Carolina Courage.

STEVE O’DONNELL

COO | NASCAR

Charlotte

O’Donnell got his start in the racing company’s marketing department more than two decades ago. In March, he assumed his new role where he oversees racing and track operations, competition and strategic development. The Rollins College graduate worked in minor league baseball before switching to racing.

JAMES PHILLIPS

commissioner | Atlantic Coast Conference

Greensboro

The former Northwestern athletic director succeeded longtime commissioner John Swofford in 2021. He has stressed the need to make ACC football stronger. Phillips has a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee, a master’s from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s from the University of Illinois.

MARCUS SMITH

CEO | Speedway Motorsports

Charlotte

The son of company founder Bruton Smith assumed his current title in 2015 after serving as president since 2008. The company operates 11 speedways, including Charlotte and Atlanta tracks. He helped take the company private in a 2019 deal that valued the company at about $800 million.

BEN SUTTON

chair, CEO | Teall Capital Winston-Salem

In 1993, the Murfreesboro native founded ISP Sports to help improve and expand college athletic departments. He sold the company to industry leader IMG College in 2010. In 2017, he started Teall Capital Partners, a private equity firm that invests in sports, media, entertainment and lifestyle brands. He is a member of the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame and received the Wake Forest University Distinguished Alumni award.

Pre-workday motivation: Big cup of coffee and reading three or four newspapers.

Key to industry success: Never accepting things as they are but imagining how much better they could be.

Best advice: Always do the right thing, the right way, at the right time.

Three people to share a meal: Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and Stevie Nicks.

Proud family accomplishment: Seeing our children growing, prospering, following their passions and sowing seeds of joy.

Favorite hobby: Golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: Wake Forest University.

DAVID TEPPER

owner | Carolina Panthers; Charlotte Football Club

Charlotte

Worth more than $16 billion according to Forbes, the hedge-fund operator is considered among sports’ richest owners. The Carnegie-Mellon University graduate bought the NFL team for $2.2 billion in 2018, then he paid $325 million for a Major League Soccer franchise, now called Charlotte FC.

BILL VASSAR

executive vice president | EUE/ScreenGems Studios

Wilmington

Vassar joined the New York-based entertainment company in 1998 after working in television and radio. Starz, Amazon and Netflix productions used his Wilmington studios last year. He has served on the boards of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and Wilmington’s film commission.

FRED WHITFIELD

president, vice chair | Hornets

Sports and Entertainment

Charlotte

The Greensboro native has helped reinvigorate the region’s interest in the NBA since joining longtime friend Michael Jordan’s team in 2006. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Campbell University and a law degree at N.C. Central University. A former talent agent, he oversees business operations for the Charlotte Hornets and Spectrum Center.

Pre-workday motivation: Realizing how lucky I am to have found a career path that allows me to combine my love for basketball with my undergraduate and graduate school studies in business, while also being able to utilize the skills I learned in law school.

Key to industry success: Hiring the brightest and the best people to be part of your organization and letting them do their jobs. Having truly competent people that can be trusted, are self-motivated and are great teammates helps build a successful culture.

Best advice: If you are the leader of a company, don’t be the smartest person in the room in meetings. Surround yourself with ultra-talented teammates that you can lean on for advice, counsel and guidance. Three people to share a meal: Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos and Robert F. Smith.

Proud family accomplishment: I am really proud that I was raised by a mom and dad who both earned undergraduate and master’s degrees and always stressed to me that education could be a differentiator in my career and life’s journey. They pushed me to excel as a student and remain focused on getting as much education as possible.

Favorite hobby: I enjoy traveling and playing golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: Besides a Hornets game or concert at Spectrum Center, I would take them to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a NASCAR race.

State and local officials charged with attracting and retaining businesses have a strong story to tell, based on the 174 corporate relocation and expansions, 24,000 pledged jobs and $10 billion in capital investment announced last year. The totals surpassed the previous two years. Site Selection magazine has ranked the state’s business climate as tops in the nation the last two years.

Kelly Andrews

Brent Christensen

Chris Chung

Adrienne Cole

Kit Cramer

Clark Duncan

Geoff Durham

Natalie English

Scott Hamilton

Chris Johnson

Janet LaBar

Scott Levitan

Gene McLaurin

Scott MIllar

John Nelms

Mark Owens

Chris Plate

Jimmy Randolph

Julie Roper

Gary Salamido

Melissa Smith

Ben Teague

Norris Tolson

Robert Van Geons

Patrick Woodie

Steve Yost

KELLY ANDREWS

director | Pitt County Economic Development

Greenville

The East Carolina University MBA joined the development group in 2006 and became director in 2020, when she was named one of the nation’s top 50 economic developers. She has helped promote the county’s fast-growing lifesciences industry, highlighted by Thermo Fisher Scientific’s plans for a $154 million expansion announced last September. She is a member of the N.C. Economic Development Association board of directors and the ECU Engineering Advisory Board. She earned a bachelor’s at UNC Chapel Hill.

Pre-workday motivation: Coffee.

Key to industry success: Developing genuine relationships.

Best advice: Think before you speak.

Proud family accomplishment: My hardworking eastern North Carolina family roots. Both sides of my family have been here for generations. I serve the county where I was born and raised.

Favorite hobby: Treasure hunting at antique stores and estate sales.

BRENT CHRISTENSEN

president, CEO | Greensboro Chamber of Commerce

Greensboro

Christensen joined the Chamber in 2015 after leadership positions at Mississippi Development Authority and Greater Gainesville Chamber in Florida. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida and Duke University.

Pre-workday motivation: The opportunity to better people’s lives through our work in job creation.

Key to industry success: Showing how our community can meet the needs of a business.

Best advice: Always be working to improve. When opportunity presents itself, it’s too late to prepare.

Three people to share a meal: Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey and Mike Krzyzewski.

Proud family accomplishment: We’re all living in the same state for the first time in years.

Favorite hobby: Golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts.

CHRIS CHUNG

CEO | Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina

Raleigh

The Ohio State University graduate was named CEO of the state’s public-private economic development agency in 2015. He leads 40 employees tasked with recruiting businesses, supporting existing ones and promoting North Carolina exports and tourism. He has received national awards reflecting North Carolina’s strong record for attracting major corporate projects.

Pre-workday motivation: Both the ‘every day is different’ aspect that makes my job such a — mostly — fun one and the public service aspect of what we do at EDPNC to hopefully make a positive difference in North Carolinians’ lives.

Key to industry success: What makes for success in our efforts to recruit businesses to North Carolina, for example, is different from what makes us successful in promoting the state as a tourism destination. Having a great ‘product’ makes a big difference, and we’re very fortunate that our product — North Carolina — starts off in a much more advantaged position for business, tourism and overall quality of life than most states. If we do a good job of packaging and selling this product to our target audiences, then we ought to be achieving the results that are expected of us.

Best advice: Be humble. Never shy from asking questions if you don’t understand something. And look for patterns and common themes in what you observe.

Three people to share a meal: Warren Buffett, Jordan Peele and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts — though I’d settle for any of the justices.

Proud family accomplishment: How close we all are and have always been. There are sadly too many families divided by something much less important than the bonds of blood and kinship. I don’t take this closeness for granted.

Favorite hobby: Entertaining our 2-year-old daughter. I don’t have time or energy for anything else, and I can’t imagine anything else would be as fun.

Where to entertain a visitor: I love showing off the natural beauty across North Carolina — from mountains to coast. In Raleigh, I’m partial to sharing outdoor spaces such as the North Carolina Museum of Art grounds, Umstead State Park and Lake Johnson Park.

ADRIENNE COLE

president, CEO | Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce

Raleigh

Cole became the group’s first female CEO in 2017. She previously was executive director of the chamber’s Wake County Economic Development. She has a bachelor’s from Meredith College and a master’s in public affairs from Appalachian State University.

Pre-workday motivation: Working with incredible people and feeling that I’m making a positive difference in my community.

Key to industry success: Collaboration and problem-solving, being willing to work across business, academic, public and nonprofit sectors to get things done.

Best advice: Be partial to action. You don’t have to have all of the answers to begin working on a project or initiative. You can discover and adapt along the way.

Proud family accomplishment: Their uniqueness and the comfort they have in who they are.

Favorite hobby: Hiking in the North Carolina mountains.

Where to entertain a visitor: North Carolina Museum of Art.

KIT CRAMER

president, CEO | Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

Asheville

The University of Florida graduate worked at the Charlotte Chamber and International Downtown Association before heading to the mountain post in 2010. The Asheville group was named the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives’ 2019 Chamber of the Year.

GEOFF DURHAM

president, CEO | Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce

Durham

A former leader of Downtown Durham Inc., Durham took the Chamber reins in 2016. He is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College in Virginia.

Pre-workday motivation: Like many of us, daily routines have been challenging to maintain over the past two years because of the pandemic. It has been helpful to start my day 90 minutes or so before the rest of the house comes to life. I rely on different things to jumpstart my day depending on what lies ahead. Spending time outside, exercising, cooking breakfast or reading are all ways to level set before taking on the workday.

Key to industry success: Collaboration with our local and regional partners in both the public and private sectors is paramount.

Best advice: Just because some aren’t on the same path as you doesn’t mean they are lost.

Three people to share a meal: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, who host the Smartless podcast. It’s pretty funny.

Proud family accomplishment: They are loving, compassionate and funny. I learn from them and depend on them every day.

Favorite hobby: All things sports-related, whether it be watching, conversing, listening, reading or attempting to participate.

Where to entertain a visitor: Durham has an amazing dining scene. There is something for everyone’s taste. We also would visit one of Durham’s iconic sports or performance venues such as Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Cameron Indoor Stadium, McDougald-McLendon Arena, Durham Performing Arts Center or the Carolina Theatre.

CLARK DUNCAN

senior vice president for economic development | Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

Asheville

The Wake Forest University graduate joined the chamber in 2008 and took his current post in 2018. He has helped attract many employers, including brewer New Belgium and aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

NATALIE ENGLISH

president, CEO | Wilmington Chamber

Wilmington

After more than a decade at the Charlotte Chamber, English became the leader in Wilmington in 2017. The N.C. State University graduate has helped the region navigate the effects of Hurricane Florence and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pre-workday motivation: A workout, a snuggle with my dogs and lots of coffee.

Key to industry success: The ability to think creatively and innovatively and engage the right partners to address opportunities and solve problems. There isn’t a how-to book for chamber leaders. Even if there were, every community is different.

Best advice: A mentor of mine told me to surround myself with people who think differently and have different gifts and skills from me. I am a better person and make significantly better decisions because I strive to follow that advice.

Three people to share a meal: Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Oprah Winfrey.

Proud family accomplishment: My son, Rick, is a bright, energetic and funny young man with good manners who treats people with respect. He was recently accepted into the freshman class at UNC Charlotte. Go Niners!

Favorite hobby: Playing golf over long weekends with the Belles.

JANET LABAR

president, CEO | Charlotte Regional Business Alliance Charlotte

LaBar left the top post at the Portland, Oregon chamber in 2019 to lead the group that promotes Charlotte and 15 nearby counties. She’s a graduate of the University of West Florida with a University of Phoenix MBA. She is a co-leader of the corporate response team for the city’s Racial Equity Initiative.

Pre-workday motivation: Coffee and being grounded in the work we do to make an impact for people across the Charlotte region.

Key to industry success: The quantity and variety of stakeholders involved in our work require the critical skill of listening.

Best advice: Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.

Proud family accomplishment: My husband, James, and I are both servant leaders, and our three kids are growing up with a healthy understanding of what we value: giving back to our community and taking care of others.

SCOTT HAMILTON

president, CEO | Golden LEAF Foundation

Rocky Mount

After leading the Appalachian Regional Commission for five years, the UNC Greensboro graduate joined the foundation in 2019. He oversees daily operations and solidifies grantmaking strategies. He is a past president of the N.C. Economic Development Association.

Pre-workday motivation: I’m almost always the first at the office in the morning. I enjoy the peace and quiet, using the time to consider the day ahead and read the headlines, so I’m up to date on the happenings in our region, state and nation.

Key to industry success: Collaboration — every successful project to move the economic needle in a rural region has many partners at the table working together toward a common goal.

Best advice: When I was in high school, a mentor of mine shared this core concept of relationship building: “You can pretend to care, but you can’t pretend to be there.” This advice has been with me throughout my career, and my colleagues will tell you it’s often repeated. As technology evolves, from phone calls to email to Zoom, I am reminded of this advice and the importance of showing up.

Proud family accomplishment: My wife was one of the first 81 nationally certified teachers in the United States. My two daughters, who give unselfishly to others, my two awesome grandsons and third grandbaby — a girl — on the way later this summer.

Favorite hobby: My wife and I enjoy the outdoors, traveling, cooking, and time with family and friends.

Where to entertain a visitor: The breweries and restaurants at Rocky Mount Mills and outdoor activities throughout the region, including Medoc Mountain State Park.

CHRIS JOHNSON

director | Johnston County Economic Development Office Smithfield

The East Carolina University graduate was named to his post in 2013 after leading the Downtown Smithfield Development Corp., where he executed revitalization efforts. He works in one of the state’s fastest-growing counties, whose major employers including Grifols, Novo Nordisk and Caterpillar.

SCOTT LEVITAN

president, CEO | Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina

Durham

Levitan joined the group that oversees Research Triangle Park in 2017 after working at Forest City Realty Trust in Baltimore. Triangle Business Journal named him its 2021 CEO of the Year because of his efforts to revitalize RTP. He has a master’s in urban design from Harvard University.

Pre-workday motivation: Problem solving.

Key to industry success: Have empathy with the person on the other side of the table.

Best advice: The success of our organization owes to the genius of each of its associates. Everyone is an expert in his or her own field.

Proud family accomplishment: Our children made their own way in life. While not the direction we envisioned for them, they both are successful by their own measure. They were up to bat a few times but held out for the best partner.

Favorite hobby: Gardening or dancing.

Where to entertain a visitor: Boxyard RTP.

GENE MCLAURIN

chair | Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina president | Quality Oil and Gas Co. Rockingham

Gov. Roy Cooper tapped him to chair the EDPNC in 2021 because of his widespread experience. A longtime petroleum industry executive, he was Rockingham’s mayor from 1997 to 2013 and a state senator for one term. The UNC Charlotte graduate joined the EDPNC board in 2017.

Pre-workday motivation: I enjoy a cup of coffee and read the Charlotte Observer, Raleigh News & Observer, and Richmond County Daily Journal

Key to industry success: In my 42 years in business, I have learned the key to success is to hire the very best people, ones who are always smarter than I am and give them the support, encouragement and flexibility to perform and adapt. Creating the right culture is key to success in any organization.

Best advice: My grandparents taught me to treat everyone with respect. No matter how educated, talented or wealthy you are, how you treat others ultimately tells it all.

Three people to share a meal: Barack Obama, Warren Buffett and Tom Hanks.

Proud family accomplishment: Donna and I were 18 and 19 when we got married, 47 years ago. I’m lucky she married me before she realized she could do better. We are truly blessed with three amazing adult children and soon-to-be six grandchildren. They all live in North Carolina, so we spend a lot of time together.

SCOTT MILLAR

president

| Catawba County Economic Development Corp. Hickory

The University of Tennessee graduate has led the EDC since 1998. His tenure has included good times, led by a growing data center sector, and the difficult recession that slammed the region’s textile and furniture industries.

Pre-workday motivation: I’m a ridiculously early riser, so reading several newspapers and possibly a workout get my morning started.

Key to industry success: Win-win-wins, puzzle-solving and inventive responses.

Best advice: I can learn something from every person. It may be how to bait a hook, how to make a ping-pong ball spin a different way or something much more, but everybody is better than me at something.

Three people to share a meal: Ernest Shackleton, Sir Edmund Hillary and Thomas Edison.

Proud family accomplishment: Resilience.

Favorite hobby: Trail running.

Where to entertain a visitor: Trivium Corporate Center in Hickory.

Favorite hobby: I enjoy playing golf, shooting hoops in the backyard and long walks with Donna in Montreat or at Wrightsville Beach.

Where to entertain a visitor: My last project as mayor was helping raise funds and creating partnerships to build the Discovery Place KIDS children’s museum. I love taking my grandchildren and visitors there, showing them what can be accomplished in a small rural community when everyone works together.

MARK OWENS

president, CEO | Greater Winston-Salem Inc.

Winston-Salem

Owens worked at the Greer, South Carolina chamber for nine years before moving to the Triad in 2018. The Presbyterian College graduate serves on the Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina and Piedmont Triad Partnership boards.

Pre-workday motivation: Our 4-year-old son, Luke. He is an early riser.

Key to industry success: Authenticity. When we are talking to a company about investing in our community, building trust is critical. The best way to do that is to be authentic in who you are as a person, as an organization and as a community.

Where to entertain a visitor: Innovation Quarter. it is a breathtaking view and is the intersection between the redevelopment of Winston-Salem’s past and future economic successes through research, entrepreneurship and innovation.

JOHN NELMS

senior economic development manager | Duke Energy

Raleigh

Nelms has worked at the utility and its predecessor, Progress Energy, since 2005, while focusing on economic development work since 2012. He serves on the boards of N.C. Rural Center and N.C. Economic Development Association. He is a Campbell University and N.C. State University graduate.

Pre-workday motivation: Helping improve the economic well-being of North Carolina.

Key to industry success: Teamwork.

Best advice: There are no problems, only opportunities.

Three people to share a meal: Warren Buffett, Jack Nicklaus and Roger Staubach.

Proud family accomplishment: My parents were public servants who taught me the value of working to improve my community.

Favorite hobby: Golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: Carter Finley Stadium for an N.C. State football game.

JIMMY RANDOLPH

CEO | Sanford Area Growth Alliance

Sanford

Randolph was president of professional employer organization Payroll Edge for nearly eight years prior to joining the alliance. He served as its existing industry development manager for two years before being named CEO in 2020. He is a UNC Chapel Hill graduate.

Pre-workday motivation: Tackling the New York Times spelling bee word game over coffee with my wife, Julie, before we leave for work.

Key to industry success: Economic development is the ultimate team sport, and the alliance has harnessed the power of a true public-private partnership to achieve unprecedented economic development success for our community.

Best advice: Listen more, talk less.

Three people to share a meal: Jordan Peele, Roy Williams and Angela Merkel.

Proud family accomplishment: I am part of a family of professional educators, which I believe is one of life’s highest callings. My wife teaches high school science, instilling a love of learning in thousands of local young people, including my two amazing sons. Their intelligence, self-confidence and compassion are additional gifts bestowed by their mom.

Favorite hobby: Nature photography. Our North Carolina Sandhills harbor unique flora and fauna, and the camera allows me to know them better and share them with others.

CHRIS PLATÉ

executive director | Monroe-Union County Economic Development Monroe

The Clemson University graduate has promoted development in the state’s eighth most-populous county, and one of the fastest-growing, since 1999. He has helped build its aerospace industry cluster. Union is the sole area county that is not a member of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.

JULIE ROPER

economic development, local government manager | Dominion Energy North America

Mount Holly

Roper manages the energy supplier’s community engagement and communications with government officials, having worked in the utility industry for decades. She’s an U.S. Air Force veteran and a graduate of Belmont Abbey College and Appalachian State University.

Where to entertain a visitor: Built in 1872 by the Raleigh and Augusta Railroad, the Railroad House Museum in historic downtown Sanford is an iconic and wellpreserved architectural gem. It’s the perfect starting point for a broader exploration of our amazing city.

GARY

SALAMIDO president, CEO | North Carolina Chamber

Cary

After nearly two decades in the pharmaceutical industry, Salamido led the group’s lobbying efforts between 2011 and 2019, when he took his current post. He has a bachelor’s degree from New York’s Albany College of Pharmacy and a master’s from the University of Texas.

BEN TEAGUE

vice preseident, strategic development | Biltmore Farms

Fletcher

Teague has led the Cecil family-owned real estate development company’s strategic planning since 2018. Divisions include home building, hotels and commercial projects. The University of Mississippi MBA graduate previously led the Asheville-Buncombe County Economic Development Coalition.

MELISSA SMITH

vice president, business recruitment and development | Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina

Greensboro

Smith has been a business recruitment senior manager since 2014 after working for the N.C. Commerce Department. In 2020, she was named to her current post, leading the team tasked with attracting companies to North Carolina.

NORRIS TOLSON

president, CEO | Carolinas Gateway Partnership

Pinetops

The N.C. State graduate is a former state representative who later held top state positions, including secretary of the state’s Commerce, Revenue and Transportation departments. For seven years he was N.C. Biotechnology Center president, exiting the post in 2014.

ROBERT VAN GEONS

president, CEO | Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corp.

Fayetteville

Since moving to Cumberland County in 2017, Van Geons has helped the region add more than 2,000 jobs and $225 million in investment. The Catawba College and University of Southern Mississippi graduate previously worked in economic development in Rowan and Stanly counties.

Pre-workday motivation: Knowing that while the work isn’t easy, I am helping my neighbors have a more prosperous future.

Key to industry success: In economic development, your greatest assets are your relationships and your credibility. To be successful, you must consciously invest time and energy into strengthening both.

Best advice: ‘Enjoy every sandwich,’ from Warren Zevon.

PATRICK WOODIE

president | NC Rural Center

Cary

Woodie has helmed the Rural Center since 2013, leading it through a transition that includes more community engagement. He joined the group in 2006. He previously was the first executive director of the Alleghany County Chamber of Commerce and led a nonprofit business development center in Sparta. He has bachelor’s and law degrees from Wake Forest University.

Pre-workday motivation: Setting aside an hour of intentional early morning preparation time.

Key to industry success: Collaboration, communication and leadership.

Best advice: ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ — Maya Angelou.

Three people to share a meal: Dolly Parton, Billie Jean King and the Dalai Lama.

Proud family accomplishment: Anything is possible when an individual has the unconditional love and support of just a single human being. I was blessed to have the unconditional love and support of two extraordinary parents, and that has made all the difference.

Favorite hobby: Reading, tennis and travel. Where to entertain a visitor: Canoeing or tubing on the New River.

Three people to share a meal: William Shakespeare, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Friedman.

Proud family accomplishment: Our family bonds are based on love as opposed to blood. There is so much more than DNA that we share.

Favorite hobby: If there is music to be played or enjoyed, count me in, the more the merrier.

Where to entertain a visitor: Downtown Fayetteville. Whether it is a restaurant, brewery, baseball game, independent movie or live music, there is always something to experience. You can feel a positive energy that is moving our community forward.

STEVE YOST

president | North Carolina’s Southeast Whiteville

A graduate of Appalachian State University and UNC Chapel Hill, Yost has led this regional economic development group since 2009. He previously worked as a senior developer and regional manager for the N.C. Department of Commerce’s southeast region. He’s a former N.C. Economic Development Association president.

Education is a multibillion dollar industry in North Carolina with a wide array of K-12 schools, robust public and private universities, and a 58-campus community college system. This section features some of its most notable leaders, whose success is considered essential for the state to make economic and social progress.

Darrell Allison

Connie Book

Kelli Brown

Sharon Contreras

J. Bradley Creed

Eric Davis

Kandi Deitemeyer

Sheri Everts

Sharon Gaber

Frank Gilliam Jr.

Kevin Guskiewicz

Peter Hans

Jennifer Haygood

Harold Martin Sr.

Vincent Price

Nido Qubein

Scott Ralls

Randall ‘Randy’ Ramsey

Jenna Robinson

Philip Rogers

Douglas Searcy

Thomas Stith III

Tamika Walker Kelly

Jeff Warren

Randy Woodson

DARRELL ALLISON

chancellor | Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville

The Kannapolis native took his current post in March 2021 after serving on the UNC System Board of Governors from 2017 to 2020 and leading a Raleigh nonprofit that promoted K-12 school choice programs. At the historically black university, he’s focused on retaining students, adding scholarships, and expanding programs for adults and military-connected students. He is a graduate of N.C. Central University and UNC Chapel Hill, where he earned a law degree.

CONNIE BOOK

president | Elon University

Elon

Book became Elon’s first female president in 2018 after serving as provost of The Citadel. She previously spent 16 years at Elon as a professor and provost. She has degrees from Louisiana State and Northwestern State universities and a Ph.D. in mass communications from the University of Georgia.

Pre-workday motivation: I’m a big fan of starting the day with a spiritual reading and a walk outdoors. Being in nature — even if it is snowing! — helps clear my head.

Key to industry success: Strategic planning and execution keep higher education responsive to the dynamic needs of society. I enjoy imagining a future then building it.

Best advice: I have worked with so many helpful and generous people over the years. Here’s one I use daily that I learned at The Citadel from seasoned veterans: “Go to the point of friction.” In other words, don’t shy away from the tough questions or situations — jump right in so you can work to keep advancing.

Proud family accomplishment: Both of my children are kind-hearted people. My daughter just finished law school at the University of Michigan and returned to North Carolina to practice. She is working at Legal Aid of North Carolina to make a difference. My son is returning to college to earn a graduate degree in student counseling. He has a gift for working with young people.

KELLI BROWN

chancellor | Western Carolina University

Cullowhee

The university’s first female chancellor assumed her role in 2019. Since her arrival, there’s been a continued studentcentered focus and innovation in teaching. Before moving to North Carolina, the Southern Illinois University graduate was provost at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia.

SHARON

CONTRERAS

superintendent | Guilford County Schools

Greensboro

Contreras has won kudos for helping close the graduation-rate gap between Black and white students and boosting academic achievement since coming to North Carolina in 2016. She is the first woman, first person of Latina heritage and first with a disability — she is deaf — to lead the system. She is taking a new job, CEO of Raleigh-based The Innovation Project, a collaborative of N.C. school superintendents, in August.

J. BRADLEY CREED

president | Campbell University

Buies Creek

Creed, 65, was a religion professor and provost at Samford University and the dean of Baylor University’s seminary before being named Campbell’s president in 2015. The Texas native holds master’s of divinity and doctor of philosophy degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Pre-workday motivation: Focusing on the key priorities for the day and working with colleagues to achieve the priorities that will advance our university.

Key to industry success: Staying true to your core mission while adapting new vision and seizing opportunities for fulfilling the mission amidst rapid and constant changes in society and the marketplace.

Best advice: Who you are is more important than what you do. Play the long game because life is a long obedience in the same direction.

Three people to share a meal: Saint Augustine of Hippo, Booker T. Washington and Theodore Roosevelt.

Proud family accomplishment: My family members have discovered and are living out their callings. In their own and unique ways, they are serving others, contributing to the common good and adding to human flourishing.

Favorite hobby: Anything that gets me outdoors and gets me moving — primarily running, hiking, backpacking, kayaking and bicycling.

Where to entertain a visitor: A meal at Campbell University then a tour of campus.

ERIC DAVIS

chair | State Board of Education

Charlotte

Davis joined the board in 2015 and became its chair in 2018. Previously, he was an elected member of the CharlotteMecklenburg Schools board and the U.S. Green Building Advisory Council’s Charlotte chapter board.

A U.S. Military Academy graduate, he works as an engineer.

KANDI DEITEMEYER

president | Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte

Deitemeyer, who is the college’s fourth president, leads its six Mecklenburg County campuses. The University of South Florida graduate serves on the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council and was president of N.C. Association of Community College Presidents for 2020-2021.

SHERI EVERTS

chancellor | Appalachian State University

Boone

Everts, who attended a one-room schoolhouse while growing up in Nebraska, became ASU’s eighth leader in 2014. She has overseen rapid growth at ASU, including a recent groundbreaking for an innovation district and expansion in Hickory. The former vice president and provost for academic affairs at Illinois State University, she has a doctorate in education from the University of Nebraska.

SHARON GABER

chancellor | UNC Charlotte

Charlotte

Gaber was named leader of one of the state’s largest public universities in 2020. Previously, she was president of the University of Toledo for five years and served as provost at the University of Arkansas. The Southern California native has a doctorate in city and regional planning from Cornell University.

Pre-workday motivation: I always try to make time for a workout with my trainer and a walk around campus with my dog, Augie. It’s easy to be motivated because of my excitement for everything that’s happening here. I work with outstanding faculty and staff colleagues who are dedicated to our university and community, and I interact with exceptional students who give me great faith in our future.

Key to industry success: First, you need to meet people “where they are.” People have different backgrounds and different experiences. Those influence how they respond to decisions and solve problems. Second, you have to listen to all corners of your institution. Faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, friends, community members all have important feedback to offer, and sometimes they simply want to be heard. Most importantly, you need to hear what is being unsaid. Finally, learn and practice self-awareness. Chancellors and other CEOs need to find the appropriate balance between knowing when the best thing you can do is to offer assistance and when your best help is to let your leaders lead.

Best advice: Always be willing to take a risk. It is advice I pass to our students and young professionals. If an opportunity is presented and you’re interested, say so! Take them and run. You never know what door they may open.

Proud family accomplishment: I am a proud mom of three adult kids. They all graduated college and are building their own lives and experiencing their own adventures.

Favorite hobby: I love to play tennis, visit with my children, walk Augie around campus to talk with students, and discover new places and things to do in the Queen City.

Where to entertain a visitor: Dinner at the Golden Owl Tavern in the new UNC Charlotte Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. It’s great to be able to enjoy a highquality dining experience on campus then hop on the light rail to enjoy everything Uptown Charlotte has to offer.

FRANKLIN GILLIAM JR.

chancellor | UNC Greensboro

Greensboro

Gilliam became the university’s 11th chancellor in 2015 after working as a professor and dean at UCLA. During his tenure, the campus has received a Millennial Campus designation, facilitating expansion in health and arts programs. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Iowa, where he received its Distinguished Alumni Award.

Pre-workday motivation: Knowing that we’re making a difference in people’s lives. Thirty percent of our undergraduate students identify as first-generation college students, and 52% are eligible for federal Pell Grants. We’ve focused on meeting them where they are with innovative resources and support programs. We’ve been successful. US News and World Report ranked us No. 1 in social mobility in this state for the last three years and most recently No. 13 nationally.

Key to industry success: Perseverance, and along the way, the ability to be flexible, creative and adaptive.

Best advice: My father always said, “Dogs don’t bark at parked cars.”

Three people to share a meal: Prince, W.E.B. Du Bois and Fannie Lou Hamer.

Proud family accomplishment: Jacquie, my wife of 30 years, inspires me with her dedication to our family and her commitment to making the world a better place through her altruism as a community leader for nonprofit organizations supporting children, education, the arts and humanities, and more. One of our signature university events, Toys for Joy, was her idea. Since it started in 2018, more than 1,600 toys have been donated to local charities that support children and families in need. My daughter, Ari, and my son, Trey, are young adults who are independent, focused and working hard as they make their way in a complicated landscape. I know they have inherited their mother’s dedication to service.

Favorite hobby: Playing guitar. I take regular lessons and have had the chance to play alongside incredibly talented students in UNCG’s School of Music, world-class musicians and faculty members in our internationally recognized jazz studies program, and I was fortunate to meet legend Miles Davis when he performed here.

Where to entertain a visitor: UNCG’s beautiful campus for a golf cart tour, including the Weatherspoon Art Museum and a Spartan athletic event.

KEVIN GUSKIEWICZ

chancellor | UNC Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill

A member of the university’s faculty since 1995, Guskiewicz succeeded Carol Folt as chancellor in 2019. He’s a Kenan Distinguished Professor of Exercise and Sport Science and co-director of the Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center. His Ph.D. is from the University of Virginia.

PETER HANS

president | UNC System

Chapel Hill

The first generation of his family to graduate from college, Hans grew up in Southport and Hendersonville. He was named president of the 17-campus system in 2020, after leading the state’s 58-campus community college system. Much of his career has involved public policy work as he’s worked as a lobbyist and as an adviser to three Republican U.S. senators and former UNC System President Margaret Spellings. He chaired the system Board of Governors for two years. He has a bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill and a master’s of liberal arts from Harvard University.

JENNIFER HAYGOOD

senior vice president for finance, chief financial officer | UNC System

Chapel Hill

Haygood was a top financial executive at N.C. Community College System for 12 years before joining President Peter Hans at UNC in 2020. UNC’s annual expenditures are about $9 billion. A graduate of Duke and Rice universities, she is a director of the State Employees Credit Union.

TAMIKA WALKER KELLY

president | North Carolina Association of Educators

Raleigh

The veteran Cumberland County Schools music teacher has been president of the National Education Association affiliate since July 2020, helping raise the profile of teachers in the media and at the legislature.. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at East Carolina University.

HAROLD MARTIN SR.

chancellor | N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University

Greensboro

Martin, 70, has led his alma mater and the nation’s largest historically Black university that graduates the most Black engineers since 2009. It followed a similar post at his hometown’s Winston-Salem State University and about 16 years as an N.C. A&T professor and administrator.

Pre-workday motivation: I am inspired by the significant opportunities for our university to compete as a top-tier doctoral research university and the work we do every day to continue to demonstrate the excellence of our institution.

Best advice: My mentors shared two key points. One is that failure is not an option, so I always set out to be successful. The other is to create good habits that motivate me to be the best I can be.

Three people to share a meal: Barack Obama, Denzel Washington and Tim Cook.

Proud family accomplishment: I am most proud of the love and support we provide each other and the core values we hold as a family. We have been able to share and pass down those values from our great grandparents to our children. Fortunately, my wife and I have lived long enough to see them realize their aspirational goals and pass those values to our five grandchildren.

Favorite hobby: I love to read. One of my favorite genres is science fiction, and Isaac Asimov is one of my favorite authors. I’m passionate about golf, too.

Where to entertain a visitor: I love to give visitors a quick tour of our campus and share its impact on east Greensboro. I also show them the school’s art galleries. We have an incredible collection that displays the exceptional talent of our students and alumni, and we exhibit African-American art that reflects African-American history. I also like to take visitors to the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, so they can see the impact of our university and our courageous freshmen students on the world.

SCOTT RALLS

president | Wake Technical Community College Raleigh

Ralls was a leader of the N.C. Community College System from 2008-15 and a Washington, D.C. area community college for two years before taking the top spot at the state’s largest two-year school in 2019. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and UNC Chapel Hill.

Pre-workday motivation: Coffee. Key to industry success: Focus on students and the community.

Best advice: Surround yourself with people smarter than you.

Three people to share a meal: Volodymyr Zelensky, Bill Murray and Bruce Springsteen. Proud family accomplishment: Their empathy for others.

VINCENT PRICE

president | Duke University

Durham

Leader of the elite university since 2017, the political scientist was previously provost at the University of Pennsylvania and a former editor-in-chief of Public Opinion Quarterly. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Stanford University.

NIDO QUBEIN

president | High Point University

High Point

Born in Lebanon, Qubein, 73, came to the United States as a teen. After a successful entrepreneurial and corporate career, he became the leader of his alma mater in 2005. Since then, enrollment has grown from 1,400 to nearly 6,000 and a 92-acre campus is now 520 acres with more than 100 new buildings. He’s been a director at Truist Financial or its predecessor BB&T since 1990.

Pre-workday motivation: A desire to serve all my constituents in a purposeful and meaningful way, bringing value to all I’m privileged to do.

Key to industry success: An ability to interpret value from the receiver’s perspective and a determination to provide the highest level of service.

Best advice: Who you spend time with is who you become. What you choose is what you get. How you change is how you succeed.

PHILIP ROGERS

chancellor | East Carolina University Greenville

The former chief of staff to ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard was named to his post last year after working for the American Council on Education, a higher education trade association. The Greenville native has degrees from UNC Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University.

RANDALL ‘RANDY’ RAMSEY

chair | UNC System Board of Governors Beaufort

The former N.C. State University trustee is co-founder of boat builder and maintenance company Jarrett Bay Boatworks, which was acquired by Sun Communities for $50 million in February. He was appointed to the BOG in 2017 and succeeded Harry Smith as chair in 2019.

Best advice: Surround yourself with people who are more talented than you are. Set goals for them, and let them do their job without micromanaging their efforts.

Three people to share a meal: Ronald Reagan, Bill Friday and Chuck Yeager.

Proud family accomplishment: Their care for other people and willingness to help or simply listen.

Favorite hobby: Offshore fishing.

Where to entertain a visitor: Explaining how the community has evolved but remains proud of the history and traditions of the past.

THOMAS STITH III

president | N.C. Community College System

Raleigh

The former U.S. Small Business Administrationdistrict director was Gov. Pat McCrory’s chief of staff. He succeeded Peter Hans last year as the leader of North Carolina’s community college network. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from N.C. Central University.

Pre-workday motivation: The N.C. Community College System fuels our state’s job engine by providing an accessible and affordable pathway to economic opportunity for our students. Students who attended North Carolina community colleges from July 2010 to June 2020 accounted for 34% of the state’s wage earners — 1.8 million people — and more than $65 billion earned in the 2021 fiscal year.

Key to industry success: The system quickly responds to the needs of business and industry and provides a highly educated and trained workforce. It’s a leader in the higher education ecosystem.

Best advice: Stay focused on the mission you have been called to pursue. When you let yourself become distracted by your detractors, they have achieved their goal.

Three people to share a meal: T.D. Jakes, Reginald Lewis and Robert F. Smith.

Proud family accomplishment: God has blessed me with a loving wife and three wonderful daughters. I am proud of how each has pursued their passions in life with a spirit grounded in faith. They are a daily source of inspiration.

JENNA ROBINSON

president | James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal Raleigh

Robinson joined the higher education research group, which was started in 2003 with the Pope family’s support, in 2007. She earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. at UNC Chapel Hill and previously served on the North Carolina Longitudinal Data System Board.

Pre-workday motivation: Lots of coffee.

Key to industry success: Knowledge and relationships.

Best advice: Do your homework.

Three people to share a meal: Dorothy L. Sayers, James Madison and Margaret Thatcher

Proud family accomplishment: I come from a family of hard workers. Some had a good deal of formal education, and some had very little. But they all found the best way they could to support the family and contribute to society.

Favorite hobby: Reading.

Where to entertain a visitor: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

Favorite hobby: Family time is what I treasure most. Trips, meals, stories and many laughs bring joy each day that we are together. My wife and I get such satisfaction in seeing our daughters accomplish so much in their educational and work experiences.

Where to entertain a visitor: I promote all of North Carolina. But a drive through Research Triangle Park is a must for me to brag about the bounty of our state — being a leader in biopharma, health care, and information technology and for attracting marquee corporations and having some of the top zip codes in the country. I, of course, have to brag about our great 58 community colleges and the more than half a million students that we serve each year.

DOUGLAS SEARCY

president | Barton College

Wilson

Searcy has helped Barton reach its largest enrollment in more than 30 years, raise a record amount of money and add several new master’s and undergraduate programs since being named president in 2016. New campus construction includes the completion of an athletic complex and installation of a fiber-optic ring to promote connectivity. He previously held senior posts at University of Mary Washington, and Wingate, Elon and Gardner-Webb universities. He has a doctorate from the University of Nebraska.

Pre-workday motivation: A good routine, including exercise, prayer and coffee, and a sense of purpose.

Key to industry success: Putting students first — prioritizing their learning and helping them remove barriers to access and development.

Best advice: Listen to learn. Treat people how you want to be treated. Call your mother.

Three people to share a meal: Rosa Parks, Abraham Lincoln and James Taylor.

Proud family accomplishment: We have fun together. I am proud that they are good people — hard working, kind and generous.

Favorite hobby: Traveling, whether it’s to the coast or another continent. I also have taught photography and enjoy sports.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and Museum. Come to Wilson to see North Carolina’s official folk art.

JEFF WARREN

executive director | North Carolina Policy Collaboratory

Chapel Hill

After 13 years as a policy adviser in state government posts, including in Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger’s office, Warren joined the Collaboratory in 2017. State lawmakers formed the agency a year earlier to promote state and local government’s use of UNC System research and expertise. Warren has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, a master’s from Auburn University and a Ph.D. from UNC Chapel Hill.

RANDY WOODSON

chancellor | N.C. State University

Raleigh

The plant biologist, 65, has led the state’s largest university since 2010. N.C. State University enrolls more than 37,000 students, employs 2,500 professors and has an annual budget of $1.6 billion backed by a nearly $2 billion endowment. The former Purdue University provost is a Cornell University graduate.

The shift from fossil fuels to greener solutions, such as wind and solar, continues in North Carolina. The goal: carbon neutrality by 2050. Duke Energy, one of the largest U.S. electric utilities, is a key force in many industry affairs.

Joe Brannan

Ben Catt

Dionne Delli-Gatti

Stephen De May

Lynn Good

Michael Gray

Carson Harkrader

Dhiaa Jamil

Julie Janson

Roy Jones

Steve Kalland

Maria Kingery

Katherine Kollins

Peter Ledford

Kevin McLaughlin

Charlotte Mitchell

Daren Parker

J. Eric Pike

Jayson Waller

Jay Wileman

Markus Wilhelm

JOE BRANNAN

executive vice president, CEO | North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives

Raleigh

The Lehigh University and Pennsylvania State University graduate became CEO in 2012 after working as chief operating officer for six years. The coops provide energy to 2.5 million people in 93 N.C. counties.

Key to industry success: Having a passion for what you do is most important in work and life. Always remain grounded, focused and committed to something that will allow you to contribute to society and your workplace.

Best advice: People have a tremendous desire to do things better and that drives change. You’re always going to be surprised. The key is to be ready.

Three people to share a meal: Jesus, Albert Einstein and Paul McCartney.

Proud family accomplishment: I’ve been blessed with how much I’ve been able to be involved with both of my sons and spend time with them. They’ve grown into tremendous young men.

DIONNE DELLI-GATTI

clean energy director | N.C. Department of Environmental Quality

Raleigh

Republican legislators voted down Gov. Roy Cooper’s nominee to serve as secretary of environmental quality, so he instead named her to another post. She helped negotiate bipartisan energy legislation signed into law last year. Before joining DEQ, Delli-Gatti worked at the Environmental Defense Fund and for EPA in Atlanta. The Air Force veteran has a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of North Texas.

Pre-workday motivation: Looking at my son and knowing the work I do every day is in service of ensuring that he and all of our children have the opportunity for a safe, healthy environment and a thriving economy.

Key to industry success: Establish intentional goals and an approach to deliver desired outcomes that are informed by diverse perspectives. This is only possible with a foundation of sustained investment in meaningful relationships built on sincere and honest communication.

Best advice: Know your value and remember that it doesn’t decrease based on someone else’s inability to see your worth.

Three people to share a meal: DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman and Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert.

BEN CATT CEO | Pine Gate Renewables

Asheville

The Indiana University graduate has been CEO since 2017. The business has been involved in more than $3.7 billion of project financing and manages more than 1 gigawatt of renewable assets. Pine Gate ranked 37th on the Inc. 5000 list in 2021.

Proud family accomplishment: I’m proud that we live in gratitude and do our best to contribute to our community in meaningful ways on issues we are passionate about including health, fitness, poverty, sustainability, adoption, addiction and equity.

Favorite hobby: Watching my son play hockey and hiking.

Where to entertain a visitor: The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, Umstead Park, and Cucciolo Osteria in Durham.

STEPHEN DE MAY

state president | Duke Energy, North Carolina operations

Raleigh

He’s been the utility’s top executive for North Carolina since 2018, following stints as treasurer and senior vice president of tax. He joined the company in 1990 and has degrees from UNC Chapel Hill and Queens University in Charlotte.

Three people to share a meal: Abraham Lincoln, Bruce Springsteen and the cast of ‘Seinfeld.’

Favorite hobby: Hiking in western North Carolina and most travel destinations.

Where to entertain a visitor: Live music at The Orange Peel in Asheville and other uniquely North Carolina music halls.

LYNN GOOD

chair, president, CEO | Duke Energy

Charlotte

The Miami University of Ohio graduate was promoted to CEO in 2013 after working as chief financial officer. She joined Duke predecessor Cinergy in 2002. Fending off activist investors, tilting the company to more alternative energy production and maintaining consistent service for 7.7 million customers consumes her time. Forbes has named her one of the “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.”

Three people to share a meal: Abraham Lincoln, Claude Monet and Alexander Hamilton.

Favorite hobby: Golf and reading.

Where to entertain a visitor: Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.

MICHAEL GRAY

country holding officer, U.S. | ABB

Cary

Before joining ABB in 2008, Michael worked for International Paper and AutoZone. The University of Memphis graduate has deep experience in mergers, project management and global taxation. The Swiss company employs 20,000 people in 25 U.S. states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

CARSON HARKRADER

CEO | Carolina Solar Energy

Durham

The Brown University and New York University graduate became CEO in 2018. She previously worked with GE Energy on various international projects.

Pre-workday motivation: I view climate change as the defining challenge of my lifetime, and I feel very grateful to be able to work to be part of the solution and to do so in a way that allows communities, municipalities and companies to benefit from economic development and feel good about being part of the solution.

Key to industry success: Finding niche areas that are newly opening up to utilityscale solar. Another key area is community engagement. Carolina Solar Energy has a very strong focus on listening to and collaborating with the communities where our projects are based.

Best advice: Warren Buffett said the most important thing he does is say “no” to most of the opportunities that come across his desk. That way, when the right opportunity comes along, he can say yes. I try to not worry too much when things aren’t as busy.

Proud family accomplishment: We have kept each other company during the last two years of Covid. I’m proud that we still get along.

Favorite hobby: Planting things in our garden and watching them grow and bloom.

Where to entertain a visitor: I live in Hillsborough and our riverwalk is truly special. We can walk from my house along the Eno River to downtown, the farmer’s market, playgrounds and the state park.

DHIAA JAMIL

executive vice president, chief operatibf officer | Duke Energy

Charlotte

Jamil holds an electrical engineering degree from UNC Charlotte and received the Bonnie E. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award from the institution. With more than 40 years of energy industry experience, he oversees environment, health and safety, project management and more. He became chief nuclear officer in 2008 and chief generation officer in 2009.

Three people to share a meal: Jürgen Klopp, Mo Salah and Lionel Messi.

Favorite hobby: Anything that has to do with soccer, particularly Liverpool Football Club.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Blue Ridge Parkway.

JULIE JANSON

executive vice president, CEO | Duke Energy Carolinas

Charlotte

A University of Cincinnati College of Law graduate, Janson leads legislative and regulatory initiatives in the Carolinas. Her former roles include executive vice president of external affairs, chief legal officer and president of Duke Energy’s utility operations in Kentucky and Ohio. She started with the company as a lawyer at predecessor Cinergy in Cincinnati.

Three people to share a meal: The Queen of England, Angela Merkel and Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand.

Favorite hobby: Walking and pickleball.

Where to entertain a visitor: U.S. National Whitewater Center.

MARIA KINGERY

chief impact officer | Southern Energy Management

Raleigh

The N.C. State University graduate co-founded the solar power system installer with her husband, Bob, in 2001. She has helped promote independent solar power companies nationally.

ROY JONES

CEO | ElectriCities North Carolina

Raleigh

With more than 40 years of electric utility industry experience, Jones was named CEO of the Raleigh-based membership organization in 2015. He has an electrical engineering degree from LaSalle University.

Key to industry success: Be open-minded to changes in the industry and the opportunities they bring.

STEVE KALLAND

executive director | N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center

Raleigh

Kalland has led the center since 2006, when it was known as the N.C. Solar Center. He’s a graduate of the College of William and Mary and the University of Rochester.

Pre-workday motivation: I always take a long walk in the morning with my dog to clear my mind and think through my tasks for the day.

What’s the key to success in your industry: Collaboration is the key — energy touches everything in our lives so everyone has a stake in it — sometimes that is good, sometimes it is a complicating factor. We have to collaborate with lots of folks with different perspectives to get anything done.

KATHARINE KOLLINS

president | Southeastern Wind Coalition

Raleigh

Kollins advocates for wind energy development in 11 states. Before joining the coalition in 2015, she served as a finance lead at RTI International as well as First Wind and The Wind Alliance. She’s a graduate of Duke University’s schools of business and environment.

Pre-workday motivation: Coffee is always the best morning motivator. After getting my two kids off to school, I try to get outside or exercise before I start my workday.

Key to industry success: Perseverance. Wind hasn’t always been a popular technology in the Southeast, so sticking with it even has allowed us to be here advocating when everyone wants to talk about it.

Best advice: There is no such thing as “having it all,” but you can allow different things to take top priority at different points in your life. As a working parent, and especially a woman, it is so important to recognize the demands society places on us to succeed in our professional space, but still be a primary caregiver at home.

Three people to share a meal: Roy Cooper, Jess Simms (Peloton instructor) and Lynn Good.

Proud family accomplishment: My husband and I have been together for 20 years and have two crazy kids, two crazy dogs, and we host au pairs.

Favorite hobby: Running, camping, backpacking and cycling. And getting together with friends.

Where to entertain a visitor: Local Triangle Land Conservancy trails at Brumley Forest followed by food at Vimalas or Glass Half Full.

PETER LEDFORD

general counsel and director of policy | N.C. Sustainable Energy Association

Raleigh

The Wake Forest University law graduate serves as the key lobbyist for the trade association at the legislature and the N.C. Utilities Commission. He joined the advocacy group in 2014 and previously served as a legislative staff attorney.

KEVIN MCLAUGHLIN

vice president of governmental affairs and external relations | Duke Energy

Raleigh

The utility’s top lobbyist in Raleigh helped score a big victory last year with bipartisan energy legislation that will allow electric utilities to seek multi-year rate increases. The Wake Forest law school graduate joined Duke in 2020 after stints at SAS Institute and in Gov. Bev Perdue’s administration.

Three people to share a meal: Pete Jones, the founder of Skylight Inn barbecue restaurant in Ayden; Warner Stamey, considered by many as the Godfather of Lexington-style barbecue; and Arthur Bryant, founder of Arthur Bryant’s barbecue in Kansas City. We’ll decide once and for all that whole-hog barbecue is the best.

Favorite hobby: Spending time with family on the Pamlico River in eastern North Carolina.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Roast Grill, a downtown Raleigh staple since 1940. I always smile when my guests ask for ketchup on their hot dog.

CHARLOTTE MITCHELL

chair | N.C. Utilities Commission

Raleigh

The Houston native came to UNC Chapel Hill to play collegiate soccer, and she later earned a Duke University law degree. Gov. Roy Cooper appointed her to the state’s utility regulatory agency. She previously worked at the K&L Gates and Styers, Kemerait & Mitchell firms.

DAREN PARKER

owner | Parker Gas Company

Fayetteville

Parker has led his family’s propane dealership with six locations across eastern North Carolina for more than three decades. The East Carolina University business school graduate also owns Rapid XChange, a business that handles propane tank exchanges in 10 states.

J. ERIC PIKE

CEO | Pike Corp.

Mount Airy

Pike has been chair and CEO since 2002. While private equity group Lindsay Goldberg bought a 50.1% stake in 2020, Eric Pike maintains a material minority stake. The company employs 10,000 people who provide engineering, repair and other services for utilities and telecommunications companies.

JAYSON WALLER

CEO | Powerhome Solar

Mooresville

The solar-system installer launched in 2014 with 15 employees and now has more than 2,100 in 15 states. It ranked 520th on the 2021 Inc. 5000 list of fastgrowing companies. Waller grew up in Cabarrus County and started an alarm sales company before changing to solar.

JAY WILEMAN

president | GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy

Wilmington

Wileman has three decades of experience as he manages the nuclear services company co-owned by Boston-based GE and Japan’s Hitachi. The graduate of Mississippi State University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham worked in several leadership roles since joining GE in 1994.

MARKUS WILHELM

co-founder, CEO | Strata Solar

Durham

Wilhelm and his wife, Cathay, founded the solar power company in 2009 after working for media giants Bertelsmann and Time Warner. Strata has shifted from residential to commercial and now utilityscale solar projects. Private equity giant Blackstone in February said it was backing Strata projects with $150 million in capital.

With a long history as a national power in commercial banking, North Carolina’s financial services industry has diversified over the last decade. Many large companies, including Credit Suisse, MetLife, TIAA and Vanguard, operate major sites in the state.

Anita Hughes Bachmann

Aditya Bhasin

Steve Boland

Jeffrey ‘JB’ Brown

Richard Bryant

Rick Callicutt

Doug Chittenden

Ron Day

Jim Dunn

Rob Edwards

Lee Fite

Mike Freno

Charles Grigg

Peter Gwaltney

Todd Hall

Ramsey Hamadi

Jim Hansen

Frank Holding Jr.

Bob Ingram

Steve Jones

Jim Kelligrew

Doug Lebda

Mary Mack

James ‘Chip’ Mahan

Rick Manske

Aaron Marcus

Mike Mayer

Brian McCarthy

Ed McMahan

Fielding Miller

Richard Moore

Suzanne Morrison

Robert ‘Bob’ Newell

Michael Painter

Art Pappas

Bill Pappas

Edwin Poston

Chuck Purvis

David Rea

Brian Reid

Lee Roberts

William ‘Bill’ Rogers Jr.

Jim Rose

Jason Sandner

James Sills

Tunde Sotunde

Eric Steigerwalt

Dana Stonestreet

Ralph Strayhorn

Kevin Walker

Thad Walton

John Ward

David Weaver

Mary Willis

Dontá Wilson

Mark Yusko

ANITA HUGHES BACHMANN

CEO | UnitedHealthcare

Community Plan of North Carolina

Greensboro

Bachmann was promoted to her post four years ago. The plan provides medical coverage to Medicare Advantage and Medicaid patients by Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. health insurer. The Medical University of South Carolina graduate serves on the board of the Greensboro Chamber and chairs the local community foundation.

Pre-workday motivation: My day gets started with a very early morning run or boot camp, followed by a big cup of coffee and morning devotion.

Key to industry success: Collaboration has become more important than ever. Bringing people together with different ideas, perspectives and expertise to find innovative solutions allows organizations to solve challenges in a faster and more efficient manner. Working together builds camaraderie, which leads to a healthier and more engaged organization.

Best advice: Listen more than you speak. My dad always said there was a reason God gave us two ears and one mouth. Listening intently creates meaningful relationships and opens the mind to diverse perspectives, which is critical in our learning journey.

Three people to share a meal: Jesus, Abraham Lincoln and Condoleezza Rice.

Proud family accomplishment: Raising three very fine sons who have a strong work ethic and drive, and are the most caring, compassionate men you’ll ever meet.

Favorite hobby: Quality time with my sons and husband, usually involving boating, running and fishing.

Where do you most enjoy taking an outof-town visitor in your community: The Tanger Center, Civil Rights Museum and LeBauer Park in downtown Greensboro.

JEFFREY ‘JB’ BROWN

CEO | Ally Financial

Charlotte

Brown, 49, joined the digital financial services company in 2009, became CEO in 2015 and has led significant growth as Ally posted a record $3 billion profit last year. Previously the treasurer of Bank of America, Brown is a Clemson University graduate with a Queens University MBA. He’s part of the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council.

Pre-workday motivation: A couple of years ago, I was introduced to the concept of essentialism — the disciplined pursuit of less — by Greg McKeown. Since then, I’ve worked to incorporate it into my daily routine. It helps me focus on the handful of things that really matter, say no to the things that don’t add value and make time to think about what’s next — what’s around the corner.

Key to success in your industry: A strong, purpose-driven culture. If you have a healthy culture, everything else follows. Put another way, if you take care of your employees, they, in turn, take care of your customers, which drives business results. It all starts and ends with culture.

Best advice: Three things. First, do what you say you are going to do and follow through on your commitments. Have your boss’ back, and keep them in the know. Finally, surround yourself with smart people. I’m tremendously lucky to have simply the best leadership team in the business.

Three people to share a meal: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Tim Cook. All have made and continue to make a massive impact on their industries, the business world and society as a whole.

Proud family accomplishment: We have a tradition to cook a family meal together every week, and I really value that. The time goes by so fast while the kids are in the house. While frequent travel is inevitable in my career, I realize how precious these moments are.

ADITYA BHASIN chief technology and information officer |

Bank of America

Charlotte

Bhasin became the megabank’s top tech executive last year. He joined BofA in 2004 after working as a principal at the Booz Allen Hamilton consulting firm. Bhasin has master’s degrees in computer engineering and engineering management from Dartmouth College and bachelor’s degrees from Hamilton College.

Favorite hobby: I’m a foodie — I love to cook and love to grill, in particular. I’m also a lover of cars and racing. I guess you could say I found the right company for my personal passions.

Where to entertain a visitor: Charlotte is an amazing community, and I’m lucky to call it home. But right now, I’ll go with an Ally-sponsored Charlotte FC match. I dare anyone to come up with a more inspiring moment than 75,000 fans singing the national anthem together as we did on March 5 during the inaugural game.

STEVE BOLAND

chief administrative officer | Bank of America

Charlotte

The Northwestern University graduate succeeded Andrea Smith last year in the key administrative role. A bank staffer since 1995, he previously led community banking and consumer lending. He is vice chair of BofA’s Global Diversity & Inclusion Council and on the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council.

Pre-workday motivation: My morning workout gets me focused and energized for the day ahead.

Best advice: Remain humble, intellectually curious, and willing to put in the work.

Favorite hobby: Golf. It’s funny how a game that can be so humbling can provide so much enjoyment.

Three people to share a meal: Walt Disney, Martin Luther King and Maya Angelou.

RICHARD BRYANT

CEO | Capital Investment Companies

Raleigh

Heading a team of more than 40 financial planners, advisers and others, Bryant, 62, says Capital Investment can offer wealth management and services similar to large Wall Street-based companies but with the hometown touches worthy of Gastonia, where he was born. A graduate of N.C. State University, he founded the firm in 1984.

Pre-workday motivation: The unforeseen challenges and opportunities that await ... and, of course, coffee!

Key to industry success: Besides top-notch service and expertise, our mantra speaks for itself: Integrity, independence and innovation.

Best advice: From my father: “If you’re gonna start a business, start one with few employees, no receivables and no inventory.” The investment business is as close to that as I could find.

Three people to share a meal: Jack Nicholson, Stevie Wonder and Queen Elizabeth II.

Proud family accomplishment: Through all of life’s struggles, we’re very close and making out just fine. I think!

Favorite hobby: It’s a tie: Cars and music.

Where to entertain a visitor: An N.C. State Wolfpack sporting event.

RICK CALLICUTT

chair, Carolinas & Virginia | Pinnacle Financial Partners

High Point

Callicutt was among a half-dozen initial employees at startup Bank of North Carolina in 1991, becoming president and CEO in 2013. Since Nashville-based Pinnacle bought the bank for $1.9 billion in 2017, he’s helped lead significant growth in the three-state region that he oversees. He began his career working for Wachovia and First Union banks. He’s an alum and trustee of High Point University and board chair of the North Carolina Bankers Association. Pinnacle has been named one of Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work for five straight years.

DOUG CHITTENDEN

executive vice president, head of client relationships | TIAA

Charlotte

The Rutgers University graduate has been with TIAA for 35 years. Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association juggles more than $1 trillion in assets for some 5 million active and retired professors and others. His team manages relationships with industry leaders and advocacy organizations.

RON DAY

founding director, president, CEO | First Carolina Bank

Raleigh

Day, 56, has led one of the state’s fastestgrowing banks over the last decade, with offices in Rocky Mount, Raleigh, Cary and Wilmington. He led an investor group that bought the business in 2012. Last year, First Carolina converted its Virginia Beach, Virginia loan office into a full-service branch and is expanding this year into Columbia, S.C. and Atlanta. Day is a 1987 UNC Chapel Hill graduate who previously worked at the Bank of Hampton Roads in Virginia and RBC Bank in Raleigh and Atlanta.

Pre-workday motivation: The opportunity to do the job I’m privileged to do with the people we have on our team.

Key to industry success: A commitment to being the best and building a team with the best people in the business.

Best advice: Make your plan.

Three people to share a meal: Jack Nicklaus, Elton John and Tom Brady

Proud family accomplishment: The unwavering support that we provide to each other.

Favorite hobby: Golf — playing and watching professional tournaments.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Angus Barn restaurant.

JIM DUNN

chief investment officer, CEO | Verger Capital Management

Winston-Salem

The Villanova University graduate previously was chief investment officer at Wake Forest University’s endowment fund. He created Verger in 2014 and manages $2 billion in assets.

Key to industry success: Thinking differently. We believe the ability to think differently starts with understanding your why — not just what you do, but why you do it. Secondly, stay humble and hungry.

Proud family accomplishment: The work ethic of my two sons in their studies, athletics, and personal and professional relationships.

Where to entertain a visitor: A Wake Forest University basketball game. My son is on the team, and I could not be prouder.

ROB EDWARDS

managing partner | Ridgemont Equity Partners

Charlotte

The avid outdoorsman, Edwards is a co-founder of Ridgemont, a private equity company that was part of Bank of America until 2010. He’s a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and Harvard University. His deals have included the 2021 investment in Chicago-based Seko Logistics. He’s also worked for McKinsey & Co. and Allied Capital.

Pre-workday motivation: The opportunity to work with talented, interesting individuals both at my firm and portfolio companies.

Favorite hobby: Golf

Where to entertain a visitor: Carolina Panthers football game

LEE FITE

Carolinas regional president | Fifth Third Bank

Charlotte

The Cincinnati-based bank is hiring more than three dozen commercial lenders in the Southeast and adding as many as 50 new branches in North Carolina in the next several years. Fite is a 15-year bank veteran who is a graduate of Appalachian State University and Wake Forest University.

MIKE FRENO

president, chair, CEO | Barings

Charlotte

Since 2020 Freno has led the global investment firm that manages nearly $400 billion. The Wake Forest University MBA joined the company in 2005. Previously the chair of the publicly traded Barings business development company, he is on the executive leadership team of owner MassMutual Insurance.

CHARLES GRIGG

managing partner | Carousel Capital

Charlotte

Carousel has backing from more than 100 current and former CEOs. Since 1996, the private equity group has invested in 45 companies. Grigg joined in 1997 after working with Orion Partners in Boston and Smith Barney in New York. He has degrees from Yale and the University of Pennsylvania.

PETER GWALTNEY

president, CEO | NC Bankers Association

Raleigh

Gwaltney has led the bankers’ group since 2015 after having a similar post in Louisiana. “I can still hear my banking professor at Louisiana State University saying, ‘Money isn’t everything, but it is the sincerest form of appreciation.’”

Key to industry success: Knowing when to listen and when to speak, thinking before doing, truly caring about people, always telling the truth, going the extra mile whenever possible.

Best advice: “Remember who you are.” I heard this from my father every time I left the house as a young person.

Proud family accomplishment: We raised six children who are now adults who love and support one another.

Favorite hobby: On free weekends with pretty weather, I enjoy riding my Harley Davidson. North Carolina is a beautiful place to live, and I enjoy experiencing it from the seat of a motorcycle.

TODD HALL

president, CEO | Truliant Federal Credit Union

Winston-Salem

Truliant bought naming rights to downtown Winston-Salem’s Winston Towers, signaling its increased visibility. He joined as chief operating officer in 2012 and became CEO in 2020. Truliant has 280,000 members, more than 30 branches and $3.5 billion in assets.

RAMSEY HAMADI

CEO | Triad Business Bank

Greensboro

The former NewBridge Bank executive helped start the bank just as the pandemic hit. Two years later, Triad Business Bank is nearing profitability with assets of about $375 million. It was one of the state’s first new banks since the early 2000s.

JIM HANSEN

regional president, Eastern Carolinas | PNC

Raleigh

Hansen has been a long-term stalwart for PNC and its predecessors in North Carolina and Alabama since 2001. He’s a graduate of N.C. State University and UNC Chapel Hill, and he has chaired the Research Triangle Regional Partnership and Raleigh Chamber.

Key to industry success: Banking is built on the financial success of our customers, and in order to effectively serve customers and add value, we must understand their industries and the unique challenges they face. In North Carolina’s wonderfully diverse business landscape, a successful banker must have an inquisitive mind and the discipline to stay abreast of market dynamics, while adapting to the ongoing digital transformation that many sectors, including banking, are experiencing.

Proud family accomplishments: My children are 16 and 12, so they are very much coming into their own. Their personalities are so different. I’m proud of the people they are becoming and the paths they are forging. It’s such a privilege to be a parent and share in that experience.

Favorite hobby: My son enjoys cars, and while he is not old enough to drive, we mess around with a 1984 CJ7 I bought, slowly tackling little repairs and changes. As a parent, your child’s passions become your hobbies, so my other is joining my daughter at her travel volleyball tournaments.

Where to entertain a family visitor: On a beautiful day, there is nothing like Dix Park with its open space and incomparable views of the Raleigh skyline. In the evenings, I am always watching the schedule of events at PNC Arena. Lastly, the North Carolina Museum of Art is always a great place, but especially great to visit during Art in Bloom, an event PNC has sponsored since its inception.

FRANK HOLDING JR.

CEO, chair | First Citizens Bancshares

Raleigh

First Citizens closed its $2 billion acquisition of CIT Group in January, marking a transformational deal as it reached $100 billion in assets. The graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and Penn’s Wharton School has led the largest U.S. family-controlled bank since 2008.

Pre-workday motivation: What gets me motivated is remembering why we’re here every day. For 124 years, we’ve helped people, families and businesses make smart and sensible decisions about their finances, and we don’t expect that to change. We take this responsibility seriously. While we recognize there will continue to be many ups and downs in our economy and industry, First Citizens will be here to assist those who trust us with their money.

Key to industry success: Relationships matter. Banking is not just about products and services; it’s about people and meeting their needs. Success in business and in life is tied directly to building and nurturing relationships with others. One of the most important things you can do to succeed is learn how to work together and build lasting relationships.

Best advice you ever received: When making farm loans, my grandfather had a favorite expression. “There is more in the man than in the land.” Understanding who you serve meant a lot back then and it still does today. The saying highlights the importance of knowing your customer, building relationships that last, solving problems for them and creating opportunities for them, too.

BOB INGRAM

general partner | Hatteras Venture

Partners

Durham

Ingram is among the state’s top pharmaceutical executives after serving as CEO of Glaxo Wellcome, a forerunner of GlaxoSmithKline. As an investor, he has helped develop many life sciences companies and last year was awarded the Charles A. Sanders Award by the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.

JIM KELLIGREW

vice chair, head of corporate and commercial banking | U.S. Bancorp

Charlotte

Kelligrew, 56, joined the Minneapolisbased bank in 2009 and was named to his current post in 2016. The 1987 University of Michigan graduate is on the company’s 14-member management committee and leads more than 850 Charlotte staffers.

Pre-workday motivation: A good cup of coffee and exercise while watching CNBC.

Key to industry success: Remain positive, keep focused on clients and treat your people well.

Best advice: Always take advantage of an opportunity outside of work to connect and build relationships with prospective mentors or senior executives.

Three people to share a meal: Muhammad Ali, Isaac Asimov and Ronald Reagan.

Proud family accomplishment: I am very fortunate to have a strong, closeknit extended family and a tremendous support network. They are compassionate and committed to giving back to the community.

Favorite hobby: Reading, especially science fiction. I also love coaching my daughter’s soccer team.

Where to entertain visitors: Carolina Panthers game.

STEVE JONES

CEO | Dogwood State Bank

Raleigh

The state-chartered bank has grown from 65 to 135 employees since recapitalizing and moving from Morehead City to Raleigh in 2019. Assets now total about $850 million. Jones is an East Carolina University alumnus who previously had senior posts at Yadkin Financial and RBC.

DOUG LEBDA

founder, chair, CEO | LendingTree Charlotte

Lebda got frustrated arranging a mortgage for his first house, so he launched his own company in 1996. It now has a market cap of $1.6 billion with more than 1,300 employees. He is a graduate of Bucknell University and University of Virginia.

MARY MACK

CEO, consumer and small business banking | Wells Fargo Fort Mill, South Carolina

The senior executive vice president heads Wells Fargo’s Consumer and Small Business Banking, leading about 65,000 employees. Fortune magazine has named her one of the nation’s most powerful women in business six times. She joined a Wells Fargo predecessor in 1984 after graduating from Davidson College.

Best advice: Remain centered and find a work-life balance that works for you. While I’m a banker 24/7, I’m also a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend 24/7. And if my family needs me, that takes priority over anything else. Everybody has a story, and everyone faces personal challenges. Those experiences are part of who I am and have helped me develop perspective, resiliency and authenticity. Be clear on your values and what is important to you — both can shape a healthy work-life balance and ensure you’re fully aligned. Be where you’re supposed to be. If you’re at work, make sure your mind and attention are there. If you’re with family and friends, give them all of yourself. And don’t be apologetic about making time for yourself. It’s one of the most important gifts you can give yourself and everyone around you.

Proud family accomplishments: I am proud my husband, Barry, and I raised our three daughters to be independent, caring and nurturing young women, each focused on pursuing service-oriented careers. Our third daughter is a neuro-ICU nurse who has been caring for COVID patients in Charlotte and is now moving into a pediatric clinic serving underserved patients. Our middle daughter is a 4th-grade public school teacher, committed to kids who need role models. Our first daughter passed away in 2014 at the age of 23, and at that time, was about to embark on a career in helping women who were victims of abuse. She was an amazing woman and passionate about rescue animals, especially dogs. In honor of her, we built a 12-acre dog park in Fort Mill, South Carolina where we raised our family. We also established a scholarship program in her name at her alma mater, Clemson University. My family is what centers me, gives me my strength and is the most important thing in my life by a long shot. Their love, guidance and support have enabled everything for me.

JAMES ‘CHIP’ MAHAN

founder, chair, CEO | Live Oak

Bancshares

Wilmington

The former Wachovia Bank manager and financial technology pioneer started Live Oak Bank in 2008, focusing on Small Business Administration lending. The digital-oriented company was valued at $2.4 billion in early April. He’s a graduate of Washington & Lee University and also a co-founder of software vendor nCino and the Canapi Ventures investment firm. Earlier this year, he was appointed to the UNC Wilmington Board of Trustees.

Pre-workday motivation: Work out at our Fitpark, walk the dog and listen to a Tim Keller sermon.

Key to industry success: We believe the future of community banking delivers an elegant digital experience enhanced by really good people. Banks must deliver services on next-generation platforms to stay relevant. Those who will be successful will embrace the change.

Best advice: Put all your eggs in one basket and watch the basket.

Three people to share a meal: My wife, my son and my daughter.

Proud family accomplishments: Their love of Christ and each other.

Favorite hobby: Anything outdoors, especially if it involves good people, a beautiful view and a cooler full of quail or trout.

Where to entertain a visitor: Straight to the Live Oak Bank campus. We have built a really special place here in Wilmington, and it never fails to surprise people when they see the place our folks call home.

RICK MANSKE

CEO | Parsec Financial

Weaverville

The Western Michigan University graduate joined the wealth manager in 1996. He is on the boards of the Buncombe County Schools Foundation and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.

Pre-workday motivation: I like to wake up early and read.

Key to industry success: Be humble and never stop learning.

Best advice: The harder you work the luckier you get.

Three people to share a meal: Ron Chernow, Tim Cook and Benjamin Franklin.

Proud family accomplishments: We encourage and support one another.

Favorite hobby: A casual round of golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: Into the woods and along beautiful mountain streams.

AARON MARCUS

head of global human resources | Dimensional Fund Advisors

Charlotte

The Brown University graduate heads the East Coast headquarters office for Austin, Texas-based Dimensional, which had $680 billion under management on Dec. 31. Its Charlotte site opened three years ago. He joined in 2008 after working at Goldman Sachs.

MIKE MAYER

president | First Bancorp

CEO | First Bank

Southern Pines

The Clemson University graduate has led the state’s biggest community bank since 2014. He also spent more than 20 years at Bank of America. First Bank has grown to more than $10 billion in assets with about 120 Carolinas branches.

Pre-workday motivation: Learning something new.

Key to industry success: Culture. It’s the baseline for our company.

Best advice: Don’t be afraid to fail.

Three people to share a meal: The Apostle Paul, Stephen A. Smith and Annika Sorenstam

Proud family accomplishment: My children. They balance their faith with their work ethic and care about others.

Favorite hobby: Golf and walking on the beach.

Where to entertain a visitor: The village of Pinehurst. It’s iconic, historic and timeless.

RICHARD MOORE

CEO | First Bancorp

Southern Pines

The former state treasurer and head of the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety has led rapid growth at the state’s biggest community bank since joining in 2012. He has degrees from Wake Forest University and the London School of Economics.

Pre-workday motivation: I have always had tremendous motivation the minute I wake up. It is my favorite time of the day and I am eager to get out and see what the world has in store that day.

Key to industry success: Any success I have achieved can be tied to hard work, what I call “professional curiosity.” Lifelong learning is so important. If you enjoy being curious and inquisitive, digging in and finding out how things work and why it is easier to figure out where you need to go.

Best advice: From my parents, always treat everyone the way you’d like to be treated.

BRIAN MCCARTHY

principal, global head, Investment Management Group Operational Risk | Vanguard Group

Charlotte

McCarthy, 50, has worked for the money manager for 22 years, holding his current post since 2020. He previously led personal investor services, and earlier, retail investor trading at the company, which has $8 trillion under management and 18,000 employees. He has degrees from Saint Joseph’s University, Boston College and Duke University.

Pre-workday motivation: Five minutes, fresh air and coffee. I start each day with a few minutes of meditation, which has been incredibly helpful as a stress stabilizer and in getting focused on the day ahead. Next up is a walk or run outside. I tend to run a little faster coming back to a fresh cup of morning coffee.

Best advice: My dad, Timothy McCarthy, gave me sound advice early in my career: “Don’t spend all your time trying to make the right decision, invest in making the decision right.” In other words, there isn’t always a perfect answer, but once you decide, commit to it 100%.

Proud family accomplishments: My wife, Lisa, and I have three children – Braeden, Mia and Paige. With two in college and one in high school, we appreciate that they have such a strong supportive relationship and connect with each other on a regular basis.

Favorite hobbies: Early morning runs near our home and watching my three children play lacrosse. If I can’t make it to a game, I stream it later.

ED MCMAHAN

managing partner | Falfurrias

Capital Partners

Charlotte

McMahan co-founded the private equity company with Hugh McColl Jr. and Marc Oken in 2006 and has been managing partner for four years. It pumps capital into growing, middle-market businesses. It’s raised nearly $2 billion so far through five funds. Among its more well-known investments are Duke’s Mayonnaise owner Sauer Brands and Industry Dive newsletters. McMahan, 47, has degrees from UNC Chapel Hill and Northwestern University. Before creating Falfurrias, McMahan worked for Chicago Growth Partners and Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co., a former Charlotte investment bank.

Pre-workday motivation: My kids.

Key to industry success: No different than other industries: equal parts great team and great strategy.

Best advice: “Decide what to be and go be it.” Strategy is as much about being clear about what you are not as being committed to what you are.

Three people to share a meal: Jesus Christ, Jerry Garcia and Elon Musk.

Proud family accomplishments: [My wife] Anna and I have really enjoyed watching our kids develop diverse interests as they have grown.

Favorite hobby: Golf and guitar.

Where to entertain a visitor: North Carolina mountains.

ROBERT ‘BOB’ NEWELL

president | Franklin Street Partners

Raleigh

Newell, 63, joined the wealth management firm in 2009 after 27 years with Wachovia. He is a graduate of N.C. State University.

Key to industry success: Talent retention is the single biggest controllable.

Best advice: Do a good job with the task you have and the rest will take care of itself.

Three people to share a meal: George W. Bush, Gayle King and Jim Valvano.

Proud family accomplishment: We love each other unconditionally.

Favorite hobby: Fishing, then golf.

FIELDING MILLER

co-founder, CEO | Captrust

Raleigh

Miller, 61, co-founded the investment management business in 1997 and has helped shepherd its growth to rank among the largest U.S. financial advisers, with more than $600 billion under advisement. Chicago-based GTCR bought a 25% share in 2020. Miller previously was a senior vice president and investment adviser with Wachovia Bank’s Interstate/ Johnson Lane brokerage business He is a trustee at his alma mater, East Carolina University.

Key to industry success: While the wealth management and investment industry has for decades been dominated by the Wall Street banks and brokerage firms, Captrust decided to forge a different path. It was formed as a registered investment adviser, in which we serve as fiduciaries for our clients. We are contractually bound to always put our client’s interests ahead of our own. This seems obvious, but the brokerage industry is held to a substantially lower standard. Today, our emerging cottage industry of firms has surpassed some major Wall Street firms in total client assets, which is an astounding development. The lesson is clear: Take care of clients, and they will take care of you.

Best advice: Regarding business, “leadership starts with knowing thyself.” (From leadership consultant, Gerry Bell.) Regarding personal advice, “When mama ain’t happy, daddy doesn’t play golf. (From my daughters, Cameron and Lauren Miller.)

Favorite hobby: Three-way tie: golf, reading and snow skiing.

SUZANNE MORRISON

executive vice president, division executive for commercial banking | Wells Fargo Charlotte

Her first job was as a waitress in a Chinese restaurant at age 15. Now she oversees commercial banking for businesses with $2 billion or more in annual revenue. A UNC Chapel Hill finance graduate, Morrison, 50, has been in that role since 2019. She joined a unit of its predecessor, Wachovia Securities, in 2003.

Pre-workday motivation: I am motivated every day by being with our team and our clients. I love what we are able to do at Wells Fargo in working across the commercial bank, solving problems, delivering for clients and helping our team grow in their careers. My two dogs and my husband’s great coffee help, too.

Key to industry success: Knowing our clients is the key to our being able to support their success, and thus ours. When we understand what an owner and executive team want to accomplish strategically, we can bring new ideas and be exceptional advisors.

Best advice: Spend more time actively listening than talking. In any setting, work, community or family, and in good times or times of stress, this orientation has served me well and has helped me learn and assess quickly, and build lifelong relationships.

Three people to share a meal: Condelezza Rice, Galileo Galilei and Jacques Cousteau

Proud family accomplishment: I am proud of my grandparents and greatgrandparents coming to our country and building their families and businesses from nothing. I am also very proud of the many accomplishments of our two daughters and the strong, smart and kind people they have become, not to mention both are award-winning Lincoln-Douglas debaters.

MICHAEL PAINTER

co-founder, managing partner | Plexus Capital Raleigh

Painter’s firm oversees middle-market investments of more than $1.4 billion with most companies having less than $150 million in annual revenue. Plexus, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh, has more than 130 investments that are managed by a staff of 32. He previously worked at RBC Centura.

Favorite hobby: I enjoy the outdoors in every way from the coast to the mountains. I love learning, too, and have been personally immersing myself in the evolution of blockchain, fintech and payments.

Where to entertain a visitor: The U.S. National Whitewater Center, lakes or one of our many trailways are my favorite spots to take guests. We always look for new restaurants, too.

ART PAPPAS

founder, managing general partner | Pappas Capital Durham

Pappas worked at GlaxoSmithKline and Abbott Laboratories before starting his firm in 1994. He’s invested more than $750 million in 85 companies. He’s on the board at N.C. Biotechnology Center. He has degrees from Ohio State and Xavier universities.

BILL PAPPAS

executive vice president, head of global technology and operations | MetLife

Charlotte

He joined the big insurer in 2019 after serving as head of operations for Bank of America’s consumer, small business, wealth management and private banking units. He also worked at General Electric Capital Services. He has a bachelor’s and MBA from Bentley University.

Pre-workday motivation: I’ve completed seven marathons and 25 half marathons. You can always catch me early in the morning running. I follow up with a cup of espresso.

Key to industry success: Embracing change and coupling it with a willingness to reimagine what’s possible. The wants and needs of the customer are constantly changing. We must go beyond being customer-centric to become truly customer-obsessed so we can deliver the remarkable experiences they expect.

Best advice: Three mentors that helped define my career are powerful women in financial services: Cathy Bessant, Barbara Desoer and Margaret Keane. The best advice they gave me is that the only person who defines you is you. The strength you need is inside of you. You set your own limits.

Three people to share a meal: Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks and computer programmer Grace Hopper.

Proud family accomplishment: My four daughters — and all the credit goes to my wife. She and I taught them to follow their dreams. I see them confidently forging their own paths using the life lessons we taught them. It’s the greatest reward.

Favorite hobby: Travel. Visiting my native country of Greece is always at the top of the list.

Where to entertain a visitor: Charlotte’s Opera Carolina.

EDWIN POSTON

co-founder, general partner | Truebridge Capital Partners

Chapel Hill

The UNC Chapel Hill alum and partner Mel Williams have been raising money since 2007. They now have $5 billion of assets under management. Poston previously worked in private equity at the Rockefeller Foundation. Dallas-based P10 Holdings acquired TrueBridge in 2020.

DAVID REA president | Salem Investment Counselors

Winston-Salem

The Wake Forest University law graduate and Indiana University MBA joined Salem in 1984. Now with $2.5 billion under management after nearly 40 years in business, Rea’s firm has been ranked first or second in CNBC’s Financial Advisor 100 for three consecutive years.

CHUCK PURVIS

president, CEO | Coastal Federal Credit Union

Raleigh

Purvis, 64, is a UNC Greensboro graduate, along with degrees from Cornell and the University of Virginia business school.

Coastal Federal has since 1967 grown into one of the state’s largest credit unions, with about two-dozen branches, mostly in central North Carolina, and $3 billion in deposits. He said in mid-April that he will retire in 2023.

Pre-workday motivation: Making a positive difference in the financial lives and dreams of our 300,000 members.

Key to industry success: Compassion, innovation and collaboration.

Best advice: Hire people who are smarter than you are.

Three people to share a meal: Elon Musk, MacKenzie Scott and Mike Pence.

Proud family accomplishment: Married for 35 years. Two sons who are married, college graduates, homeowners and employed in their field of choice. Two grandsons and a third on the way.

Favorite hobby: Golf and sports cars. Where to entertain a visitor: Carolina Hurricanes hockey game.

LEE ROBERTS

managing partner | SharpVue

Capital

Raleigh

A Duke University graduate with a Georgetown University law degree, Roberts is a former state budget director and is a current member of the UNC Board of Governors. Since 2016 he has led the money manager that has real estate, credit and equity funds. It has spun off from original sponsor Raleigh-based insurer Curi, which remains a partner.

Key to industry success: Luck plays a much bigger role than most people want to admit.

Best advice: “Marry that girl” (from my mother).

Where to entertain a visitor: At the risk of alienating my Chapel Hill friends, I enjoy showing off Duke’s campus. It never fails to impress.

BRIAN REID

Triangle regional president | TowneBank

Raleigh

TowneBank started in 1999 in Virginia and expanded with the 2017 purchase of Raleigh-based Paragon Commercial Bank, which Reid joined in 2001. Reid gained his current post in 2018. He previously worked at First Citizens. He has degrees from Case Western Reserve and Ohio State universities.

WILLIAM ‘BILL’ ROGERS JR.

president, CEO | Truist Financial Charlotte

Last fall, Kelly King called his successor “perfectly equipped to take the company forward.” He has degrees from UNC Chapel Hill and Georgia State University. He joined SunTrust Banks in 1980 and became CEO in 2011. He helped arrange the merger with BB&T to create Truist. He’s a member of the Emory University board and Charlotte Executive Leadership Council.

JASON SANDNER

CEO | Curi Raleigh

Curi, formerly called Medical Mutual of North Carolina, serves its member-owners with increasingly diverse services. Sandner is a Towson University graduate who joined the company 11 years ago. He’s a Rex Healthcare board member, active in the Raleigh Chamber and a baseball coach at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School.

Pre-workday motivation: Reading. I start my days reading in areas such as general business, investment markets, health care and politics.

Key to industry success: Recruiting and retaining the best people. Even with advancements in technology, data, AI and the like, ours remains a people business. What we have to sell are trust, advice and service.

Best advice: Keep your eye on the ball. It remains critical as I attempt to distinguish signal from noise on a daily basis.

JIM ROSE

state president | United Community Bank

Raleigh

From his first job as a warehouse janitor, Rose entered banking with First Union. He later became regional president of Yadkin Bank, now owned by FNB. The Wake Forest University graduate joined Greenville, South Carolina-based United Community as North Carolina president in 2017 and oversees about three dozen offices.

Pre-workday motivation: My daughter provides a lot of energy for our family as she gets ready for school.

Key to industry success: Relationship building. It may sound cliche, but it really is that simple. With an ever-increasing emphasis on technology, our personal approach to banking makes a dramatic difference.

Best advice: Build routines for the most important things. Communicate then communicate again.

Proud family accomplishment: They are all encouragers. We see a lot of joy in the world but also see the suffering. My family seeks to encourage those who need it.

Favorite hobby: Classic cars.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Angus Barn.

Favorite hobby: I love watching my sons play all sports, and I particularly enjoy coaching baseball and playing golf.

JAMES SILLS

president, CEO | M&F Bancorp

Durham

His father was a politician in Delaware, and he tried his hand at state government there but decided he could have a greater impact in banking. The Morehouse College graduate has headed Mechanics & Farmers since 2014.

Pre-workday motivation: I like to tune into CNBC to see what’s happening in the financial markets.

Key to industry success: Tenacity and leadership skills to motivate employees to exceed customer expectations on a daily basis.

Best advice: Success is a journey. It’s important to be yourself.

Three people to share a meal: Barack Obama, Warren Buffett and Serena Williams.

Proud family accomplishment: My wife and I have raised three dynamic young women who are successful and centered. They know success is not achieved as an individual but as a total community.

Favorite hobby: Tennis and reading.

Where to entertain a visitor: Downtown Durham and Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

TUNDE SOTUNDE

president, CEO | Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina

Durham

He grew up in a middle-class family in Nigeria and had polio as an infant. He earned a degree from the University of Ibadan College of Medicine there and added an MBA from the University of Memphis. He managed Medicaid services for Anthem Health before joining N.C. Blue Cross, the state’s largest health insurer, in June 2020.

Pre-workday motivation: With everything going on around us, self-care is critical. I like to start my day with a morning jog. Followed by a cup of coffee and catching up on ever-evolving foreign, domestic and health care news with my family. I am privileged to lead and serve more than 5,000 employees, 4.5 million members and all 100 North Carolina counties. I am motivated to improve the health and wellbeing of all I serve.

Key to industry success: Alignment on your mission, vision and values, because health care is a complex industry. I believe leaders need to demonstrate a relentless focus on two things: making health care more affordable and making health care better for all. We are not going to truly succeed until we bring costs down and eliminate health disparities.

Best advice: My mother said, “You never give up. No matter how hard or difficult things may get, if it’s the right thing to do — never give up.” I’ve always tried to stay true to that advice and keep it in the back of my mind when I find myself in challenging situations.

Three people to share a meal: Steve Jobs, Nelson Mandela and Dalai Lama.

Proud family accomplishment: We are a family of service. My wife and I have instilled a sense of mission-driven purpose in our children. We give back together through community service and volunteerism.

Favorite hobby: Spending time with my family. We enjoy movie nights, going to basketball games, volunteering and community service. Our favorite family activity is taking vacations together.

Where to entertain a visitor: Downtown Durham. The friendly people, fantastic food and the beautiful ballpark create a fantastic atmosphere.

DANA STONESTREET

chair, CEO | HomeTrust Bancshares

Asheville

The second-largest community bank headquartered in North Carolina, HomeTrust has assets of $3.5 billion, with offices in South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, too. He’s a graduate of West Virginia’s West Liberty State College and joined Clyde Savings Bank in 1989. The name changed in 2003.

RALPH STRAYHORN

chair, CEO | New Republic Partners Charlotte

The veteran N.C. banker has headed the lending and investment management company since its startup in 2020. He is vice chair of the Golden LEAF Foundation and chair of its investment committee, which oversees $1.3 billion in assets. The UNC Chapel Hill history and law graduate has had senior positions at several N.C. community banks during his 40-year career.

Pre-workday motivation: I exercise early and am motivated daily about our firm’s opportunities.

Key to industry success: Finding a niche and bringing talented colleagues into the plan to exploit the myriad opportunities.

Best advice: Don’t ever make a decision when it’s dark.

Three people to share a meal: Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan

Proud family accomplishment: We have a small family and are extremely close.

Favorite hobby: Travel, history and golf. Where to entertain a visitor: Reimagined and revitalized communities in our city.

ERIC STEIGERWALT president, CEO | Brighthouse Financial

Charlotte

The Drew University graduate has held his post at the annuity and insurance provider since 2017. He previously had held leadership positions in retail, retirement, business and other sectors at predecessor company MetLife for 18 years. Brighthouse has more than $250 billion in assets.

KEVIN WALKER

managing director | Credit Suisse Morrisville

Walker has held his post since 2018 at the Swiss banking giant, which has 48,000 global employees, including those at its major tech and operations center in Research Triangle Park. He previously worked at Salomon Brothers and Citigroup. He has degrees from Caldwell and Fairleigh universities in New Jersey.

Pre-workday motivation: Exercising in the morning prior to work usually gets me ready for the workday.

Key to industry success: Using technology as an enabler to provide cost-effective and innovative solutions to the bank and our clients, that are optimized and highly efficient. Technology is such a key component of the bank’s success.

Best advice: My father always encouraged me to give it my best in whatever I do. Whether playing sports or in the workplace, he said no matter what you do or what job you have, make sure you give it your all and to always have pride in what you do.

Three people to share a meal: Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton.

Proud family accomplishment: My family has a strong sense of togetherness and closeness. I’ve always looked forward to Sunday meals with my family growing up and today.

Favorite hobby: I enjoy hiking and doing nearly anything outdoors. I also enjoy playing sports and going to sporting events and concerts.

Where to entertain a visitor: Raleigh has a great brewery scene. I enjoy taking the visitors to local breweries and experiencing the food trucks.

THAD WALTON

North Carolina commercial banking manager | Regions Bank Charlotte

The UNC Chapel Hill graduate entered banking with First Citizens in Charlotte. A Rowan County native, he earned a law degree from Charlotte School of Law and joined Regions in 2014. He took his current post in 2020.

JOHN WARD

executive vice president, Triangle and eastern N.C. market executive | Wells Fargo Raleigh

Ward joined predecessor First Union in 1988, after graduating from East Carolina University. While moving up through the ranks for 33 years, he has chaired the Wake County Economic Development Board and ECU Business Advisory Council.

Pre-workday motivation: I am an early riser, and my goal is to work out every morning before I go to work. I try to mix it up with a combo of running, hitting the gym and visiting some workout sites with my F3 friends.

Key to success in your industry: Success in commercial and middle-market banking requires strong analytical and communication skills, the ability to build deep and lasting relationships with both customers and team members, and an entrepreneurial spirit that drives you to want to be a lifelong learner.

Best advice: My dad lived an incredible life with experiences that included growing up in a small town, working on the water, serving his country in the Korean War and being wounded, going to college on the GI Bill, losing his wife unexpectedly with two small children as a young man and having to regroup and pick up the pieces, then going on to have a successful career in corporate America. He lived a life dedicated to his family and faith. His advice was to enjoy each day and build lasting relationships and work through challenges as a part of life. Your dedication to faith, family, and friends will keep you grounded and position you for success and a rich life.

Three people to share a meal: Ronald Reagan, Louis Zamperini and Jackson Browne.

Proud family accomplishment: I was fortunate to be raised in a wonderful family with terrific parents grounded in family, faith and friends. I am proud that my wife and two grown daughters live this each day.

Favorite hobby: Golf, fishing, boating and just about anything outdoors. We are fortunate to have many great coastal areas in eastern North Carolina.

Where to entertain a visitor: Our great college campuses; the Capital Area Greenway; the state art, history and natural sciences museums; and a Carolina Hurricanes game.

MARY WILLIS president, CEO | Fidelity Bank Fuquay-Varina

The East Carolina University graduate signed on as a teller at age 17 in 1987 at the bank controlled by Raleigh’s Holding family. She became an accounting officer and later chief financial officer. In 2010, she became CEO. Assets now top $2.6 billion.

DAVID WEAVER

chief commercial community banking officer | Truist

Charlotte

The 32-year employee of Truist and predecessor BB&T is responsible for all commercial banking, including business, middle-market banking and commercial real estate. He is a member of the bank’s executive leadership team, having assumed his current role in 2019. The UNC Chapel Hill MBA is a board member of the Lineberger Cancer Center in Chapel Hill,

Key to industry success: Effectively build meaningful and mutually supportive, longlasting relationships with your clients and teammates.

Best advice: One of my first mentors told me to find a company that is aligned closely with your personal purpose and values. This will ultimately lead to a more rewarding career as you will enjoy better teamwork, increased productivity, greater success and happiness.

Favorite hobby: Fishing and being on the water with my family and friends. When I can enjoy this hobby with my family, it brings it all together.

DONTÁ WILSON

head, retail community banking and marketing | Truist

Charlotte

Named Digital Banker of the Year in 2021 by American Banker, he started with BB&T as a UNC Charlotte student in 1995. He took his current post in February after serving as chief digital and experience officer since 2018.

MARK YUSKO

founder, CEO | Morgan Creek

Capital Management

Chapel Hill

The graduate of Notre Dame University and the University of Chicago came south to head the UNC Chapel Hill endowment office in 1998. In 2004 he formed his company, which has about $1.9 billion under management. He was an early advocate of bitcoin investments.

Carl Armato

Chip Baggett

Ralph Baric

Wesley Burks

Jose Cabañas

Mary Jo Cagle

Bruce Cohen

Allison Farmer

Mickey Foster

Julie Freischlag

Donald Gintzig

Tina Gordon

Stephen Lawler

Mike Nagowski

Dale Owen

Chad Patrick

Chris Peek

Michael Waldrum

A. Eugene Washington

Roxie Wells

David Wohl

Eugene Woods

Tom Wroth

North Carolina hospital executives, public health leaders and researchers gained prominence amid the pandemic. Industry consolidation has also increased the influence of health care systems that are the biggest employers in many of the state’s largest communities including Asheville, Charlotte and Winston-Salem. Hospitals and related organizations support more than 400,000 jobs in the state, according to industry statistics.

CARL ARMATO

president, CEO | Novant Health

Winston-Salem

Armato, 57, heads a health system that employs 30,000 people and operates hospitals in four states. He joined Novant in 2008 and became CEO in 2012. Armato is a CPA and holds degrees from Norwich University in Vermont and Southwestern Louisiana University.

Pre-workday motivation: Over breakfast or while walking my dog, Ace, I think about how I can help someone that day. This stems from my father and his compassion for others. He always asked the Lord to send him someone to help each day. And I take time to reflect on how great it is to work with such a remarkable team. I think of all the good we’re doing within our communities.

Key to industry success: As a leader, you must be completely committed to your teams and be innovative in your thinking and actions, ensuring your strategies and solutions benefit patients and team members.

Proud family accomplishment: I’m proud to have been married to my amazing wife, Christi, for 34 years. I could not be the man I am today without her continuous love and support. I also am incredibly proud of the adults that my children have become and how they live their lives. Their successes bring me more happiness than mine ever has.

Favorite hobby: I live on a farm, so there’s always something to do. I own horses and chickens and even feed deer on my property. I get a lot of joy being outside with my animals.

WESLEY BURKS

CEO | UNC Health dean | UNC School of Medicine

Chapel Hill

Burks, 67, joined UNC Health in 2011 as chair of the department of pediatrics. In 2019, he was named CEO of the system, which has 11 hospitals and 30,000 plus employees. The graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences previously worked at Duke Medical Center for eight years.

Pre-workday motivation: Ensuring we are supporting our teammates, who have been working tirelessly these last two years and under so much stress, both personally and professionally.

Key to industry success: Health care was in the midst of big changes before the pandemic, and COVID-19 has only accelerated the pace of change. Our patients are expecting — and deserve — a more personalized and less transactional experience. They expect options for care that fit their needs and their schedules, so we have to be able to deliver on that, whether that’s virtual, in the patient’s home or in the hospital. Finally, we need to continue to be creative and innovative as we work to expand access and achieve health equity.

Best advice: Have a big vision, or what some people call a BHAG — big, hairy, audacious goal — and lead with it.

Three people to share a meal: Peter Drucker, James Kouzes and Barry Posner

Proud family accomplishment: Our three granddaughters and one grandson.

Favorite hobby: Exercising daily and playing different sports, mostly golf. I also love to read, primarily history, biographies and mysteries.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Carolina Basketball Museum on the UNC Chapel Hill campus.

CHIP BAGGETT

executive vice president and CEO | North Carolina Medical Society

Raleigh

A former lobbyist, Baggett ensures the collective voice of 10,000 doctors and medical professionals is heard by state lawmakers. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University and North Carolina Central University School of Law.

RALPH BARIC

professor of epidemiology | UNC Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill

Elected to the National Academy of Sciences last year, Baric, 68, is a globally known expert on coronaviruses. His research predated the COVID-19 pandemic by more than half a decade. He has bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from N.C. State University.

JOSE CABAÑAS

chief medical officer | Wake County medical director | Wake County EMS

Raleigh

The graduate of the University of Puerto Rico Medical School and UNC Chapel Hill was named director of the system in 2015. He added the chief medical officer title last year. He’s a clinical scholar of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

MARY JO CAGLE

CEO | Cone Health

Greensboro

Greensboro’s 13.000-employee health care system welcomed its first physician and female CEO about the same time its merger with Virginia’s Sentara Healthcare fell through in June 2021. The University of Alabama graduate, who was Cone’s COO, succeeded Terry Akin.

Pre-workday motivation: Prayer gets me centered and connected to my purpose and source.

Key to industry success: Your people and having a clear vision for the future and focusing all your efforts and resources to get there.

Best advice: To be an effective leader, you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Three people to share a meal: Amelia Earhart, Sandra Day O’Connor and Marie Curie.

Proud family accomplishment: We still enjoy vacationing together and sitting around the table together for food and conversation.

Favorite hobby: Travel.

Where to entertain a visitor: The farmers market.

MICKEY FOSTER

CEO | FirstHealth of the Carolinas Pinehurst

Under Foster’s leadership, the fourhospital system, whose 5,300 employees care for patients in 15 counties, has consistently ranked high in health care quality ratings from Healthgrades and other groups. A former hospital president for Cone Health, he has a communityhealth degree from East Carolina University and a master’s degree from Central Michigan University.

Pre-workday motivation: A quality workout early in the morning helps get me moving and motivated.

Key to industry success: Surround yourself with great people who are better than you, and make sure to have great mentors throughout your career.

Best advice: The golden rule — treat others the way you would want to be treated.

Three people to share a meal: Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Warren Buffett.

Proud family accomplishment: I’m proud of my daughter, Ally, who is an ECU junior. She’s a third-generation Pirate.

Favorite hobby: I enjoy golfing. It’s almost a requirement to live in Pinehurst, though I wish I was better at it. I also enjoy attending ECU football games. It gives me a few hours to escape from being a health system CEO. Where to entertain a visitor: Dinner and drinks on Pinehurst Country Club’s veranda, watching golfers finish the final hole on legendary Pinehurst No. 2.

BRUCE COHEN

CEO | OrthoCarolina

Charlotte

Cohen leads one of the nation’s largest independent orthopedic networks — more than 300 providers and 1 million annual patient visits. The foot and ankle surgeon joined OrthoCarolina at its founding in 2005. He’s a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and Medical College of Georgia.

ALLISON FARMER

CEO | EmergeOrtho

Wilmington

Six years after merging four of the state’s top orthopedic practices, EmergeOrtho has grown to 45 outpatient offices in more than 20 counties. The UNC Chapel Hill graduate took her post last year after joining the group in 2013. Previously, she was a senior manager for a convenience store company.

JULIE FREISCHLAG

CEO | Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

dean | Wake Forest University School of Medicine

chief academic officer | Atrium Health Enterprise Winston-Salem

The nationally known vascular surgeon assumed the Atrium role when it combined with Wake Forest Baptist in 2020. Elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2015, she earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Illinois and a medical degree from Rush University.

Pre-workday motivation: Five minutes of meditation and a few moments to think of all that I am thankful for and the day ahead.

Key to industry success: Dedication and teamwork have always been essential, but the past two years have shown how important it is to be flexible, resilient and innovative, too. Our team has been amazing.

Best advice: Be open-minded, but never take ‘no’ for an answer when you know you are right.

Three people to share a meal: Kamala Harris, Adele and Meryl Streep.

Proud family accomplishment: They are happy, hardworking and always there for each other.

Favorite hobby: Crafting — sewing clothes for my grandkids, making holiday ornaments and painting. I also like to swim and take walks with my husband, Phil.

DONALD GINTZIG

president, CEO | WakeMed Health and Hospitals

Raleigh

WakeMed has flourished under Gintzig’s leadership for 11 years. It has cared for more COVID-19 patients than any other Triangle hospital, a tribute to its safetynet mission. A retired Navy rear admiral, Gintzig, 63, has served as CEO for several not-for-profit, faith-based and for-profit health systems nationwide. He is a George Washington University graduate.

Pre-workday motivation: The opportunity to lead and support an amazing team dedicated to improving the lives of our community’s residents.

Best advice: ‘Never mistake kindness for weakness.’ — my Dad.

Three people to share a meal: Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King and my Dad.

Favorite hobby: Time with family at the beach, golf with friends and a bourbon.

Where to entertain a visitor: The diverse people, restaurants and places that showcase the kindness that permeates this community.

TINA GORDON

CEO | North Carolina Nurses Association

Raleigh

Gordon represents more than 100,000 nurses, who have felt the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, she led external relations for N.C. Association of Realtors and was a communications assistant in the N.C. General Assembly. She holds degrees from Duke and N.C. State universities.

STEPHEN LAWLER

president, CEO | North Carolina Healthcare Association

Cary

Lawler, who previously worked at Vidant Health and Carolinas HealthCare System, has led the association since 2017. He helps more than 130 members navigate troublesome topics such as access and racial inequities. The Citadel graduate has an MBA from Georgia Southern University.

Pre-workday motivation: We have the opportunity to impact health care for all North Carolinians.

Key to industry success: Amazing people. Health care people are passionate about caring for others and improving the health of people and communities.

Best advice: Say ‘yes,’ then make a difference.

Three people to share a meal: Albert Schweitzer, Nelson Mandela and Theodore Roosevelt

Proud family accomplishment: Laura and I have great kids. They are smart, funny, immensely talented and just good people.

Favorite hobby: Exploring and traveling, enjoying different places and different people.

Where to entertain a visitor: Local familyowned restaurants, such as B’s BBQ in Greenville.

MIKE NAGOWSKI

CEO | Cape Fear Valley Health System

Fayetteville

Nagowski leads a system with eight hospitals and annual revenue topping $1 billion. A $110 million expansion is underway at its flagship medical center in Fayetteville.. A Park College and Saint Bonaventure graduate, he is an associate professor in the Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Key to industry success: Collaboration at the individual patient care level all the way up to strategic planning for organizations. Teamwork is no longer a luxury. Our industry is too complex to rely on an individual-only approach.

Best advice: Work in a field that you enjoy and where you feel like you can make a difference.

Proud family accomplishment: Our family’s closeness. We’re always there for each other, and our best times are when we are together.

Where to entertain a visitor: Our downtown is beautiful. Our parks, museums and cultural attractions make living here enriching.

DALE OWEN

CEO | Tryon Medical Partners

Charlotte

The independent physician-owned practice formed in 2018 has about 100 doctors caring for about 150,000 patients using an approach that Owen says improves care and cuts costs. Owen, 62, has degrees from UNC Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Pre-workday motivation: Anticipating the opportunities that will present themselves each day to change the health care landscape.

Key to industry success: Prioritizing the patient’s needs in all circumstances.

Best advice: Know your heart, and follow your passion.

Three people to share a meal: Abraham Lincoln, Michelangelo and Teddy Roosevelt. Favorite hobby: Any kind of boating.

CHAD PATRICK

CEO | Mission Health

Asheville

The former CEO of HCA Healthcare’s Orange Park Medical Center in Florida, Patrick took the top spot at Mission Health in 2019, the same year HCA purchased it for $1.5 billion. He has a master’s from University of Central Florida and bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University.

CHRIS PEEK

president, CEO | CaroMont Health Gastonia

The Gaston county native has helped 4,400-employee CaroMont remain independent with a hospital under construction in Belmont and expansion at its main Gastonia campus. Peek, 51, holds degrees from Gaston College, UNC Charlotte and Amberton University.

Pre-workday motivation: The pride and privilege of working with a team of dedicated people focused on a goal bigger than ourselves. Every day, we get the opportunity to deliver upon an inspiring mission to care for our community.

Key to industry success: Success can only be achieved through an unwavering commitment to meeting the needs of the patient. Outcomes are at the core of what we do, and all decisions must align with what is best for those who trust us to care for them.

Proud family accomplishment: Growing up, my family had limited means. But love, faith, integrity and work ethic were abundant in our home. Those qualities and values still serve as the foundation for how I engage and interact with others.

Where to entertain a visitor: CaroMont Health Park in Gastonia.

MICHAEL WALDRUM

CEO | ECU Health dean | ECU Brody School of Medicine

Greenville

Waldrum, 60, is overseeing a joint operating agreement between the 29-county, 12,000-employee system he has led since 2015 and state-owned medical school. He has a medical degree from University of Alabama and a University of Michigan MBA.

Pre-workday motivation: Coffee, a workout and planning to work with others to solve complex problems.

Key to industry success: Providing excellent service and driving value to improve quality and decrease costs.

Best advice: Pause between stimulus and response.

Three people to share a meal: Jon Meacham, Victor Frankl and Winston Churchill.

Proud family accomplishment: With four kids and five grandkids, there is so much to be proud of. They all are grounded, work hard, and love life and each other.

Favorite hobby: Golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: The waterfront for a walk along the river, then a meal downtown.

A. EUGENE WASHINGTON

president, CEO | Duke University Health System

Durham

Washington, 71, is a nationally known researcher in women’s health policy. He is a graduate of Howard University and University of California at San Francisco. Before moving to North Carolina in 2015, he led the UCLA Health System.

DAVID WOHL

professor | UNC School of Medicine

Chapel Hill

Wohl researches viral infections, such as HIV, and is an expert in viral fevers such as Ebola. A 1991 graduate of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, he did his residency at Duke University Medical Center. He was a key media source amid the pandemic.

EUGENE WOODS

president, CEO | Atrium Health

Charlotte

Woods, 57, has attracted national attention as the 70,000-employee health care system’s leader since 2016. The Penn State University graduate is working on a medical school and innovation campus in Charlotte tied to Wake Forest University.

Pre-workday motivation: I try to get up before 5 a.m. and start my day with a high-intensity interval training workout. Afterward, I love to do some reading. I’m currently enjoying “Leadership: In Turbulent Times’’ by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Then I grab a cup of coffee and set my intentions and goals for the day.

Key to industry success: We have millions of patient interactions every year. So, success is found in making each and every patient feel special as we work to extend the care that we provide outside of our hospital walls and deep into the communities that we serve. That’s at the core of Atrium’s mission: improve health, elevate hope and advance healing for all.

Best advice: Never be outworked by anyone. Always keep your “why” at the top of mind. Be the type of leader you want to be led by.

Three people to share a meal: Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill and Bob Marley.

Proud family accomplishment: While both of my grandfathers didn’t graduate from high school and my late father — a veteran — never went to college, education was always the top priority for my family. That emphasis led me to become my family’s first college graduate.

Favorite hobby: Playing guitar.

Where to entertain a visitor: Our new innovation district, recently named The Pearl in honor of the part of Charlotte formerly known as Brooklyn. It was where thriving African-American businesses, faith communities and families lived, worked and played prior to urban renewal in the 1950s. Soon, The Pearl will be ground zero for research, education and development.

ROXIE WELLS

president | Cape Fear Valley Hoke

Hospital

Raeford

Wells has held several positions at the Fayetteville-based health care system, including chief medical officer, then president of its Raeford and Bladen County hospitals. She has degrees from Fayetteville State University and East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine.

TOM WROTH

president | Community Care of North Carolina

Cary

The practicing family doctor has cared for patients in Alamance and Caswell counties for two decades. The not-forprofit organization has 3,000 primary care physicians in 900-plus practices. A graduate of Columbia University’s medical school, he previously was on UNC Chapel Hill’s family medicine faculty.

Drawn to beaches, mountains and entertaining cities, more U.S. citizens visited North Carolina than all but four other states in 2020, according to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. Visitors spend more than $20 billion annually, helping support 230,000 jobs, about 7.5% of total employment.

Jose Armario

Leah Wong Ashburn

Bill Boddie

John ‘Jack’ Cecil

Bill Cecil Jr.

Richard Chapman

Ashley Christensen

Dennis ‘Denny’ Edwards

Jonathan Fussell

Richard Geiger

John Harris

Stephen Hill

Victoria Isley

Mohammad Jenatian

Mark Laport

John McConnell

Lynn Minges

Tom Murray

Kathie Niven

Doyle Parrish

Tom Pashley

Nayan Patel

Jeremy Reaves

Andrew Schmidt

Richard Sneed

Mike Tattersfield

Lance Trenary

Wit Tuttell

Richard Vanore

Greg Walter

Rebecca Whitmarsh

Robert Winston

Jeff Wise

JOSE ARMARIO

CEO | Bojangles

Charlotte

Bojangles announced a 10-restaurant expansion in New Jersey this year, underscoring efforts to expand the chain beyond the South. Founded in Charlotte in 1977, it has about 760 restaurants in 14 states. The University of Miami graduate, 61, signed on in 2019 after stints at LensCrafters and McDonald’s.

Pre-workday motivation: Every weekday my grandson, Peter, comes to my home, where he spends each day under the watchful care of his aba — that’s short for abuela, which is Spanish for grandmother. I also am motivated by the privilege of leading a great company that’s filled with wonderful people.

Key to industry success: Having great people who live your culture and are determined to make customers happy is the key to success.

Best advice: Always do the right thing, because no matter the outcome, you will never be disappointed in yourself.

Three people to share a meal: Jesus Christ, my mother and Ronald Reagan.

Proud family accomplishment: All of our children have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and they are good people who care for others and live a life of solid character, values and integrity. I also am proud to be married to my high school sweetheart for 42 years.

Favorite hobby: I have a passion for old Ford Mustang muscle cars. I have owned a few Shelbys, and I have a 1970 Boss 429 Survivor in my corral. I also love grilling in the summer.

Where to entertain a visitor: Bojangles. Then we will share a bourbon in the University of Miami Cane Cave in my basement.

BILL BODDIE

president and CEO | Boddie-Noell

Enterprises

Rocky Mount

At the helm since 1990, when he succeeded his father, Mayo, Boddie stepped in as the holding company’s Hardee’s fast-food franchise was growing. Formed in 1962, it remains the largest Hardee’s franchisee, with 343 sites in four states as of January.

BILL CECIL JR.

president | Biltmore Co.

Asheville

Cecil oversees the 250-room Biltmore House, the centerpiece of the 8,000-acre estate developed by his great-grandfather George Vanderbilt. It welcomes about 1.5 million tourists annually. Cecil, who attended the University of Colorado, heads a peak-season staff of more than 2,000, who also work in its hotels, restaurants and winery.

LEAH WONG ASHBURN

president, CEO | Highland Brewing Asheville

With the good humor that characterizes her father, Oscar Wong — “vice president, schmoozing, and cleanup guy” — Ashburn, 51, became CEO in 2018. She started as Highland’s Charlotte sales rep in 2011 and has earned an Asheville Chamber’s Woman Executive of the Year award and a James Beard Award nomination. Highland has the capacity to fill 60,000 barrels annually.

Pre-workday motivation: Finding new ways for our beer and brewery to bring together people in ways that fit our values and lifestyle. Continuous energy comes from community partnerships, live music, weddings, watch parties and weekly beer releases.

Proud family accomplishment: Our family business launched the craft beer industry in western North Carolina. We’re in our second generation of ownership with an ever-evolving brewery — and an intact family! Asheville rallied around a finely crafted locally produced beer, which was likely introduced to them by my father. All the while, community has been part of our ethos as we grew from a factory into a destination.

Where to entertain a visitor: I am so proud to take guests to Highland. In the past 10 years, my husband, Brock, engineered and led the construction of every brewery buildout, always mindful of the environmental impact. Our brewers revolutionized the beer portfolio. We rebranded. We are, in large part, a new brewery. But we embrace our roots, our name and reason for being — to create connections through beer and beyond.

JOHN ‘JACK’ CECIL

president | Biltmore Farms

Asheville

The UNC Chapel Hill graduate presides over real-estate projects such as a Biltmore Park, medical office buildings, hotels and a 1,000-home development. He is on the board of directors of the Research Triangle Foundation and is vice chairman of the nonprofit Dogwood Health Trust.

ASHLEY CHRISTENSEN

owner | AC Restaurants

Raleigh

The Greensboro native and N.C. State University graduate has been named one of the nation’s best chefs multiple times. She temporarily closed her Poole’s Diner and Beasley’s Chicken + Honey amid the pandemic.

RICHARD CHAPMAN

founder, owner | Bogue Sound Distillery Bogue

A licensed real-estate appraiser and contractor, the Sanford native embraced his family heritage of distilling when he and his wife, Margaret, fired up a still about five years ago. The Carteret County tourism attraction includes a 1900s grist mill and a museum with a 1923 Ford Model T pickup.

DENNIS ‘DENNY’ EDWARDS

president, CEO | Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau

Raleigh

The University of Northern Iowa graduate oversees about 30 employees and an $8 million annual budget, having led the bureau since 2007. His credentials include similar jobs in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Palm Springs, Calif.

Pre-workday motivation: I’m anxious to see what new opportunities we have to bring tourism-related business to Wake County, making it a better place to live and visit.

Key to industry success: Monitoring national and international trends to ensure Wake County is delivering what visitors want today and will want in the future.

Best advice: Do today what you think you can put off until tomorrow.

Three people to share a meal: Billy Crystal, Will Ferrell and Steven Spielberg.

Proud family accomplishment: Both my sons have a strong work ethic and understand the importance of honesty. We appreciate spending as much time together as we can. I have a beautiful wife who I cherish every day. And I think my 3-year-old grandchild, Owen, is the world’s best grandchild.

Favorite hobby: Golf and watching the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs and Iowa Hawkeyes. Where to entertain a visitor: Any of our state museums or craft breweries.

JONATHAN FUSSELL

president | Duplin Winery Rose Hill

Fussell represents the third generation of the winemaking family that opened Duplin in 1972. It produces more than 370,000 cases of wine and welcomes more than 100,000 visitors annually. He started corking bottles while attending UNC Chapel Hill.

RICHARD GEIGER

president | Visit Winston-Salem Winston-Salem

Geiger has been promoting the Camel City’s virtues for conventions, group tours, meetings and sporting events since he was named president in 2010. Road Runners Club of America named it a Runner Friendly Community, one of only 66 in the country, last year. He’s a State University of New York-Brockport graduate.

JOHN HARRIS

president | Kitty Hawk Kites

Kitty Hawk

History says Harris was the first to hang glide from Grandfather Mountain. In the nearly half-century since, he has turned his passion for unpowered flight into Kitty Hawk Kites, selling hang gliders and giving lessons at nearly 20 East Coast locations that employ 350 people. The Missouri University of Science and Technology graduate has been credited with introducing thousands to North Carolina’s coast.

Pre-workday motivation: Coffee and the beauty of the Outer Banks, where we are headquartered, is reason enough to get the day started.

Key to industry success: Customer service, a sense of urgency, building good teams and developing good relationships with vendors, community leaders and others outside the company.

Best advice: Hugh Morton, the photographer and nature conservationist who developed Grandfather Mountain, once told me, “If you are blessed, you have a responsibility to give back.”

Three people to share a meal: Volodymyr Zelensky, Richard Branson and Elon Musk.

Proud family accomplishment: They’re good people taking care of themselves and their families independently.

Favorite hobby: Flying.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Wright Brothers National Memorial and Jockey’s Ridge State Park.

STEPHEN HILL

chair, CEO | Discovery Insurance Co., Hill Realty and Mother Earth Brewing Kinston

The heir of a family that owns dozens of nursing homes has pumped millions of dollars into revitalizing the Lenoir County city. He’s a former president of Lenoir Community Council for the Arts. He graduated from Lees-McRae College and attended Appalachian State University.

VICTORIA ISLEY

president, CEO | Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau

Asheville

Isley was appointed to the post in 2020 after similar stints promoting Bermuda, Washington, D.C., and Tampa Bay, Florida. A graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, she began her tourism career in Durham.

Key to industry success: People are at the heart of travel and hospitality. We travel to connect with cultures, people and places.

Best advice: There is a profound difference between information and meaning.

Favorite hobby: Passionate traveler, foodie and music lover.

Where to entertain a visitor: A walk along the French Broad River on the Wilma Dykeman Greenway in the River Arts District. It’s a perfect microcosm of Asheville — a bit of nature, art and exercise capped off with a local brew. It also is an excellent example of achieving big things collaboratively. The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority contributed more than $7 million to the project, which also attracted federal, state and city support.

MARK LAPORT

president, CEO | Concord Hospitality Enterprises

Raleigh

He started the business in 1985 and built it to more than 90 hotels under management through its sale of a majority interest to New York-based Alleghany Capital in 2018. Laport, 74, is a graduate of Mount Union College and Rochester Institute of Technology.

JOHN MCCONNELL

CEO | McConnell Golf

Raleigh

McConnell, 71 and a Virginia Tech graduate, founded two medical software companies then sold them for a combined $1.4 billion. He turned to golf, buying Raleigh Country Club in 2003, then adding more than a dozen other courses in the Carolinas and Virginia.

Pre-workday motivation: McConnell Golf strives to have the best facilities for members to enjoy each day. The passion I have for keeping our properties in topnotch shape, along with seeing the smiles on members’ faces each day, is what motivates me.

Key to industry success: To be successful in the golf industry, you needed multiple clubs and an economy of scale. With that, you need a competitive advantage with offerings that set your company apart from others. Success starts with hiring the right people and having a talented leadership team.

MOHAMMAD JENATIAN

president, CEO | Greater Charlotte Hospitality & Tourism Alliance

Charlotte

The UNC Charlotte graduate, 62, has headed the alliance since it was created nearly 30 years ago. It represents hotels, contractors and other involved in tourism.

Pre-workday motivation: Thinking about seizing opportunities to be more thankful for everything I have.

Key to industry success: Having passion for the industry, specific and measurable goals, being the best in hiring and motivating staff, patience and perseverance.

Best advice: Be thankful for everything you have and focus on leveraging your strengths to achieve your personal and professional goals.

Three people to share a meal: Michael Jordan, Brian Moynihan and Marvin Ellison.

Proud family accomplishment: They taught me the work ethic necessary to believe in myself and achieve my goals.

Favorite hobby: Traveling.

Where to entertain a visitor: Any of Charlotte’s abundant sports activities.

Best advice: Never be complacent, always give your best effort each day and finish the task you started.

Three people to share a meal: Tom Morris, Donald Ross and Pete Dye.

Proud family accomplishment: Making memories with my wife, children and grandchildren. Watching my children grow, and most importantly raise the next generation for a better tomorrow, is truly something special.

Favorite hobby: Golf and spending time with family on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia and watching the Virginia Tech Hokies play football at Lane Stadium.

Where to entertain a visitor: The nearest McConnell Golf property to enjoy a round followed by the best cuisine prepared by our food and beverage staff.

LYNN MINGES

president, CEO | North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association

Raleigh

Minges’ group represents more than 20,000 restaurants and lodging establishments, which employ about 11% of the state’s workforce. Leader of the group since 2012, the former N.C. Commerce Department marketing executive has degrees from N.C. State University and Peace College.

TOM MURRAY

CEO | Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority

Charlotte

The Villanova University graduate has promoted Charlotte as a tourism destination since 2011. The authority-run Charlotte Convention Center completed a $130 million expansion in the last year. He previously worked at Marriott, InterContinental and other hotel groups.

KATHIE NIVEN

CEO | Biscuitville

Greensboro

Niven joined the family-owned chain in 2011 and took her leadership post in 2021. The chain, which closes its restaurants by mid-afternoon, has about 65 locations in North Carolina and Virginia. The Elon University graduate previously worked in foodservice marketing at Quiznos, Arby’s and Krispy Kreme.

DOYLE PARRISH

founder, CEO | Summit Hospitality Group

Raleigh

Parrish started the business in 1988. It now operates 18 hotels in North Carolina including properties with Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott brands. A Wake Forest University and UNC Chapel Hill graduate, he’s a past chair of the N.C. Travel & Tourism Coalition.

TOM PASHLEY

president | Pinehurst Resort

Pinehurst

The Duke University MBA joined the resort in 2000 and has had his current post since 2014. He is also a board member of FirstHealth of the Carolinas and the region’s tourism bureau. The business got a boost with the opening of the United States Golf Association’s second headquarters in Pinehurst.

NAYAN PATEL

president | CN Hotels

Greensboro

Patel’s family immigrated from India and bought a small California hotel in 1976, moved to North Carolina a couple of years later and built a chain of about 30 hotels in the Southeast. Nayan Patel took an active role in 1989.

JEREMY REAVES

CEO | Cook Out

Thomasville

His father, Morris Reaves, started the fast-food chain in Greensboro in 1989. It now ranks among the fastest-growing operators nationally with more than 300 restaurants in 10 states from Georgia to West Virginia. Starting with drivethroughs, it has added sit-down locations. Cook Out employs about 13,000.

ANDREW SCHMIDT

president, CEO | Greenville-Pitt County Convention & Visitors Bureau

president | North Carolina Travel Industry Association Greenville

Schmidt has a master’s degree in public administration and hospitality from East Carolina University, where he taught classes for many years. In his trade association role, he stresses the importance of tourism in local and state economic development.

Pre-workday motivation: I work with an outstanding staff. I love coming to work because what we do as a destinationmarketing organization positively affects our economy and residents.

Key to industry success: On a micro level, success starts with the people on the front lines who have day-to-day contact with visitors. Success at a macro level depends on forming meaningful relationships with local and statewide partners.

Best advice: Look at a decision’s long-term ramifications and ask if the strategy is sustainable.

Three people to share a meal: Abraham Lincoln, Wayne Gretzky and Condoleezza Rice.

Proud family accomplishment: My family members see value in all people and understand the difference they can make in the lives of others.

Favorite hobby: I am a Carolina Hurricanes hockey fanatic. With equal enthusiasm, I love being at the beach with family and friends and playing golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: Our uptown district so they can experience its many breweries, restaurants, galleries, music venues and retail opportunities. It’s fun to see their reaction to Greenville’s rapid growth and transformation.

RICHARD SNEED

principal chief | Eastern Band, Cherokee Nation

Cherokee

The nation owns major casinos in Cherokee and Murphy. The former Marine stresses education, cultural preservation and opportunity for his people. He earned a degree from Universal Technical College in Arizona and is a licensed industrial-arts teacher in North Carolina.

MIKE TATTERSFIELD

president, CEO | Krispy Kreme

Charlotte

The Harvard MBA became CEO in 2017 after senior jobs at retailers including Caribou Coffee, lululemon and Yum Brands. Shares of the doughnut company controlled by Luxembourg-based JAB Holding slid after its IPO last June. It expects revenue of about $1.5 billion this year.

LANCE TRENARY

president, CEO | Golden Corral Raleigh

Buffet-style restaurants were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing Golden Corral’s franchise count to decline from nearly 500 to about 300. But the chain owned by Raleigh-based Investors Management Corp. is coming back strong. The Mississippi State University graduate is the 2022 chairman of the National Restaurant Association.

Pre-workday motivation: After the last two years, our sense of purpose fuels us every day. We beat the odds of saving our company, but we are relentless in support of our franchisees and each other. Personally, my faith and my family lift me every day to pursue my passion and purpose at Golden Corral.

Key to industry success: You must love developing your team and serving guests. The servant leadership attitude carries into every aspect of hospitality. You need a passion for great food, too. Develop a great team of people, serve high-quality and craveable food, and spend your time serving others.

Best advice: Choose a profession that you love. It’s difficult to achieve your best if you don’t. Surround yourself with people you can learn from, trust and have your best interests at heart. Three people to share a meal: Job, Walt Disney and Winston Churchill.

Proud family accomplishment: My wife of 37 years, Paulette, is my rock, and she has done a remarkable job keeping our family focused on the importance of love for one another, giving, faith and support. My oldest daughter, Elizabeth, is a successful attorney. My youngest daughter, Ally Catherine, owns her own bespoke rug company.

Favorite hobby: Fly-fishing, wing shooting and playing golf. As a family, we love to travel. And I have to get my annual Disney fix; I’m a big kid at heart.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Angus Barn. Its history, great food and outstanding staff encompass all the things I respect and appreciate about the industry.

WIT TUTTELL

vice president of tourism | Economic Development

Partnership of North Carolina

Raleigh

Tuttell has led statewide marketing of tourism, filmmaking, sports development and other ventures since 2014. He held similar roles within N.C. Department of Commerce after learning the ropes in Florida. He is a University of Florida graduate.

RICHARD VANORE

president | Koury Corp.

Greensboro

The 70-year-old real estate company operates Triad landmarks such as Sheraton Greensboro Hotel & Koury Convention Center and Grandover Resort & Conference Center. The Greensboro native has been its president since 2019. He’s a UNC Chapel Hill graduate and licensed contractor and real-estate agent.

GREG WALTER

executive vice president, general manager | Charlotte Motor Speedway

Concord

Walter joined Speedway Motorsports in 1999 and has led the flagship track since 2016, helping promote one of the state’s most popular tourist attractions. He’s a UNC Chapel Hill graduate who previously worked in sales for Capitol Broadcasting and ESPN.

REBECCA WHITMARSH

area director of operations, Charlotte; select service/general manager | Northwood Hospitality

Charlotte

Whitmarsh joined Northwood Hospitality, which includes the Darcy in Washington, D.C., and the Aloft in Charlotte’s Ballantyne development, in 2017 after positions with resorts in New York and elsewhere. She’s a graduate of McGill University and has a UNC Charlotte MBA.

Pre-workday motivation: Good music, yoga and coffee — in that order.

Key to industry success: Being passionate about what you do and caring about people to help them discover their passion.

Best advice: No risk, no learning. This was my calculus teacher’s motto.

Favorite hobby: Travel. I enjoy planning trips with my husband, Thomas, and exploring everywhere in North Carolina.

ROBERT WINSTON

owner, CEO | Winston Hospitality

Raleigh

Winston co-founded the company in 1994 and let it through its sale in 2007. The reconstituted business now manages nine hotels and offers other hospitality services. He has served as a trustee at his alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill and is a past chair of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport Authority.

JEFF WISE

CEO | U.S. National Whitewater Center

Charlotte

The native Charlottean with an Emory University law degree has built one of the state’s most successful tourist attractions since 2002, drawing more than 1 million annual visits. He practiced health care law and worked in finance before making his mark at the 1,300-acre, nonprofit outdoor activities center.

Peter Bourne

Jud Bowman

Robert Bruggeworth

Michael Capps

Anil Chawla

Chris Downie

Joy Parr Drach

David Evans

David Gardner

Jim Goodnight

Timothy Humphrey

Deverre Lierman

Jesse Lipson

O’Hara Macken

David Morken

David Mounts

Jillian Munro

Pierre Naudé

Todd Olson

Michael Praeger

Ryan Pratt

Amit Sharma

Kamala Subramaniam

Tim Sweeney

Jim Triandiflou

Scot Wingo

North Carolina gained a foothold in this industry with the development of Research Triangle Park in the 1960s. Growth has accelerated in the last decade as AvidXchange, Bandwidth, Epic Games, Pendo and other newcomers complement established enterprises such as IBM, Microsoft and SAS Institute.

PETER BOURNE

CEO | Bright Wolf, a Cognizant company

Durham

Bourne has been CEO since 2016 of the systems integrator that was acquired by Fortune 500 technology business Cognizant in 2020. The graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara has advised various Triangle tech companies.

JUD BOWMAN

founder, CEO | Sift Media

Durham

Sift is the third company founded by Bowman, who is 40. Sift collects data from app users that is used in the delivery of more than 100 million digital ads per day. The Greenville native started Motricity while attending the N.C. School of Science and Math. He chairs the Research Triangle Foundation and is a trustee of the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra.

Proud family accomplishment: My two girls, Edith and Graylyn.

Favorite hobby: Playing golf. Where to entertain a visitor: M Sushi in downtown Durham.

ROBERT BRUGGEWORTH

president, CEO | Qorvo

Greensboro

The graduate of Wilkes University in Pennsylvania joined RF Micro Devices in 1999 and was CEO when it merged with TriQuint Semiconductor to form Qorvo in 2014. The business, which makes parts for mobile phones and other communications products, had $4 billion in revenue last year.

ANIL CHAWLA

executive chair, board of directors | Optimere

Durham

The Georgia Tech University graduate, 39, shepherded the company he founded in 2011, ArchiveSocial, through several big steps in 2021. ArchiveSocial acquired NextRequest and then merged with Monsido to form Optimere. It provides digital compliance and records management solutions, mainly for government agencies.

CHRIS DOWNIE

CEO | Flexential

Charlotte

Downie took his post following the merger of Charlotte’s Peak 10 and ViaWest in 2017. The company operates 40 U.S. data centers. Downie, who grew up in Paris and Barcelona, is a graduate of Dartmouth College and has an MBA from New York University.

Pre-workday motivation: A good workout clears the head and gets the heart fired up. The last two years have been crazy. New ways of working, collaborating, being productive and new ways to define success. While respecting all that was lost during the pandemic, we have been defining these new ways since 2017. We are a young company with much to learn and a ton more to accomplish. That is what gets me out of bed.

Best advice: The first CEO I worked with said there are three types of generals: Ones that say ‘Take that hill,’ and others that say ‘Let’s go take that hill,’ and ones that say ‘Follow me.’ I aspire to the ‘follow me’ leadership principle.

Proud family accomplishment: Our resilience. We have moved many times and built a strong home base on each occasion.

MICHAEL CAPPS

co-founder, CEO | Diveplane

Raleigh

A former Epic Games executive who helped create Fortnite, Capps started his artificial intelligence company in 2018. His expertise leads to frequent appearances on Discovery, Military, and Science channel programs. He has degrees from UNC Chapel Hill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

JOY PARR DRACH president, CEO | Advanced Animal Diagnostics

Morrisville

The company Drach founded in 2009 to develop rapid tests for bovine disease landed nearly $8 million last year for research on tests related to human beings. The cow-tech business remains strong, but the human testing line, spurred by COVID-19, may create future growth.

DAVID EVANS

CEO | Passport

Charlotte

The former Cardlytics executive succeeded Bob Youakim as CEO at Passport in January 2021. The company, which has raised more than $200 million, provides transportation software, mainly to cities. A Georgia native, Evans worked in investment banking at Wells Fargo and has degrees from Auburn and Emory universities.

Pre-workday motivation: The industries, employees and people we serve.

Key to industry success: Being passionate about our mission to partner with cities to create more equitable, accessible and livable communities. The broader industry around mobility is a sector that is due for acceleration around data-driven software and technology that will and should present an amazing opportunity to partner with cities to make better decisions around the complexities of urban mobility.

Best advice: Focus more on the people you work for and the clients you serve and less about the money you make.

Three people to share a meal: Tiger Woods, Elon Musk and Tim Cook.

Proud family accomplishment: A collective, shared view of treating others with love and respect and operating with honesty and integrity.

Favorite hobby: Spending time with my family and an occasional round of golf. Where to entertain a visitor: South End.

DAVID GARDNER

founder, managing

partner |

Cofounders Capital

Cary

The N.C. State University graduate spent more than 30 years building software technology companies. Now he helps provide resources to startups through the tech fund that he started in 2015.

Pre-workday motivation: Helping entrepreneurs achieve their potential, innovate and be successful.

Key to industry success: Predicting the future and then making sure it happens that way.

Best advice: You can’t save them all, so focus on the winners.

Three people to share a meal: Steven Covey, Barack Obama and Bill Gates.

Proud family accomplishment: Hardworking, generous, strong character.

Favorite hobby: Piano playing and exercise.

JIM GOODNIGHT

CEO | SAS Institute

Cary

Last July, North Carolina’s best-known tech executive said he’s preparing his company for an IPO by 2024. The company has about $3 billion in annual revenue and has been consistently profitable since its founding in 1976. Goodnight, 79, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and Ph.D. at N.C. State University.

Pre-workday motivation: When you’re starting out, the passion stays ignited because your livelihood depends on it. After that, it’s more about personal pride and the challenge of the work, so it helps if you’re doing what you love. Data scientists are problem-solvers at heart. So, the ability to solve problems — no matter how big or small — is what has always driven me. We’re here so that our customers are not alone in the battle to solve tough problems. Our purpose is to make analytics easy and friendly for them.

Key to industry success: Our primary focus at SAS since day one has been to help our customers solve their problems. That process of listening to your customers leads to innovation. But innovation also is coming up with new ideas and then bringing them to life — anticipating what your customers might need before they ask for it. That takes creativity and passion.

Best advice: Recognize when to stop digging a hole. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, and it’s OK to walk away. Let go of your pride or investment if a product or venture isn’t succeeding.

Three people to share a meal: Alan Turing was critical in the development of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence. Grace Hopper was a pioneer of computer programming. I’m a reader of science fiction and would have enjoyed Arthur C. Clarke. I would have also enjoyed meeting Orville Wright, who seemed to share my appreciation of our beautiful North Carolina coast.

Proud family accomplishment: Our three children have respectively found their areas of interest and shaped their work and contributions to society accordingly. They each have found great partners that we love very much and blessed us with wonderful grandchildren. I’m also proud of the work that my wife, Ann, has done to help champion education, art and culture in North Carolina.

Favorite hobby: I enjoy golfing whenever I can. I’ve always enjoyed puzzles, like sudoku.

Where to entertain a visitor: The North Carolina Museum of Art or taking in an N.C. State basketball game at PNC Arena or a football game at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Triangle is unique in having so many esteemed universities so close together - and it’s always nice to explore those campuses.

TIMOTHY HUMPHREY

vice president, chief data officer; North Carolina senior state executive; RTP senior site executive | IBM

Raleigh

Humphrey, 48, has worked for IBM or Lenovo since earning his electrical engineering degree at N.C. State University in 1996. He became IBM’s senior state executive in 2018. He is on the board of the UNC Health System and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wake County.

Best advice: My dad used to always tell me to stay focused. He was all about discipline, perseverance, and achievement, and that helped shape me into the man I am today.

Three people to share a meal: Jackie Robinson, Stephen Hawking and Wanda Sykes.

Favorite hobby: Poker. It gives me the opportunity to exercise strategic thinking skills, and it’s fun to hang out with friends and win occasionally.

Where to entertain a visitor: Herons at The Umstead Hotel and Spa. Amazing tasty food with a stunning visual plating experience, accompanied by great service.

DEVERRE LIERMAN

vice president, head of U.S. delivery, Southeast | Infosys

Raleigh

Lierman helped open the India-based information technology company’s Raleigh Technology and Innovation Hub in 2018. The Rutgers University graduate worked for IBM for 23 years, including as a digital commerce leader.

JESSE LIPSON

founder, CEO | Levitate

Raleigh

Lipson continues to grow Levitate, which builds software products that help insurance, real estate and other companies stay in touch with their customers. The Duke University graduate sold ShareFile to Citrix in 2011. He has raised about $20 million for Levitate.

O’HARA MACKEN

COO | S&P Global Market Intelligence

Raleigh

Macken was office lead for financial services provider Ipreo, which was acquired by IHS for $1.9 billion in 2018, and retained a key post after New York-based S&P Global bought IHS Markit for $44 billion in March. He is a Fairfield University graduate.

DAVID MORKEN

co-founder, chair, CEO | Bandwidth Raleigh

Morken founded the communications software company in 1999 after four years in the Marine Corps. The Oral Roberts University and University of Notre Dame Law School graduate took the company public at $20 per share in 2017. Shares soared in 2020 but tumbled over the last year, prompting the hiring of former Avaya executive Anthony Bartolo as chief operating officer.

Pre-workday motivation: My wife and I do a daily devotional every morning at 5:30. It’s a special moment for us to spend time together.

Key to industry success: People. Bandwidth’s success comes from two things: creating long-term relationships with our customers and building a unique culture to support our employees as they deliver on our mission to be the best global enterprise communications platform.

Favorite hobby: Being the world’s greatest grandpa to our four grandkids.

DAVID MOUNTS

chair, CEO | Inmar Intelligence

Winston-Salem

Inmar, which develops technology and provides analytics for retail, manufacturing and other sectors, hired Mounts away from Domino’s Pizza in 2010. The University of Nevada at Las Vegas and Wharton MBA graduate is a corporate high flier — he has his private pilot’s license.

Pre-workday motivation: My team is my why. Helping them and their family achieve their goals gets me motivated.

Key to industry success: Innovation, speed to market and achieving outcomes.

Best advice: Be humble and live as love. Be data-driven.

Three people to share a meal: Tesla, Ben Franklin and Bolivar.

Proud family accomplishment: My children and their entrepreneurial and humorous spirits.

Favorite hobby: Flying.

Where to entertain a visitor: Downtown Winston-Salem and on a flight and picnic to First Flight Airport at Kill Devil Hills.

JILLIAN MUNRO

group head of technology, data and analytics | Envestnet | Yodlee

Raleigh

Munro holds a master’s in East Asian Studies from George Washington University. She began her career as a telecommunications consultant before moving to jobs at JPMorgan Chase and Fidelity. She joined the Redwood City, Ca.-based financial-data services company in 2020.

TODD OLSON

co-founder, CEO | Pendo Raleigh

Olson began designing software at age 14 and launched Pendo, which uses analytics to help managers optimize their software development. The Carnegie Mellon University graduate has raised more than $200 million in capital.

Pre-workday motivation: I try to start every day with a workout (run, Peloton, Tonal or Ergatta). I also walk to work, which gives me time to think and prepare for the day ahead.

Key to industry success: I don’t think this is specific to our industry, but here are our keys: Build a great product. We believe in product-led businesses. Obsess over customers (we have a core value of maniacal focus on the customer). Create a culture that attracts the very best people.

Best advice: Try to do the things that only you can do.

PIERRE NAUDÉ

CEO | nCino

Wilmington

A former S1 and Unisys executive, Naudé played a pivotal role in founding the cloud-banking firm in 2012. The Southern African-born graduate of Upper Iowa University led nCino’s $248 million IPO in 2020.

Pre-workday motivation: Since day one as CEO, it has been my responsibility to ensure that nCino continues to transform financial services through innovation, reputation, and speed and that our employees have the resources, guidance, and support they need to be successful. Watching nCino grow from five people to more than 1,600 talented and passionate professionals has been the ultimate career highlight for me.

Key to industry success: Hire the best and brightest people we can, give them the tools and resources to be successful, and then empower them to think bigger, bring new ideas to the table, and make decisions without fear of retribution. These are the principles on which we started nCino more than a decade ago. I’m proud to say we continue to live and breathe them today.

Best advice: Famous management consultant Peter F. Drucker said, ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ This idea is foundational to how we’ve built, grown and led our teams at nCino. A strong culture is critical to success, and nCino proves that.

Proud family accomplishment: I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my wife, our two children, their spouses and my three grandchildren. This is one of the reasons I stress the importance of family to our employees at nCino and encourage them to take the family time they need to recharge. If you don’t have a strong and happy home life, you aren’t going to be able to bring your best self to work. Family always comes first.

Favorite hobby: Boating and golf.

Proud family accomplishment: My family has a strong work ethic. While past and present generations have had a diverse set of careers, all generations are known for hard work.

Favorite hobby: Cooking and baking.

Where to entertain a visitor: It depends on the person and their interests. North Carolina Museum of Art is a nice choice.

RYAN PRATT

founder, CEO | Guerrilla RF

Greensboro

Pratt followed the footsteps of his dad, RF Micro (now Qorvo) co-founder Bill Pratt, when he launched a company making essential gear for the cellular industry. The N.C. State University graduate worked at RF Micro and Skyworks Solutions before starting his own deal.

Pre-workday motivation: Successfully overcoming challenges.

Key to industry success: Constant innovation. Best advice: Tenacity is key in starting a new business.

Three people to share a meal: Thomas Jefferson, Winston Churchill and Amelia Earhart.

Proud family accomplishment: Resilience.

Favorite hobby: Travel.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Greensboro Natural Science Center.

MICHAEL PRAEGER

co-founder, CEO | AvidXchange

Charlotte

The Georgetown University graduate co-founded the automated payment solutions provider in 2000, presided over steady growth, and then took it public last October. Shares have declined sharply despite 33% revenue growth last year. AvidXchange has more than 8,000 customers and processed 62.5 million transactions in 2021.

AMIT SHARMA

CEO | CData Software

Chapel Hill

After launching CData 12 years ago, Sharma attracted $140 million for the data connectivity business in December. Sharma grew up in India and came to the U.S. for post-graduate work. He has a master’s from N.C. State University and a Duke University MBA.

JIM TRIANDIFLOU

CEO | Insightsoftware

Raleigh

Triandiflou, 56, was named to his post at the financial-reporting software company in 2020 and helped attract a $1 billion investment from London-based privateequity group HG last July. The graduate of State University of New York at Oswego and Arizona State University previously ran the education software company Relias for seven years.

KAMALA SUBRAMANIAM

engineering site lead | Google

Durham

Subramaniam is guiding the launch of Google’s engineering hub in Durham. The tech giant plans to hire 1,000-plus for the site as part of its expanding cloud computing presence in North Carolina. She has a master’s and a doctorate from N.C. State University.

TIM SWEENEY

founder, CEO | Epic Games

Cary

Demand for Fortnite, Epic’s megafranchise, shows little signs of cooling, and Epic’s majority stockholder continues to challenge Apple and Google over pivotal business and societal issues. The billionaire is one of the state’s largest private landowners with his holdings mostly in conservation easements that will preserve those lands in perpetuity.

SCOT WINGO

CEO | Spiffy

Durham

Wingo, 53, continues to expand Spiffy, the fourth startup of his career, while also launching his Tweener Fund, which backs promising new businesses. Spiffy added its first franchisees who will expand the mobile vehicle maintenance business in six new states.

Pre-workday motivation: Disrupting the car-care industry.

Key to industry success: A relentless focus on the customer experience.

Best advice: Focus your company on what’s not going to change versus what is.

Three people to share a meal: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and George Lucas.

Proud family accomplishment: Work ethic.

Favorite hobby: Star Wars.

Where to entertain a visitor: Garland restaurant in downtown Raleigh.

The 29,000 licensed lawyers in North Carolina exert massive influence from Manteo to Murphy. This is a sampling of some of the more powerful attorneys, many of whom work for larger firms in the major metros. Most were chosen because of their leadership positions at their organizations.

Stacy Ackermann

Sherrod Banks

Catherine Barnes

Steve Berlin

Dan Cahill

Lois Colbert

Nathan Duggins

David Duke

Bradley Evans

Todd Eveson

James Farrin

Charles Francis

Kimberly Bullock Gatling

Clark Goodman

Thomas Griffin III

Robert Harrington

Harper Heckman

Jon Heyl

Patricia Hosmer

Terry Hutchens

Beth Tyner Jones

C. Matthew Keen

Byron Kirkland

Paul Lawrence

Valecia McDowell

Tom Mitchell

Jared Mobley

Marifrances Morrison

Leslie Packer

Reid Phillips

Allen Robertson

Perry Safran

Jason Solomon

Wyatt Stevens

Marshall Wall

Kevin Williams

Devon Williams

James Wyatt III

STACY ACKERMANN

partner | K&L Gates

Charlotte

Ackermann leads the national firm’s global finance practice. She came to K&L in 2012 after working as a partner at Alston & Bird. She is a graduate of Furman University and University of South Carolina School of Law.

SHERROD BANKS

founder | Banks Law Firm

Durham

Banks, a national expert in affordable housing and community development, leads the firm that he founded 28 years ago. It has offices in Durham, Charlotte, Atlanta and Houston. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from UNC Chapel Hill.

CATHERINE BARNES

managing partner | James, McElroy & Diehl

Charlotte

Barnes, 59, represents closely-held businesses and real estate developers in a wide variety of matters, including negotiations with lenders, commercial leases and development agreements, title and zoning issues. She is a Salem State College and UNC School of Law graduate.

STEVE BERLIN

partner, office managing partner | Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton Winston-Salem

Berlin, 62, has been at the firm for more than 35 years. His personal practice focuses on environmental law. He graduated from Wake Forest University, where he earned undergraduate and law degrees.

Key to industry success: Two things — trust and integrity.

Three people to share a meal: Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass and Ulysses S. Grant.

Proud family accomplishment: We love being with each other.

Where to entertain a visitor: Old Salem and Reynolda.

LOIS COLBERT

partner | Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton

Charlotte

Colbert leads the firm’s employee benefits practice group. She’s been recognized by America’s Best Lawyers and in North Carolina’s Super Lawyers. She graduated from the University of Illinois and earned her law degree from the University of Michigan.

DAN CAHILL

managing partner | Poyner Spruill

Raleigh

Cahill, 54, leads the firm’s management committee and is a commercial litigator with years of experience in finance and banking. He has an undergraduate degree from UNC Chapel Hill and a law degree from Wake Forest University.

Pre-workday motivation: Working with an energetic, collaborative organization in an economically thriving region.

Key to industry success: Client service — expertise, excellence in practice, responsiveness and understanding clients’ goals.

Best advice: If you really want to leave a legacy, be a mentor.

Three people to share a meal: Dean Smith, Anthony Bourdain and Michael Connelly.

Proud family accomplishment: We are five unique individuals with different passions and drivers. However, we make decisions together with understanding and flexibility.

Favorite hobby: Hiking in the mountains, golf, gardening and yard work.

Where to entertain a visitor: I have lived in Raleigh for 50 years, so I like to highlight old-school places, historic sites and littleknown treasures in the city.

NATHAN DUGGINS

managing partner | Tuggle Duggins

Greensboro

A graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University School of Law, Duggins, 52, specializes in litigation related to construction, complex business disputes and real estate. He serves on the board of directors for Greensboro’s chamber, merchants and education alliance groups and is on the board of visitors for the Wake Forest law school.

Pre-workday motivation: Family and new opportunities with clients.

Key to industry success: A good bedside manner and excellent listening skills.

Best advice: Be intrepid in all things.

Three people to share a meal: Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Elon Musk.

Proud family accomplishment: Loyalty to each other.

Favorite hobby: Wood splitting and gardening.

Where to entertain a visitor: Saturday hot dog sale at Cone American Legion Post 386.

DAVID DUKE

managing partner | Young Moore and Henderson

Raleigh

Duke, 63, has been with the firm since he graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law. He leads its trucking and transportation practice group. He earned his undergraduate degree at the College of William and Mary.

TODD EVESON

managing partner | Wyrick Robbins

Yates & Ponton

Raleigh

Eveson specializes in banking law and has significant experience in securities law, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law. He co-founded Gaeta and Eveson in 2000 and joined Wyrick Robbins when they acquired it in 2013. He is a graduate of Duke University and UNC School of Law.

Key to industry success: Be lucky enough to have a great mentor and be a very good listener.

Best advice: Once you make a commitment, you have to follow through. My parents taught me that.

Three people to share a meal: Hugh McColl, John Belk and James B. Duke.

Proud family accomplishment: My wife and I are both lawyers. Somehow we juggle our careers, kids and everything else that comes with being working parents. I am very proud of that.

Favorite hobby: Anything related to music.

BRADLEY EVANS

co-managing director | Ward and Smith Greenville

The Ahoskie native, 46, has a significant case history in civil litigation, trade-secret misappropriation, intellectual property infringement, corporate dissolution and antitrust disputes. He has undergraduate and law degrees from Wake Forest University.

Pre-workday motivation: My morning workout with a great group of friends. Doing something strenuous before the sun comes up makes me feel that I can handle whatever else I may run into that day.

Key to industry success: Responsiveness — our clients must feel that their challenges are our challenges, and we treat them with the same level of attention and urgency that they do.

Best advice: Never do anything halfway. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.

Three people to share a meal: C.S. Lewis, Ernest Hemingway and Jerry Garcia.

Proud family accomplishment: Someone once wrote of my grandfather, “He loved the land of eastern North Carolina and the people who live close to it.” I would love for that to be said of all of us.

Favorite hobby: Bird hunting in winter and offshore fishing in summer.

Where to entertain a visitor: Dickinson Avenue corridor in Uptown Greenville, which has seen a wonderful rebirth in recent years.

JAMES FARRIN

founder, president, CEO | Law Offices of James Scott Farrin

Durham

Farrin’s well-known “call the hurtline” broadcast advertising campaign has helped him build one of the state’s biggest personal injury and product liability practices since its formation in 1997. He is a Trinity College and Duke University School of Law graduate.

CHARLES FRANCIS

founder, managing partner | The Francis Law Firm

Raleigh

The Raleigh native was a federal prosecutor before opening his firm, which has handled a series of high-profile cases. He has been active in Democratic Party politics in Raleigh, serving briefly on the Raleigh City Council. He is a director at UNC Rex Hospital. He has an undergraduate degree from Princeton and a Duke University law degree.

CLARK GOODMAN

managing partner | Womble Bond

Dickinson

Charlotte

The business litigator is a Duke University and Harvard University Law School graduate. Womble Bond, created in the 2017 meger of U.S.- and United Kingdombased firms, has more than 950 lawyers in 19 U.S. and eight U.K. offices.

Key to industry success: Dedication to developing and maintaining a high level of professional skill and a constant focus on clients’ interests and priorities.

Best advice: Be confident that your difficult decisions are right but willing to acknowledge and learn from your mistakes.

Proud family accomplishment: We genuinely enjoy each other’s company.

Favorite hobby: Golf and guitar.

THOMAS GRIFFIN III

managing partner | Parker Poe

Charlotte

Griffin, 63, focuses on the energy industry, including environmental litigation and issues related to renewable energy. The former Army Corps of Engineers attorney is a graduate of Wake Forest University and University of Virginia School of Law.

Pre-workday motivation: Coffee and exercise, in that order. Without those, the day often feels a bit foggy.

Key to industry success: Retaining and growing your people. Everything flows from that — growth, culture, cohesiveness, creativity and a compelling place to work.

Best advice: Always be calm and courteous, especially under fire, because it matters. That tidbit came from my father, who was a celebrated combat leader and lived by that principle.

Three people to share a meal: The Dave Matthews Band, which is actually seven people. It would make for a cool dinner.

Proud family accomplishment: We all get along and enjoy sitting and talking at dinner, mostly without using electronic devices.

Favorite hobby: Long rides on my road bike.

Where to entertain a visitor: A good meal at a dive joint. If not there, then the U.S. National Whitewater Center.

ROBERT HARRINGTON

shareholder, litigation department co-chair | Robinson Bradshaw

Charlotte

Harrington, 59, represents corporate clients in a variety of business matters. Both his undergraduate degree and his law degree are from Duke University. He is a past president of the Mecklenburg County Bar.

Pre-workday motivation: The opportunity to partner with clients to solve complicated legal challenges and the chance to improve our community.

Key to industry success: Dedication, preparation and attention to detail.

Best advice: Demand that every project is the best work you’ve ever done.

Three people to share a meal: Sonia Sotomayor, Barack Obama and Bill Gates.

Proud family accomplishment: Commitment to excellence in education. Our two parents were born in segregated South Carolina before 1920. They earned two college degrees of their own and their five children have five terminal degrees. Favorite hobby: Reading.

Where to entertain a visitor: Riding or walking on tree-lined streets.

KIMBERLY BULLOCK GATLING

partner, chief diversity and inclusion officer | Fox Rothschild

Greensboro

Gatling’s practice focus is intellectual property, licensing and litigation. A graduate of N.C. A&T State University and George Washington University, she is past chair of Greensboro United Way and serves on the Cone Health Foundation and Truliant Federal Credit Union.

Pre-workday motivation: Definitely, coffee. Although I wouldn’t call myself a natural morning person, I think the most clearly and am most productive in the mornings. I’ve grown to appreciate an early start.

Key to industry success: Integrity, quality performance, responsiveness and networking.

Best advice: Be willing to take risks.

Three people to share a meal: MacKenzie Scott, Barack Obama and [Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO] Rosalind Brewer.

Proud family accomplishment: As a wife and mother to three sons, I am proud that my family continues to be healthy and whole through the busy grind of life. There are many moving parts with a large family, requiring tremendous levels of flexibility and grace. It’s not always easy, but we make it work.

Favorite hobby: I love to swim and play tennis. Catch me poolside or on the tennis court, especially in summer.

Where to entertain a visitor: The beautiful campus of my alma mater, N.C. A&T State University.

HARPER HECKMAN

board of directors member | Nexsen Pruet

Greensboro

One of three North Carolinians inducted into the American College of Construction Lawyers, Heckman, 56, has been an adjunct professor of construction law at UNC School of Law for nearly two decades. Both his undergraduate and law degrees are from UNC Chapel Hill.

PATRICIA HOSMER

partner | McGuireWoods

Charlotte

Hosmer’s practice focuses on transactions involving aviation and other equipment.

A member of the firm’s executive committee, she is a Yale University and UNC School of Law graduate. Chambers USA included her in its America’s Leading Lawyers for Business from 2016 to 2019.

JON HEYL

partner | Fox Rothschild

Charlotte

The Athens, Georgia native is president of the North Carolina Bar Association. His practice focus is construction litigation. He earned his undergraduate degree at East Carolina University and law degree from UNC School of Law.

Pre-workday motivation: Sweat — I start nearly every day with a workout in the gym.

Key to industry success: As with most industries, lots of hard work. And playing it straight. Reputation among repeat players is key.

Best advice: It might not be applicable in today’s world of instant communication, but the advice when I started was that if you get a letter from opposing counsel that makes you really angry, put it in a drawer for three days before responding. The principle still applies.

Favorite hobby: Nothing is better than a hike in the North Carolina mountains.

BETH TYNER JONES

office managing partner | Womble Bond Dickinson Raleigh/Durham

Jones, 58, leads the firm’s education and school law team, building on her experience in human resources and as a college faculty member. She has bachelor’s and law degrees from Campbell University.

Pre-workday motivation: A solid workout and some word puzzles are a great warmup for a workday loaded with interactions with interesting clients, talented colleagues and opportunities to contribute.

Best advice: Love what you do, and don’t take yourself too seriously.

Favorite hobby: Hiking and following women’s college basketball.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Triangle is packed with great things to do. Umstead State Park, Duke Gardens and North Carolina Museum of Art are fun places to enjoy with visitors and get outside.

TERRY HUTCHENS

managing partner | Hutchens Law Firm Fayetteville

Hutchens leads the 250-employee firm that he founded 42 years ago. He is a graduate of N.C. State University and Wake Forest University, where he earned an MBA and law degree. His personal practice focuses on real estate. He has been a member of the UNC Board of Governors since 2019.

Pre-workday motivation: Exercise and meditation.

Key to industry success: Honesty, dependability, candor and 110% effort.

Best advice: Do what you say. Be on time. Finish what you start. Say “please” and “thank you.”

Three people to share a meal: Mark Twain, Coach Jim Valvano and Richard Pryor.

Proud family accomplishment: Our children’s love for one another and our incredible, remarkable grandchildren. Where to entertain a visitor: My back porch.

BYRON KIRKLAND

managing partner | Smith Anderson

Raleigh

Kirkland, 61, practices corporate and securities law and has extensive experience advising venture capital and private equity funds. He became managing partner in 2020 after more than 30 years at the firm. He had undergraduate, MBA and law degrees from UNC Chapel Hill.

Pre-workday motivation: I wish I could tell you I run 10 miles every day, but I find work motivating enough.

Key to industry success: Caring and hard work.

Best advice: Take care of your people, products and profits in that order.

Three people to share a meal: Ina Garten, Gordon Ramsay and Chris Lilly.

Proud family accomplishment: I am most proud of the people my two adult children have become. They are goaloriented, incredibly hard-working, and most importantly have big hearts and a great moral compass.

Favorite hobby: Travel.

C. MATTHEW KEEN

managing shareholder | Ogletree

Deakins

Raleigh

Keen has practiced at one of the largest U.S. labor and employment law firms since 1987. He is on the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors and Raleigh Sports Council Steering Committee. He is a graduate of N.C. State University and UNC School of Law.

PAUL LAWRENCE

managing partner | Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo

Charlotte

Lawrence’s practice is focused on civil litigation, employment law and workers’ compensation. A member of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and Defense Research Institute, he earned a bachelor’s from the University of Scranton and a law degree at Villanova University.

VALECIA MCDOWELL

partner | Moore & Van Allen

Charlotte

McDowell is co-head of the firm’s whitecollar, regulatory defense and investigations practice and has extensive experience in internal investigations for corporations. She is a former chair of the Charlotte Arts & Science Council and co-chair of the firm’s diversity committee. She has bachelor’s and law degrees from Duke University.

LESLIE PACKER

managing partner | Ellis & Winters

Raleigh

Packer focuses her practice on commercial litigation with particular attention to health care product liability. A member of a regional and national trial team in breast implant litigation, she also has assisted corporate boards with internal investigations. The Durham native is a graduate of Brown University and UNC School of Law.

REID PHILLIPS

managing partner | Brooks Pierce

Greensboro

Phillips is a litigation attorney. He represents companies and their owners in antitrust, copyright and other business disputes. He holds a bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill and is a graduate of University of Texas School of Law.

Pre-workday motivation: No two days are alike, so you need to be prepared for anything, and you need to be flexible.

Key to industry success: Understanding what our clients need to make their businesses more successful and figuring out how we can deliver those services better — better than our competitors do now and better than we did last week. Continuous improvement is one of the pillars of our culture.

Best advice: Read “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Make those your habits.

Three people to share a meal: Jesus, Muhammad and Buddha.

TOM MITCHELL

managing partner | Moore & Van Allen

Charlotte

Mitchell is chair of the firm’s management committee and a veteran attorney in the financial services field. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and is a Washington and Lee University law graduate. He joined the firm in 1993.

JARED MOBLEY

managing partner | K&L Gates

Charlotte

Mobley is a taxation specialist who leads the firm’s estate planning and trusts and estates group. He has undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina. He also holds a master’s of law in taxation from New York University School of Law.

MARIFRANCES MORRISON

shareholder | Ogletree Deakins

Raleigh

Morrison specializes in complex employment immigration issues, particularly at Fortune 500 companies. The graduate of University of Massachusetts and New England School of Law is on Ogletree’s nine-member board of directors.

Proud family accomplishment: Every one of them is a caring and kind person who lives by the Golden Rule.

Favorite hobby: Reading about history. Where to entertain a visitor: Haw River State Park, Greensboro Aquatic Center, Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, LeBauer Park and GreenHill Center for North Carolina Art.

ALLEN ROBERTSON

managing partner | Robinson

Bradshaw

Charlotte

Robertson is in his second term as managing partner at Robinson Bradshaw. The Harvard University Law School graduate is a public finance and bond attorney and one of only two North Carolinians to serve as president of the National Association of Bond Lawyers.

JASON SOLOMON

partner-in-charge | Alston & Bird

Charlotte

A corporate law specialist, Solomon has been at Alston & Bird for 17 years. He practiced law in Delaware before coming to Charlotte in 2004. He earned a bachelor’s degree at UNC Chapel Hill and a law degree at Washington and Lee University.

PERRY SAFRAN

president | Safran Law Offices

Raleigh

Safran is a construction law expert who founded his firm 41 years ago. He has a bachelor’s degree from N.C. State University, an MBA from Wake Forest University and a law degree from Campbell University. The former Raleigh city councilman is a trustee at N.C. State.

Pre-workday motivation: Staying healthy, you have to keep moving, and helping my clients through the legal maze.

Key to industry success: Listen. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but you have to listen first.

Best advice: Never look down on anyone. All of us are worthy.

Three people to share a meal: Condoleezza Rice, Morgan Freeman and Lou Holtz.

Proud family accomplishment: Our friendships. Susan and I are, of course, proud of our accomplishments but being friends with our sons and siblings is most important.

Favorite hobby: Grandchildren.

Where to entertain a visitor: PNC Arena.

WYATT STEVENS

partner | Roberts & Stevens

Asheville

The Asheville native, 52, co-founded his firm after finishing law school at UNC Chapel Hill. He represents a diverse clientele based somewhat on his location. He is admitted to argue in the Cherokee Tribal Court and is a member of the Association of Ski Defense Attorneys.

Pre-workday motivation: Strong black coffee.

Key to industry success: Relationships.

Best advice: From my Mom and Dad — Do the right thing, tell the truth and always do your best. And be home in time for dinner.

Three people to share a meal: Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.

Proud family accomplishment: We love each other. We support each other, and we have fun together.

Favorite hobby: Trail running.

Where to entertain a visitor: Hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

MARSHALL WALL

managing partner | Cranfill Sumner

Raleigh

Wall, 47, is part of the first class of North Carolina lawyers certified in privacy and information security. The Raleigh native is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and Campbell University School of Law.

Pre-workday motivation: A run, preferably with some of my F3 friends.

Key to industry success: Attention to detail, perseverance and flexibility.

Proud family accomplishment: My older son just earned his Eagle Scout rank, and my younger son is close behind. The commitment required is significant, and getting teenage boys to focus on anything can be a challenge.

Favorite hobby: Running the streets of Raleigh or the trails at William B. Umstead State Park.

Where to entertain a visitor: Umstead State Park.

KEVIN WILLIAMS

president | Bell, Davis & Pitt

Winston-Salem

Williams has been with Bell Davis & Pitt since graduating from Wake Forest University Law School in 1998. He assists clients with business, commercial, professional negligence and fiduciary disputes. The Elizabeth City native received his undergraduate degree from UNC Chapel Hill.

Pre-workday motivation: Strong coffee and a few quiet moments with a book and my furry four-legged children.

Key to industry success: Empathy, preparation and hard work.

Best advice: Don’t buy green bananas.

Three people to share a meal: Abraham Lincoln, Muhammad Ali and Jerry Garcia.

Proud family accomplishment: My wife, Aimee, and our three children, Sydney, Ethan and Trevor, are all fiercely independent while, at the same time, warm, caring and conscientious contributors to the world around them.

Favorite hobby: Spending time with friends and family.

Where to entertain a visitor: WinstonSalem’s revitalized downtown.

DEVON WILLIAMS

co-managing director | Ward and Smith

Raleigh

Williams, 35, joined Ward and Smith after graduating from Campbell University School of Law. She specializes in labor and employment law. She is a member of the Junior League of Raleigh and the Young Lawyers division of the American Bar Association.

Pre-workday motivation: My rambunctious toddler and coffee.

Best advice: “Things happen for a reason.” — my parents. From an early age, my parents raised me to believe that God is in control, and He has a plan. This advice, faith or life lesson, however you want to interpret it, taught me to see roadblocks and detours as having a purpose in setting me on the right path toward success and happiness. It helps me keep things in perspective and see the bigger picture.

Three people to share a meal: Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy and Rebel Wilson.

Favorite hobby: I love cycling and the great outdoors.

Where to entertain a visitor: We live within walking distance of Bond Brothers Beer Co. in downtown Cary and enjoy taking friends to its courtyard.

JAMES WYATT III

managing partner and founder | Wyatt & Blake

Charlotte

Among the state’s best-known trial lawyers, Wyatt, 64, specializes in whitecollar defense, whistleblower cases and class-action cases. He is a Vanderbilt University and Duke University School of Law graduate. He oversees a family foundation, One by One Costa Rica, that assists at-risk youth in that country.

Pre-workday motivation: Prayerful reflection and exercise.

Key to industry success: Thorough preparation and strategic judgment.

Best advice: Famous trial lawyer Jim Neal once said, “If you beat a dead horse enough it will fly.” He means that if you work hard enough, and read and reread evidence, you will eventually see angles to it that others miss.

Three people to share a meal: Charlemange, John Adams and Teddy Roosevelt.

Favorite hobby: Hiking. My wife and I recently completed the Tour du Mont Blanc in Europe.

Gray Armstrong

Aravind Asokan

Anthony Atala

Jack Bailey

Doug Burns

Brian Caveney

Jim Datin

Fred Eshelman

Anthony Fernando

Chad Henry

Roger Jeffs

Phanesh Koneru

Jamie Macdonald

Martin Meeson

Sheila Mikhail

Kevin O’Brien

Paul Rea

Laura Helms Reece

Martine Rothblatt

R. Jude Samulski

Christy Shaffer

Colin Shannon

Scott Uknes

Eric Ward

North Carolina continues to gain prominence as a major life sciences state with investments from both large pharmaceutical companies and innovative new businesses and startups. Clusters of manufacturers have developed in Johnston, Lee, Pitt and other counties, while the Raleigh-Durham area is a key research center aided by strong university research programs.

GRAY ARMSTRONG

senior director of operations | Pfizer

Sanford

Armstrong oversees Pfizer’s growing Lee County operations. The global developer and manufacturer of health-care products committed $100 million for clinical trial materials production in 2017 and $500 million to produce gene therapies in 2019. He has an N.C. State University master’s degree.

ARAVIND ASOKAN

co-founder, acting chief scientific officer | StrideBio

Durham

Asokan is a surgery, biomedical engineering and molecular genetics and microbiology professor at Duke University School of Medicine, where he also serves as director of gene therapy. He previously taught at UNC Chapel Hill, where he earned a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical chemistry in 2004. He started StrideBio in 2015, based on research he and co-founder Mavis Agbandje-McKenna completed. He also co-founded Chapel Hill-based Bamboo Therapeutics, which developed gene therapies and was purchased for about $200 million by Pfizer in 2016.

JACK BAILEY

CEO | G1 Therapeutics

Durham

Bailey took the reins of this publicly traded cancer therapies developer in January 2021, adding to a long career in pharmaceuticals. He worked for Eli Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline, where he was president of U.S. pharmaceuticals for five years. He is a graduate of Hobart College and UNC Chapel Hill.

Pre-workday motivation: Reading The Wall Street Journal and completing Wordle.

Key to industry success: Developing good innovation that meets an unmet medical need.

Best advice: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” — Theodore Roosevelt.

Proud family accomplishment: A 27year marriage and two children who are pursuing their passion in the sciences.

Favorite hobby: Taking 50-mile bike rides along the Falls of Neuse Greenway.

Where to entertain a visitor: Angus Barn.

ANTHONY ATALA

director | Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Winston-Salem

Atala’s research work has been the subject of hundreds of journal articles. He and his team of more than 400 researchers are developing ways to grow replacement tissue and organs from healthy cells donated by patients. The Wake Forest School of Medicine professor holds more than 250 patents. He is a recipient of the Christopher Columbus Foundation Award, funded by the U.S. Congress and bestowed on a living American who is working on a discovery that will significantly affect society.

DOUG BURNS

president | Grifols Therapeutics

Clayton

A chemist with a Ph.D. from University of Delaware, Burns has climbed the ladder at Grifols over the past decade. The Barcelona-based company makes medicines derived from human plasma. It has steadily expanded in North Carolina, where it had more than 2,000 workers as of 2020.

BRIAN CAVENEY

chief medical officer, president | Labcorp Diagnostics

Burlington

After working for Duke University Medical Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield, Caveney joined Labcorp in 2017. He holds medical and law degrees from West Virginia University. Modern Healthcare named him among health care’s 100 most influential people in 2020.

Best advice: My maternal grandmother taught me that my library card is infinitely more valuable than my credit card.

Three people to share a meal: Leonardo da Vinci, Ben Franklin and Dr. Alice Hamilton.

Favorite hobby: Watching my three sons participate in athletic or other events. Where to entertain a visitor: Any Duke or UNC Chapel Hill sporting event.

JIM DATIN

president, CEO | BioAgilytix Labs

Durham

The Marshall University graduate is a veteran leader in the life sciences industries. He was tapped to lead BioAgilytix in 2013 and has guided the contract research organization’s expansion. It has six labs worldwide, including locations in Germany and Australia.

FRED ESHELMAN

founder | Eshelman Ventures

Wilmington

A leading biotech investor and philanthropist, Eshelman started contract research organization PPD and drug developer Furiex Pharmaceuticals, which Forest Laboratories bought for $1.4 billion in 2014. He has a bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill, where the pharmacy school bears his name, and a doctorate from University of Cincinnati.

ROGER JEFFS

CEO | Liquidia co-founder, vice chair | Kriya

Durham

Jeffs, who co-founded gene therapy developer Kriya, took his current post at publicly traded Liquidia earlier this year. He retired in 2016 as president and co-CEO of United Therapeutics, where he worked for 18 years. The two companies, which develop treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension, went to court last year, when United Therapeutics claimed a former employee took trade secrets to Liquidia. The case is pending. Separately, Kriya has raised more than $180 million. Jeffs has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Duke University and a Ph.D. from UNC Chapel Hill.

PHANESH KONERU

founder, president, CEO | Exela Pharma Sciences

Lenoir

Koneru founded sterile-injectables manufacturer Excela in 2005. He immigrated to the U.S. from India in 1982. He holds law degrees from the University of San Diego and Columbia University and a doctorate in biomedicinal chemistry from University of Southern California.

ANTHONY FERNANDO

CEO | Asensus Surgical

Durham

Fernando previously held posts at medical technology companies Stryker and Becton Dickinson. He was named CEO at Asensus, which makes systems for digital laparoscopy surgery, in 2019. He earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in engineering from University of Nevada Las Vegas and an MBA from UNC Chapel Hill.

CHAD HENRY

corporate vice president, general manager | Novo Nordisk

Clayton

The N.C. State University graduate heads operations at the Danish company’s insulin factory near Raleigh. Approximately 90% of the pharmaceutical manufacturer’s diabetes treatments are administered domestically. He oversees more than 800 employees and a $150 million annual budget.

JAMIE MACDONALD

CEO | Parexel

Durham

Scotsman Macdonald was named to his post in 2018. The clinical research company was acquired by the EQT private equity group and Goldman Sachs for $8.5 billion in November. He previously led Morrisville-based INC Research, which merged with inVentiv Health to create Syneos Health in 2017.

MARTIN MEESON

CEO | Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies

Morrisville

As CEO since April 2020, he’s leading expansion of contract manufacturing capacity at the company owned by Japan’s FujiFilm and Mitsubishi. That includes the $2 billion factory under development in Holly Springs that is billed as the world’s largest “end-to-end” biological production plant. Plans call for 725 employees.

SHEILA MIKHAIL

co-founder, CEO | AskBio

Hillsborough

Mikhail, 55, co-founded gene therapy developer AskBio in 2001 based on research from UNC Chapel Hill. Germany’s Bayer bought the business in October for $4 billion. She has a University of Illinois undergraduate degree, University of Chicago MBA and Northwestern University law degree.

KEVIN O’BRIEN

president of North America | Merz Therapeutics

Raleigh

O’Brien, 56, spent 16 years with drug developer and manufacturer Allergan before joining German family-owned Merz in 2017. He was named its president of North American operations the next year, leading efforts to develop treatments for neurological conditions. He has overseen FDA approval of two drugs, including one that targets ones associated with Parkinson’s disease, ALS and cerebral palsy. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Saint Mary’s College of California and a graduate degree from Western State College of Law.

Pre-workday motivation: Working with great people. We recently started to come back to Merz’s North American headquarters, which is in Raleigh, after primarily working from home the past two years. It is great to see faces in person and catch up.

Key to industry success: Be honest and open and communicate.

Where to entertain a visitor: Start the day with a walk along a greenway — The Art to Heart is one of my favorites. It starts at the North Carolina Museum of Art and ends 6 miles later in the heart of downtown Raleigh, where there are plenty of restaurants for lunch. I would definitely return downtown for dinner as well. Jolie, Poole’side Pies and Brewery Bhavana are a few of my favorites.

PAUL REA

senior vice president of agricultural solutions North America | BASF

Research Triangle Park

A New Zealand native and University of Sydney graduate, Rea joined BASF Australia in 2001 and moved stateside in 2004. In 2015, he assumed the lead role for its RTP operations, which develops crop protection materials and systems.

LAURA HELMS REECE

CEO | Rho Durham

For nearly two decades, Reece, 55, has worked for Rho, which was started by her parents. She became CEO of the contract research organization in 2011. She is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, where she earned an undergraduate degree, master’s and Ph.D. in public health.

Pre-workday motivation: At Rho, we really do get to extend life, enhance health and improve the quality of life for real people through the work we do. That is exceptionally motivating to me.

Key to industry success: Expertise, adaptability, and commitment. Our industry is complicated and highly regulated for good reason — patient safety is in our hands. It requires expertise to do that effectively. In addition, we are frequently working with products with misunderstood effects. After all, that is why we test them. But that means that trials often do not proceed exactly as we mapped them out. As a result, you need to adapt. And as we adapt, commitment, which stems from truly caring about the patients we are serving, is what drives us to do the work quickly and effectively.

Best advice: Stay curious.

Three people to share a meal: I find most people fascinating. Right now, I am very interested in foreign affairs, so I would select Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright and Antony Blinken.

Proud family accomplishment: We have maintained a strong relationship while working together for many years. Having worked for both of my parents, Dr. Ronald and Mary Helms, then running Rho together with my brother, Dr. Russell Helms, for more than 20 years, as well as working with my sister-in-law, Dr. Wendy Greene, and my husband, Charlie Reece, I am grateful we still have a great time together.

Favorite hobby: I love to spend time outdoors with my family. My husband and I have two children, ages 10 and 13. We drag them on hikes, and they dragged us sledding this winter. We also love to go to parks just to play.

Where to entertain a visitor: Durham is an amazing city with many unique options. My favorite place is the Museum of Life and Science. It has fascinating indoor exhibits, but I’ve recently fallen in love with its outdoor exhibits.

MARTINE ROTHBLATT

chair, CEO | United Therapeutics

Research Triangle Park

The co-founder of SiriusXM radio turned to biotech in 1996, teaching herself highlevel biology so that she could help her ailing daughter. She is co-inventor on six patents for the drug Treprostinil, which treats high blood pressure. She holds law and MBA degrees from UCLA.

CHRISTY SHAFFER

managing director | Hatteras

Discovery

general partner | Hatteras Venture

Partners

Durham

Shaffer oversees life-sciences investments for Hatteras, a “post-retirement” job for the former president and CEO of Inspire Pharmaceuticals. At Inspire, Shaffer raised more than $300 million before taking the company public. Merck bought the company in 2011. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee.

Pre-workday motivation: The idea that the companies I work with are developing innovative approaches and therapies that can transform lives.

Key to industry success: Innovation and the acceleration of sound science via translation in the clinic.

Best advice: Always follow your moral compass (from a former board chair).

Three people to share a meal: Drs. Jennifer Doudna and Francis Arnold.

Proud family accomplishment: They are proactive about finding causes they love and giving back to the community.

Favorite hobby: Reading (during the pandemic).

Where to entertain a visitor: Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.

R. JUDE SAMULSKI

co-founder, president, chief scientific officer | AskBio

Durham

The acclaimed scientist owns more than 200 patents related to his virus-therapy research. His work helped create Bamboo Therapeutics, which Pfizer bought for $200 million, and AskBio, which Bayer acquired for $4 billion. He previously led UNC Chapel Hill’s Gene Therapy Center for 25 years.

COLIN SHANNON

Board member | ICON

Raleigh

A former executive vice president at Wilmington-based PPD, Shannon joined PRA Health in 2007 and was CEO from 2010 until its $12 billion sale last year to Dublin-based ICON. The MBA graduate of City University in London joined ICON’s board following the merger of the contract research organizations.

SCOTT UKNES

co-founder, co-CEO | AgBiome

Durham

Uknes and Eric Ware were among the co-founders in 2013 of the biotech that has raised more than $250 million from Synenta, Bayer and others. The Ph.D. graduate of Washington University has written more than 40 scholarly works and previously helped start Cropsolution and Paradigm Genetics.

ERIC WARD

co-CEO | AgBiome

Durham

Ward is a molecular plant biologist with more than 30 years of ag-biotech experience and more than 35 patents and 75 scientific publications to his name. He’s a graduate of Duke University and Washington University, where he earned a Ph.D. in plant biology.

Darius Adamczyk

Lynn Bamford

Michael Bell

Alex Bernhardt Jr.

Stephen Bratspies

Jim Bryan

Bill Bryan

Wes Carter

Ted Doheny

Frank Dowd IV

Geoff Foster

Matt Gregory

Companies making products account for 17% of the N.C. economy and employ about 450,000 workers, or 10% of the nonfarm payroll, according to the National Association of Manufacturers. Thousands of skilled manufacturing jobs remain open because of a worker shortage, employers say. This section highlights leaders of top companies making both global and local impacts.

Frank Harrison III

Stan Jewell

Gregg Lowe

Eugene Lowe III

Robert Luddy

Jerry Masters

Guy Meldrum

Gary Michel

Thomas Nelson

Ward Nye

Leib Oehmig

Jeff Scheffer

Jordan Schindler

Glenn Sherrill

Jim Shuford

Alex Shuford III

Eddie Smith

Harry Smith

Leon Topalian

Charles Treadway

Anderson Warlick

Howard Woltz III

ALEX BERNHARDT JR.

president, CEO | Bernhardt Furniture

Lenoir

Bernhardt is the fourth generation to run the North Carolina furniture company formed in 1889. It has eight North Carolina factories and employs more than 1,500 people. He became president in 2009 and CEO in 2012. He holds an MBA from UNC Chapel Hill.

DARIUS ADAMCZYK

chair, CEO | Honeywell

Charlotte

Polish native Adamczyk became an overnight state hero when he moved the Fortune 100 company’s headquarters from New Jersey to downtown Charlotte in 2018, two years after he became CEO. Adamczyk earned engineering degrees from Michigan State and Syracuse and an MBA from Harvard. He oversees about 99,000 employees worldwide.

STEPHEN BRATSPIES

CEO | HanesBrands

Winston-Salem

The former Walmart chief merchandising officer succeeded Gerald Evans Jr. in 2020 at the apparel company that reported revenue of $6.8 billion in 2021. It employs about 59,000 people in 33 countries. He is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College with an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania.

LYNN BAMFORD

president, CEO | Curtiss-Wright

Davidson

Bamford succeeded David Adams as head of the aerospace and defense contractor in January 2021. Curtiss-Wright has annual revenue of about $2.5 billion. Bamford holds a master’s in electrical engineering from George Mason University. She has 30 years of experience in the industry.

MICHAEL BELL

senior vice president, general manager | Corning Optical Communications

Charlotte

Bell joined Corning in 1991 in Hickory and became cable manufacturing manager for Corning Cable Systems America in 2004. He served as a U.S. Navy submarine officer and earned an MBA from UNC Chapel Hill.

BILL BRYAN

executive chair | Mt. Olive Pickles

Goldsboro

Bryan, former president of Mt. Olive, oversees the country’s largest independent pickle company, which was formed in 1926. Annually, it packages more than 110 million jars of pickles, relishes and peppers. He is a UNC Chapel Hill graduate.

JIM BRYAN

president | Fairystone Fabrics

Burlington

Bryan, 69. managed Fairystone for more than a decade before buying the business in 2011. He’s a Florida Southern College graduate who spent 17 years with Burlington Industries. Fairystone makes a variety of fabric products, including materials for automobile interiors.

WES CARTER

president | Atlantic Packaging

Wilmington

Carter, 43, started sweeping floors at age 14 at the company founded by his grandfather. The UNC Chapel Hill graduate and his father, Rusty, who is CEO, lead a company that employs 1,000 at 18 locations in the United States and the Caribbean.

Pre-workday motivation: Around 5 a.m.

I spend time in reflection and meditation followed by a sauna and cold plunge routine. I take one of our two kids to school most days and provide a rock-and-roll education on that ride. It’s one of the highlights of my day.

Key to industry success: Creativity and collaboration. At Atlantic Packaging, we are focused on creating solutions for our customers, and that almost always requires creative thinking. Those organizations don’t need just another commodity broker. They need support from companies willing to understand their challenges and create comprehensive programs.

Three people to share a meal: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and the Dalai Lama.

Proud family accomplishment: Our courage and humility. My father, Rusty, and grandfather, Horace Carter, have had immense success in their lives, both overcoming many obstacles. Both men set the example of what it means to be a humble warrior and a compassionate leader.

Favorite hobby: Surfing, skiing, fishing, hunting, hiking, climbing or just sitting under a tree. Sharing that with my wife and kids is a great joy for me.

Where to entertain a visitor: The south end of Wrightsville Beach on my parent’s porch looking out across Masonboro Inlet.

TED DOHENY

president, CEO | Sealed Air

Charlotte

Named to his post in 2018 after working for Joy Global and Ingersoll Rand, Doheny leads a company best known for Bubble Wrap. Its many products also include equipment that helps automate packaging. Doheny has an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a master’s in management from Purdue University.

FRANK DOWD IV

chair | Carolina Pipe & Foundry

Charlotte

Dowd is part of a fourth generation leading the manufacturer of pipes and fitting. The company is moving its Charlotte foundry to Stanly County with an investment topping $425 million. He’s a UNC Chapel Hill graduate with law and MBA degrees from the University of Virginia.

GEOFF FOSTER

president, CEO | Core Technology

Molding

Greensboro

The New Jersey native and his wife, Tonya, founded their business in 2006. It produces electronic connectors, syringe components and other products for clients including BMW and Merck. Foster, who has two degrees from N.C. A&T State University and a Wake Forest University MBA, holds a patent for a sealed electric motor that has been used in more than 31 million vehicles produced by Ford, Jaguar, Lincoln and Mercury.

Pre-workday motivation: Praying and working out.

Key to industry success: Consistently delivering quality at the highest level to meet and exceed our customer’s standards.

Best advice: “Block out the noise and stay focused.”

Three people to share a meal: Barack Obama, Derek Jeter and Oprah Winfrey.

Proud family accomplishment: Perseverance by completing college degrees while working full-time and also being a student-athlete.

Favorite hobby: Golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: N.C. A&T State University.

MATT GREGORY

chief customer officer, senior vice president of health and beauty | Clorox

Durham

The University of Tennessee graduate has led about 500 employees at the health and beauty company’s Durham office and Morrisville factory since 2017. Oakland, Calif.-based Clorox paid $1 billion to buy the Durham-based Burt’s Bees brand in 2007.

FRANK HARRISON III

chair, CEO | Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated

Charlotte

Harrison has chaired the nation’s largest Coca-Cola bottler since 1996. His family has controlled the franchise since his greatgrandfather introduced the soda to North Carolina in 1902. Revenue was $5.5 billion in 2021. He’s a UNC Chapel Hill graduate with an MBA from Duke University.

STAN JEWELL

president, CEO | Renfro Brands

Mount Airy

The former VF executive and Georgia Tech University graduate oversees a 2,000-employee sock manufacturer that celebrated its 100th-anniversary last year. Brands include Polo and Fruit of the Loom. New York-based investment company Renco Group bought Renfro last year.

GREGG LOWE

president, CEO | Wolfspeed

Durham

Lowe has shifted the company’s focus from lighting products to semiconductors since joining in 2017, including changing the name from Cree. He is a graduate of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Stanford University School of Business.

Pre-workday motivation: It’s truly a privilege to lead Wolfspeed, and I’m reminded every day how smart, talented and committed our people are to not just this company but to supporting this oncein-a-generation transition from silicon to silicon carbide. Wolfspeed teams show up each day — both remotely and in-person at our operations facilities — with passion, resilient spirits, ready to contribute and make an impact.

Key to industry success: A long-term view and a willingness to make big bets. Our new Mohawk Valley Fab [in New York] will be critical in keeping our competitive edge and supply the steepening demand curve for silicon carbide. This fab is coming online in the midst of a global chip shortage. The difference between it and recent competitor announcements to build fabs is that ours will be supplying customers in 2022, rather than in a few years. Wolfspeed is also expanding our mega materials factory in Durham. The demand for our devices and technology is only skyrocketing from here.

Best advice: ‘The mess you make is the mess you clean up,’ from my dad; ‘Your dad got that right,’ from my mom.

Three people to share a meal: Muddy Waters, Angela Merkel and Marie Curie.

Proud family accomplishment: I was one of 11 children, and all of them graduated from college. My parents were fantastic role models.

Favorite hobby: Serving as chair of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s education committee.

EUGENE LOWE III

president, CEO | SPX

Charlotte

The former Milliken & Co. executive oversees about 4,500 employees in 17 countries. Founded as an auto parts company, it now makes products for boilers and other heating and air conditioning necessities. He has a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Dartmouth.

ROBERT LUDDY

president | CaptiveAire Systems

Raleigh

The kitchen equipment company that Luddy founded in 1976 includes six factories, 90 sales offices and more than 1,400 employees nationwide. The U.S. Army veteran and LaSalle University graduate founded the Thales Academy, a chain of charter and private schools in the Carolinas and Tennessee.

KENT MASTERS

chair, CEO | Albemarle Corp

Charlotte

The specialty chemical manufacturer employs about 5,400 employees in 100 countries, producing lithium used in rechargeable batteries. The CEO since April 2020 and a director since 2015, Masters, 60, has degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology and New York University.

GUY MELDRUM

president, CEO | Reynolds American Winston-Salem

The New Zealander joined Reynolds’ parent, British American Tobacco, in 1998 and moved to the top spot in 2020. His BAT work included stints in Hong Kong and Australia. The Macquarie University graduate oversees 5,400 employees.

GARY MICHEL

chair, president, CEO | Jeld-Wen

Charlotte

The Virginia Tech University graduate became CEO in 2018, following 32 years at Ingersoll Rand. The window and door company had revenue of $4.7 billion in 2021. He oversees about 23,000 employees at 117 plants in more than 20 countries.

THOMAS NELSON

chair, CEO | National Gypsum

Charlotte

Nelson, 58, has led the large wallboard manufacturer since 1999, four years after his father-in-law, C.D. Spangler Jr., bought the business for $1.2 billion. The Chicago native is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard universities. He previously served as a White House Fellow and an assistant to the Secretary of Defense.

LEIB OEHMIG

president, CEO | Glen Raven Burlington

Oehmig, 55, joined Glen Raven right out of college and succeeded Allen Gant Jr. as CEO in 2017. Glen Raven, which produces Sunbrella and Dickson fabric lines, is expanding its plants in Warren County and Anderson County, South Carolina. Oehmig holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Clemson University.

Key to industry success: Great people and great values. Glen Raven has the distinction of remaining wholly owned by the family of its founder, John Q. Gant. Because of this, we are able to focus on purposedriven leadership in support of all of our employees, stakeholders and communities around the globe.

Best advice: To lead with care and compassion, from former CEO Allen Gant Jr. Being a hard charger in business and having high expectations of yourself and others do not have to be mutually exclusive from having a heart for people.

WARD NYE

chair, CEO | Martin Marietta Materials

Raleigh

Nye has led the 9,000-employee aggregates and construction supplies company since 2010, adding the chairman’s title in 2014. Annual revenue increased from $1.5 billion to $5.4 billion during his tenure. He practiced law in Raleigh before joining aggregates giant Hanson in the mid-1990s, then moved to Martin Marietta in 2006. Nye has chaired the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association and N.C. Chamber. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a Wake Forest University law degree.

Key to industry success: Having the right people in the right places with an aligned culture of continuous improvement and commitment to excellence. We’ve built our business in 11 of the nation’s 12 megaregions, which collectively will be home to over 70% of the nation’s population growth between now and 2050. People and place offer a powerful confluence of forces.

Best advice: Avoid the irretrievable decision.

Three people to share a meal: Alexander the Great, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill.

Proud family accomplishment: Having three happy, moral and productive children.

Favorite hobby: Whatever my family wants to do. Work keeps me away from home a lot, so I cherish the time at home and with my family.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Duke Gardens and Duke Chapel. They never cease to amaze and gratify any visitor.

Favorite hobby: Water sports and boating.

JEFF SCHEFFER

president, CEO | Universal Furniture High Point

The veteran furniture industry executive has led the Hong Kong-based company’s Universal division since 2008. The Miami University graduate served on the High Point Furniture Market board for seven years, including a stint as chair. He is on the board of the American Home Furnishings Alliance.

JORDAN SCHINDLER

CEO, founder | Nufabrx Conover

The Arizona native, 30, founded his health wear manufacturing company in 2011 from his dorm room at the University of Washington. Nufabrx ranked eighth in Deloitte’s list of fastest-growing U.S. companies in 2021. It makes medicatedinfused fabrics.

Pre-workday motivation: Honestly, I’m excited to check my emails every morning and see what’s happening at Nufabrx.

Key to industry success: One-hundred percent perseverance. We’re creating an entirely new technology and a new category. We always need to keep pushing forward.

Best advice: To get a business coach. Putting my ego aside and having someone there just to listen and provide insights has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Three people to share a meal: Michael Jordan, 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki and Robert Iger.

Proud family accomplishment: We unwaveringly support one another and truly enjoy each other’s company.

Favorite hobby: Travel. The goal is to visit every country in the world by age 40. Where to entertain a visitor: A Nufabrx facility tour and a Charlotte Knights’ game.

ALEX SHUFORD III

CEO | RHF Investments

Hickory

The Pomona College graduate is the third generation of his family to lead Rock House Farm, whose furniture brands include Century and Highland House. The company acquired Hickory Chair last year. RHF employs 1,750 at eight North Carolina factories.

JIM SHUFORD

CEO | Shurtape Technologies

Hickory

Shuford joined the family’s Shurtape division in 1994, two years after completing his MBA at UNC Chapel Hill. He’s led the expansion of some of its best-known brands, including Duck and Painter’s Mate. The Shuford family has been operating businesses in the Catawba Valley region since 1880.

GLENN SHERRILL

chair, CEO | SteelFab Charlotte

Sherrill has been CEO since 2017 at the family-owned steel fabrication business founded by his grandfather after World War II. It has worked on many of the tallest buildings in Charlotte and Atlanta. Sherrill chairs the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Charlotte board.

Pre-workday motivation: Trying to do the right thing every day.

Key to industry success: Treat our colleagues, suppliers/vendors, and clients like you want to be treated and do what you say you will do.

Best advice: Everyone makes mistakes, but you cannot make the same mistake twice.

Three people to share a meal: George Bush, Jamie Dimon and Jack Nicklaus.

Proud family accomplishment: Providing well-paid jobs and giving to nonprofits.

Favorite hobby: Golf.

EDDIE SMITH

owner, CEO | Grady-White Boats Greenville

Smith, 79, and his late wife, Jo Allison Smith, bought the boatbuilder in 1968, nine years after its inception. Its 450 workers turn out boats from 18 feet to 45 feet long that sell for as much as $1.6 million. The UNC Chapel Hill graduate is a major supporter of Tar Heel athletics with the field at Kenan Stadium named in honor of his son Chris, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2019.

Key to industry success: An unrelenting and total commitment to unsurpassed customer satisfaction.

Best advice: My father stressed integrity above all else, followed by how to treat employees and customers while focusing on quality.

Proud family accomplishment: Our entire family is committed to philanthropy, believing strongly in “to whom much is given, much is expected.”

Favorite hobby: Time with family and enjoying God’s great gifts of nature by boating, fishing and hunting.

LEON TOPALIAN

president, CEO | Nucor

Charlotte

The Massachusetts Maritime Academy graduate joined the company in 1996 and became CEO in January 2020 as the pandemic erupted. But the largest U.S. steel company has thrived with revenue soaring last year to a record $36.5 billion as profit totaled $6.8 billion.

CHARLES TREADWAY

president, CEO | CommScope

Hickory

Treadway had nearly two decades of experience as CEO for a variety of companies including Accudyne Industries before moving to CommScope in 2020. The Louisiana Lafayette graduate has a Harvard University MBA and master’s in electrical engineering from Clemson University.

HARRY SMITH

partner | Rise Capital Washington

The East Carolina University graduate co-founded Pamlico Air in 2019 after working as CEO of Flanders Filters, a publicly-traded air filter manufacturer. He and partner Travis Stephenson rapidly expanded Pamlico by establishing a half dozen plants employing more than 1,500 people. Mann + Hummel, a 22,000-employee German industrial firm, bought the business earlier this year.

Smith is a former chair of the UNC System Board of Governors who now leads Rise Capital, a private equity company.

Key to industry success: Innovation and world-class service.

Best advice: Operate on facts, not emotions. Be strong enough to stand on the facts, no matter how much noise is created by emotional operators. Facts always come out.

Three people to share a meal: Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and Elon Musk.

Proud family accomplishment: Our closeness.

Favorite hobby: Blue marlin fishing. Where to entertain a visitor: Havens Wharf, my office building constructed on the Washington waterfront in the 1800s.

ANDERSON WARLICK

chair, CEO | Parkdale Mills

Gastonia

The 1979 Citadel graduate has been a top executive for more than 30 years at the company led for years by his father-in-law Duke Kimbrell. Warlick and his wife are now sole owners. During the pandemic, he helped organize textile industry coalitions to make masks and swabs.

HOWARD WOLTZ III

chair, president, CEO | Insteel Industries

Mount Airy

Woltz, CEO since 1991, has helped build Insteel into the largest U.S. maker of steel wire reinforcing products. The UNC Chapel Hill graduate started at the public company founded by his father in 1953.

Shannon Atkinson

Casey Blake

Tim Boyum

Donald Curtis

Ric Elias

Jim Goodmon

Rose Hoban

Keith Holden

Afrique Kilimanjaro

Ju-Don Marshall

Albert ‘Trey’ Rabon

Whitney Shaw

Robyn Tomlin

Ted Williams

After years of consolidation, the state’s media landscape is largely dominated by out-of-state owners. Hedge funds own major publishers in Charlotte and Raleigh along with many peers in smaller cities. But there are some significant North Carolina-based private companies such as American City Business Journals and Capitol Broadcasting. Public broadcasters have gained clout and expanded staffs in recent years.

SHANNON ATKINSON

regional vice president of operations | Charter Communications

Raleigh

Atkinson was the area vice president of operations for Time Warner Cable prior to its acquisition by Charter in 2016. She assumed the current role in 2018. The Indiana University grad oversees Charter’s operations in the Carolinas and parts of Maryland and Virginia with a combined 2 million-plus customers.

DONALD CURTIS

chair, CEO | Curtis Media Group

Raleigh

The Bessemer City native started selling radio ads at age 15. His company now owns more than 60 AM and FM signals across North Carolina, ranking among the biggest independent U.S. radio operators. He hosts his own shows on public affairs and “oldie” music and has been a major volunteer and donor at UNC Chapel Hill.

CASEY BLAKE

North Carolina state team editor | Gannett

Asheville

Blake, formerly the editor and awardwinning columnist at the Asheville Citizen-Times, now serves as editor for Gannett’s statewide digital and print media operations. McLean, Va.-based Gannett operates about 16 N.C. properties following its 2019 merger with GateHouse Media. She is an Asheville native and Guilford College graduate whose mother was a longtime reporter in Asheville.

TIM BOYUM

anchor/Capital Tonight host | Spectrum News 1

Raleigh

Boyum and his signature bow ties are a mainstay of political reporting in North Carolina, where he is both an anchor for Spectrum News 1 and host of the fivenight-a-week Capital Tonight political discussion show. Capital Tonight began in 2012. Boyum, a Minnesota native and St. Cloud State University grad, has been cited by the Washington Post as one of North Carolina’s best political reporters.

RIC ELIAS

CEO | Red Ventures

Indian Land, South Carolina

Elias and business partner Dan Feldstein co-founded Red Ventures in 2001 from the ashes of an online discount business that failed during the dot.com crash. Now the company based in a Charlotte suburb is valued at more than $11 billion with dozens of digital websites, annual revenue topping $2 billion and more than 4,000 employees. Elias and his wife, Brenda, recently signed the “Giving Pledge,” joining other billionaires in agreeing to give away at least half of their fortune.

JIM GOODMON

CEO | Capitol Broadcasting Co.

Charlotte

An important leader in Triangle and state civic and business affairs for decades, Goodmon learned about broadcasting by working with his grandfather, Capitol founder A.J. Fletcher. Goodmon became CEO in 1979. With WRAL-TV and WRAL. com as its base, Capitol has diversified in real estate in downtown Durham and Rocky Mount, by owning the Durham Bulls baseball team and private-equity investing.

AFRIQUE KILIMANJARO

editor, publisher | Carolina Peacemaker

Greensboro

Kilimanjaro edits and manages the paper her father founded in 1967. It’s the longest-running weekly in Guilford County and one of the better-known African American papers in the state. Kilimanjaro graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a degree in biology and earned a master’s in health care from Emory University.

ROSE HOBAN

founder, editor | NC Health News

Chapel Hill

Hoban founded N.C. Health News, an online and subscription newsletter company devoted to health news in North Carolina. Hoban worked for more than a decade as a nurse then she went to journalism school and began reporting on health for WUNC. Hoban launched her non-profit after recognizing a need for more journalists on the health care beat.

KEITH HOLDEN

CEO | Focus Broadband

Shallotte

Holden became CEO of the state’s largest member-owned communications services company in 2018. Holden is a Brunswick County native with an undergraduate degree from N.C. State University and a master’s degree from UNC Wilmington. Focus, formerly called Atlantic Telephone Membership Cooperative, operates in southeastern North Carolina.

JU-DON MARSHALL

chief content officer, executive vice president | WFAE Public Radio

Charlotte

Longtime Washington Post news executive Marshall became chief content officer for WFAE, Charlotte’s NPR station, in 2016 and executive vice president in 2020. She is a Howard University graduate.

ALBERT ‘TREY’ RABON

North Carolina president | AT&T

Wake Forest

Rabon is a longtime employee of AT&T and its predecessors, including eight years leading the media giant’s public policy efforts in Raleigh. He was named to his current post in 2019. The Camden, South Carolina native has bachelor’s and MBA degrees from the University of South Carolina.

TED WILLIAMS

general manager | Axios Local

Charlotte

The Washington & Lee University graduate took $50,000 and experience at The Charlotte Observer to launch the Charlotte Agenda digital newsletter in 2015. Washington, D.C.-based newsletter publisher Axios bought the business last year for $5 million and named Williams to lead an expansion into 13 markets with plans for 11 more.

WHITNEY SHAW

president, CEO | American City Business Journals

Charlotte

Shaw succeeded his late father, Ray, as president and CEO of the biggest chain of local business newspapers in 2009. The 44 publications include papers and websites in Charlotte, the Triad and the Triangle. New York’s Newhouse family has owned ACBJ since 1995. The company employs more than 1,400 people. Shaw worked for The Charlotte News and started Business North Carolina in 1981 before joining his father in a local publishing business. He has a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and a master’s from UNC Chapel Hill.

ROBYN TOMLIN

vice president of local news | McClatchy

Raleigh

Chapel Hill native Tomlin was named McClatchy’s Carolinas regional editor in 2019, overseeing the Charlotte and Raleigh newspapers. Earlier in her career, she worked at Asheville and Wilmington newspapers, and later at the Dallas Morning News. McClatchy was acquired by New York-based hedge fund Chatham Asset Management last year.

Little gets done in North Carolina without a strong helping hand from nonprofit executives who play pivotal civic leadership roles. Their influence has mounted as assets of many foundations sharply increased with stock market valuations soaring over the last three years. North Carolina’s nonprofit sector is heavily focused on adding affordable housing, improving public education and historic racial inequities.

Elizabeth Brazas

Richard Brunson

Amy Cubbage

Heather Jacobs Deck

Keith Fishburne

Franklin Graham

Maurice ‘Mo’ Green

Brian Hamilton

Nelle Hotchkiss

Lenora Jarvis-Mackey

Thomas Lawrence

Rhett Mabry

Brian Maness

Michael Marsicano

Jim Melvin

Susan Mims

Mary Claudia ‘MC’ Belk Pilon

Julie Porter

Pilar Rocha-Goldberg

LaTida Smith

Peter Werbicki

Jennifer Tolle Whiteside

ELIZABETH BRAZAS

president, CEO | Community Foundation of Western NC

Asheville

The former Wachovia, Deloitte and Morgan Stanley staffer leads a group with about $448 million in assets used to support philanthropies throughout the state’s western region. Brazas has held her position at the 18-county organization for more than 12 years.

RICHARD BRUNSON

executive director | NC Baptists on Mission

Cary

Brunson has served in his current role for 30 years after holding other positions at the group. It is supporting Ukrainian refugees through volunteer teams in countries surrounding the conflict. He is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

AMY CUBBAGE

president | NC Partnership for Children

Raleigh

Cubbage’s role puts her in charge of Smart Start, North Carolina’s comprehensive system that prepares kids to enter school. She became president in 2020 and advocates for better childcare options. She has a law degree from Northeastern University.

FRANKLIN GRAHAM

president, CEO | Samaritan’s Purse

Boone

The son of evangelist Billy and Ruth Bell Graham has provided food, medicine and other assistance to more than 100 countries through Samaritan’s Purse. The nonprofit had revenue of $894 million in 2020. He also is the CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, a Christian outreach organization.

MAURICE ‘MO’ GREEN

executive director | Z. Smith

Reynolds Foundation

Winston-Salem

Green oversees an 86-year-old endowment topping $620 million that invests in groups and programs involved in community development, education, entrepreneurship and other projects with a mission to improve North Carolina. The former Greensboro school superintendent has bachelor’s and law degrees from Duke University.

Pre-workday motivation: I am motivated to do something that may improve the lives of North Carolinians through the work of the foundation.

Favorite hobby: Reading, watching sports Where to entertain a visitor: The International Civil Rights Center and Museum and the Greensboro Science Center.

HEATHER JACOBS DECK

executive director | Sound Rivers

Washington

Deck joined the group in 2003 and leads advocacy, volunteer and educational programs to protect the state’s watersheds. The Lycoming College graduate also has a master’s in environmental management from Duke University. She is a former Peace Corps volunteer.

KEITH FISHBURNE

president, CEO | Special Olympics

North Carolina

Morrisville

The UNC Chapel Hill graduate joined the group in 1989 and has been its leader since 1997. He is responsible for a $6.5 million budget and tens of thousands of volunteers. Nearly 40,000 individuals with disabilities participate annually in the group’s events.

BRIAN HAMILTON

founder | Brian Hamilton Foundation

Holly Springs

Hamilton started the Brian Hamilton Foundation and Inmates to Entrepreneurs, two nonprofits that promote entrepreneurship. He started Sageworks in 1998, calling it the first U.S. fintech company. Private equity firm Accel-KKR bought the financial data business in 2018.

Pre-workday motivation: A new day. A second chance on life and to improve on the day before.

Key to industry success: The best leaders really are servants; they service employees and customers.

Three people to share a meal: Steve Jobs, Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan.

Proud family accomplishment: My two boys are good people and driven to do their best.

Favorite hobby: Working on my farm with the animals.

NELLE HOTCHKISS

senior vice president of association services, chief operating officer | North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives

Raleigh

The Richmond, Va. native has been with the trade association since 1996 and manages communications, economic development and other tasks. The group presents 26 member coops. She is a graduate of Skidmore College.

Pre-workday motivation: A brisk walk and a good cup of coffee.

Key to industry success: Vision and the leadership to implement it in a creative and purposeful way.

Best advice: Never ask anything from anyone you wouldn’t be willing to ask of yourself.

Three people to share a meal: Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban and Bishop Tutu.

Favorite hobby: Making music. I love the creative outlet and performing different genres.

Where to entertain a visitor: My back patio garden with a fire pit and a home-cooked meal — pets welcome.

LENORA JARVIS-MACKEY

president, CEO | River City Community Development Corp.

Elizabeth City

She’s led the nonprofit for 30 years, serving the northeast N.C. region through programs that prioritize job development, youth engagement, health and wellness. In 2021, she led the effort to open the Northeast N.C. Trades Training Center in Elizabeth City to train individuals in plumbing and other trades.

THOMAS LAWRENCE

president | The Leon Levine Foundation

Charlotte

The University of Richmond graduate started at the foundation in 2002 as its first full-time employee after working for the Arthur Andersen accounting firm. Assets top $500 million and annual grants exceed $25 million with funds provided by the founder of Family Dollar Stores.

RHETT MABRY

CEO | Duke Endowment

Charlotte

The Greensboro native joined the $5.6 billion endowment in 1992 and became the top executive in 2016. He is a trustee at Duke University, which has received $1.5 billion from the endowment. Since its inception in 1924, the organization has provided $4.2 billion in total grants.

BRIAN MANESS

president, CEO | Children’s Home Society of North Carolina

Greensboro

Maness has helped expand the society’s mission of helping foster and adopt children to a variety of programs focused on strengthening families. He joined the group in 2002 and became CEO in 2014. He has an MBA from UNC Greensboro.

MICHAEL MARSICANO

president, CEO | Foundation for the Carolinas Charlotte

Marsicano, who is retiring in January, helped grow assets under advisement by more than 10 times to $3.6 billion since taking his post in 1999. He’s also initiated many civic projects in the Charlotte region. He has bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Duke University.

JIM MELVIN

president | The Joseph M. Bryan Foundation

Greensboro

The former banker was mayor from 1971 to 1981 and earned the title “Mr. Greensboro” for his decades of civic leadership. He later joined the foundation funded by a JeffersonPilot Corp. executive and heir. The group has played a key role in helping attract Elon Law School and the pending Toyota electric battery plant in nearby Randolph County.

Pre-workday motivation: Having goals. Key to industry success: Hard work. Best advice: Be nice to everyone.

Proud family accomplishment: We all love and respect each other.

Favorite hobby: Golf

Where to entertain a visitor: The Greensboro Grasshoppers minor-league baseball stadium.

SUSAN MIMS

CEO | Dogwood Health Trust

Asheville

The UNC Chapel Hill graduate was named permanent CEO in February. The group formed after the 2018 sale of Mission Health and has about $1.5 billion in assets. It has approved multiyear grants of $102 million. She previously worked for Mission Health and other health care groups.

MARY CLAUDIA ‘MC’ BELK PILON

president, board chair | John M. Belk Foundation

Charlotte

The daughter of the former Charlotte mayor and Belk department store CEO and his wife, Claudia, Pilon has led the $350 million foundation since 2012. It helps strengthen the workforce and improve access to secondary education. She’s a Roanoke College graduate.

LATIDA SMITH

president | The Winston-Salem Foundation

Winston Salem

Smith was picked last year after a national search at the $600 million community foundation. She had been president of the Scranton, Pa.-based Moses Taylor Foundation. The 103-year-old Forsyth County foundation focuses on building an inclusive economy and advancing equity in education.

JULIE PORTER

president | DreamKey Partners

Charlotte

The Wichita State University graduate has led the nonprofit housing group since April 2013 after working for a similar organization in Kansas City. DreamKey was formerly called Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership. Among its tasks is administering $22 million in federal funds for rent relief related to the pandemic.

PETER WERBICKI

president, CEO | Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC

Raleigh

Werbicki has been CEO since 2007, helping the organization provide food to at-risk individuals in 34 counties on an annual budget that reached $25 million in the pandemic. Feeding America named it Food Bank of the Year for 2020, the same year that Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott gave the group $25 million.

Key to industry success: “It takes a village.” Dedicated and committed financial donors, volunteers, staff and partner agencies.

Proud family accomplishment: Their unwavering patience, support and strength.

Favorite hobby: Jogging, hiking, cycling and other outdoor activities.

Where to entertain a visitor: Blue Ridge Mountains.

PILAR ROCHA-GOLDBERG

president, CEO | El Centro Hispano

Durham

El Centro serves the Hispanic/Latin communities in the Triangle through programs in economic development, health and advocacy. Rocha-Goldberg became CEO in 2009 after working as a nutritionist at Duke University Medical Center. The Colombian native is a Durham Technical Community College trustee.

JENNIFER TOLLE WHITESIDE

president, CEO | North Carolina Community Foundation

Raleigh

Assets at the statewide foundation started by Raleigh banker Lewis “Snow” Holding in 1988 now top $400 million through more than 1,200 endowments. Whiteside became CEO in 2007 after leading Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina. She leads a 30-person staff.

Accountants, architects, engineers, marketers and others handle the nitty-gritty work that makes the business world fly. This section spotlights key leaders of many industries who work for North Carolina-based companies and international powerhouses. One obvious trend: More leaders with multistate responsibilities are choosing North Carolina as their base.

Jennifer Appleby

Natalie Batten

Matthew Beach

Tripp Beacham

Tom Calloway

Gary Cline

Malcomb Coley

Neil Deans

Turan Duda

Caroline Helwig Dudley

Jeff Floyd

Rick French

John Gaulden

Eric Grindley

Paul Koch

Phil Kuttner

Brooks Luquire

Bonnie McElveen-Hunter

David Mullen

Jeffrey Paine

Joe Paradise

Crawford Pounds

Brandon Rucker

Matt Ryan

Sepi Saidi

Lee Sisco

Matt Snow

Willy Stewart

Randall Taylor

Donald Thompson

Whitley Wood

JENNIFER APPLEBY

president, chief creative officer | Wray Ward

Charlotte

Appleby joined the advertising agency in 1993, took on her current roles in 2001 and is now majority owner leading nearly 150 colleagues. She’s a past board chair of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the city’s Arts & Science Council and serves on the executive committee of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.

Pre-workday motivation: A brisk walk or workout, at least three cups of coffee and knowing how lucky I am to be doing what I love every day with incredibly talented people.

Key to industry success: Creativity. More than ever, brands need to find creative and engaging ways to differentiate themselves, stand out and win hearts and minds.

Best advice: My father taught me through his actions the importance of getting involved in and giving back to the community. It enriched my life in so many ways including personal growth and building strong and lasting relationships.

Three people to share a meal: Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Mick Jagger.

Proud family accomplishment: My husband made an ultimate sacrifice 22 years ago, stepping away from his career to be a stay-at-home dad. His presence, love and involvement in our daughters’ academic and sports activities have had a remarkable effect on the bright young women they are today. It also allowed me to focus on my career and business.

Favorite hobby: Cheering on my daughters as they played competitive and collegiate soccer and field hockey.

Where to entertain a visitor: An arts or a sporting event uptown, a walk on Queens Road West or up to our cottage on Lake Norman for a day on the water.

NATALIE BATTEN

managing director | Accenture

Raleigh

The UNC Chapel Hill graduate leads the 500-plus employee Raleigh office for the Ireland-based information-technology and consulting business, where she’s worked since 1998. She leads the company’s state of North Carolina account and is vice chair of NC TECH’s board of directors.

MATTHEW BEACH

executive vice president, enterprise growth operations | Parsons

Charlotte

Beach joined the Centerville, Va.-based company in 2008 and worked in Saudi Arabia before moving to Charlotte in 2015. The unit he leads is focused on security, defense and infrastructure engineering. He has degrees from Boston University and the University of Colorado.

TRIPP BEACHAM

Managing principal | BB+M

Charlotte

With degrees from N.C. State University and UNC Charlotte, Beacham leads an architectural group with partners Brian Bunce and Roger Manley that employs more than 70. Beacham joined in 2005 after working for Jenkins-Peer Architects.

Pre-workday motivation: Coffee. Then of course the amazing responsibility we have to deliver for our clients every day. That sounds hokey, but it is instant adrenaline. ` Key to industry success: Don’t take yourself too seriously and just go kick ass for your clients every day. Build a team around that idea and the rest takes care of itself. Sounds simplistic, but I am amazed at how it seems to set us apart.

Best advice: Check your ego at the door.

Three people to share a meal: Leonardo da Vinci, Anthony Bourdain and Keith Richards.

Proud family accomplishment: I have twin 17-year-olds that will still talk to me. And a wife that generally will.

Favorite hobby: Traveling with my family along with making and eating great food. Where to entertain a visitor: The Crunkleton — Old Fashioned, oysters and maybe the tomahawk.

TOM CALLOWAY

principal | CJMW Architecture Winston-Salem

Calloway and his team are responsible for many Twin City-area developments including Center City West, BB&T Park and Liberty Plaza. He’s also designed various college buildings across the state. The N.C. State University graduate has been with the architecture group since 1971.

GARY CLINE

chair, founding partner | Cline Design Raleigh

The architecture firm’s leader changed roles in February, naming longtime colleague Michael Mesnard as managing partner. Formed in 1989, the business has grown to 65 employees in Raleigh and Charlotte, and has designed recent projects such as the Peace Raleigh Apartments and NHX NorthTower apartments in the North Hills area.

TURAN DUDA

founding principal | Duda|Paine

Architects

Durham

Duda co-founded his company with Jeffrey Paine in 1997 after working for 15 years with renowned Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli. He has taught and studied internationally. He has a bachelor’s from N.C. State University and a master’s from Yale University.

MALCOMB COLEY

central region private leader, Charlotte managing partner | Ernst & Young

Charlotte

The UNC Wilmington graduate chairs the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, continuing a civic leadership tradition since arriving in the Queen City in 2013. He is a partner with Hugh McColl Jr. and Lloyd Yates in the Bright Hope Capital investment firm.

CAROLINE HELWIG DUDLEY

managing director | Accenture

Charlotte

The Duke alumna is responsible for leading the company’s North American recruiting organization and its talent acquisition transformation strategy. Dudley has been with the company since 2000.

Pre-workday motivation: I’m hooked on my Oura Ring and checking out how much deep sleep I get each night. And can’t leave out big hugs from the kids and getting my to-do list together.

Key to industry success: Listening — really listening. Sometimes that includes listening for things that are unspoken.

Best advice: Everyone stumbles. What people remember is how you move forward, not that you fell.

Three people to share a meal: Serena Williams, Dalai Lama and Jane Elliott.

Proud family accomplishment: My family’s work mentality. Even if they are not always the strongest, fastest or smartest, they put in the hard work.

Favorite hobby: Renovating and building houses.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Whitewater Center.

NEIL DEANS

senior vice president | Kimley-Horn

Raleigh

Deans has been with the Raleigh-based planning and engineering firm since 1993. The N.C. State University graduate is responsible for 10 offices in the Carolinas, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. It has more than 90 U.S. offices.

JEFF FLOYD

principal, vice president, Charlotte office leader | LS3P

Charlotte

Floyd has more than 39 years of industry experience and has focused on office buildings and operations centers. He’s designed 57 office buildings in Charlotte’s Ballantyne neighborhood. The business has 350 employees in nine locations.

RICK FRENCH

chair, CEO | French-West Vaughan

Raleigh

French founded the marketing agency in 1997. It now employs more than 100 people. He leads a film production business and is a national trustee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.

Pre-workday motivation: I typically browse five different newspapers each morning while drinking my coffee.

Key to industry success: Being able to see around corners and anticipate how the various audiences we touch will likely respond to our creative ideas.

Three people to share a meal: Buddy Holly (because I’m producing a biopic on him) Abraham Lincoln and Steven Spielberg.

Proud family accomplishment: My daughters, Megan and Lauren, are upand-coming executives at French/West/ Vaughan.

Favorite hobby: Ice hockey, baseball, softball, tennis and golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: Prestonwood Country Club for golf, tennis or dining; City Club Raleigh, PNC Arena for Carolina Hurricanes games and Walnut Creek Amphitheater for summer concerts.

ERIC GRINDLEY

founder, CEO | Esquire Advertising

Raleigh

The University of Florida law graduate founded Esquire Advertising in 2012. With a focus on helping furniture and mattress retailers attract clients, it was named among the fastest-growing privately held companies in North Carolina by Inc. magazine in 2020 and 2021.

Pre-workday motivation: I wake up every day feeling inspired to be better than yesterday.

Key to industry success: Motivation, confidence, and the ability to innovate and generate new ideas. You need to be confident in your ability to execute an idea, motivated to complete the necessary tasks to push that idea forward, and you always need to be thinking about how you can expand on it. AdTech is a newer and more sophisticated industry creating software that informs important marketing and advertising decisions.

Proud family accomplishment: Their hard work and dedicated involvement in their community.

Favorite hobby: Disc golf.

PAUL KOCH

vice president | Stantec Consulting Services

Raleigh

The Edmonton, Alberta-based planning and engineering company has the N.C. State University bachelor’s and master’s graduate overseeing a five-state region that includes about 600 employees. He focuses on management for transportation projects such as the Global Transpark Rail Spur in Kinston.

JOHN GAULDEN

principal, managing director | Gensler Charlotte

Charlotte

Bringing more than 30 years of industry experience, Gaulden is a co-managing director for the San Francisco-based architecture, design and planning firm’s Charlotte office. He is a Clemson University graduate with a master’s degree in architecture from Rice University.

PHIL KUTTNER

partner, CEO | Little

Charlotte

The Clemson University graduate joined founder Bill Little in 1983 and now leads an architectural firm with 375 employees in six locations. He’s also active in local and national efforts of the American Institute of Architects and has been president of the Catawba Lands Conservancy.

BROOKS LUQUIRE

CEO | Luquire

Charlotte

Luquire became CEO of the family-owned business in December while his father, Steve Luquire, moved up to the chair post. The Penn State University graduate joined the former LGA agency in 2008 after marketing jobs at MillerCoors, Bank of America and the Carolina Panthers.

Pre-workday motivation: Hugs from my family.

Three people to share a meal: Brooks Robinson (namesake), Vicki Luquire (my mom who passed in 2014) and Whit Johnson (ABC News anchor — just seems like a smart, fun guy).

Proud family accomplishment: The kindness and care they always express towards others — it’s so motivating to me to want to be and always do better.

Favorite hobby: Riding and walking trails with my kids.

Where to entertain a visitor: Any of our favorite neighborhood spots in Plaza Midwood.

DAVID MULLEN

president,

partner

| The Variable

Winston-Salem

The University of South Carolina graduate, 42, became the creative agency’s president in 2017 and has built the firm to more than 80 staffers. It signed Napa Auto Parts as a client in February. He and his Variable colleagues and banker Dan Driscoll also operate the 100Watt business incubator.

Pre-workday motivation: Our daughters and puppy don’t let me sleep in. They’re a lot of fun to wake up to in the morning.

Key to industry success: The ability to outpace our clients’ business complexity. We have to be the partner who stays ahead of the curve through incredibly talented people, experiences with a wide range of business challenges, expanding capabilities to address needs and the flexibility to pivot as challenges and opportunities shift.

Best advice: The best way to predict the future is to create it.

Three people to share a meal: Jay-Z, Iliza Shlesinger and Mark Cuban.

Proud family accomplishment: Our daughters are turning into smart, empathetic, passionate, fun, well-rounded young women.

Favorite hobby: My daughters’ hobbies and sports. If I have a Saturday to myself, I’m probably sneaking in a mediocre golf score. Where to entertain a visitor: Innovation Quarter or the trails at Reynolda Village before dinner at Mozelle’s.

BONNIE MCELVEEN-HUNTER

president, CEO | Pace Communications

Greensboro

Since forming the content marketing and publishing business in 1973, she’s built one of the nation’s top women-owned companies. A former U.S. Ambassador to Finland and president of the American Red Cross, she listed her Irving Park neighborhood home for $7.5 million last August. It had not sold as of early April.

JEFFREY PAINE

founding principal | Duda|Paine

Architects

Durham

At the business he formed with Turan Duda in 1997, Paine has helped design millions of square feet of projects. He has a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University. Among his award-winning projects is the Emory University student center in Atlanta.

MATT RYAN

president,

CEO

| S&ME

Raleigh

The George Mason University graduate has more than 30 years of experience in engineering and construction industries and has led the employee-owned, 10-state company for about four years. He formerly worked for HDR in the Washington, D.C., and Charlotte markets.

A. JOSEPH PARADISE

Carolinas managing partner | KPMG

Charlotte

Paradise, 48, became a partner in 2005 and led the Raleigh office before taking his current post in Charlotte in 2016. The Florida State University graduate oversees about 10 offices with more than 1,000 employees in the Carolinas split between advisory, audit and tax work.

SEPI SAIDI

CEO | Sepi

Raleigh

Saidi founded her company in 2001 and has grown it to more than 250 employees and seven offices throughout the Southeast. Saidi is chair of the N.C. Chamber’s Board of Directors.

LEE SISCO

east region federal director | HDR

Charlotte

The former Naval officer and nuclear submarine operator joined Omahabased HDR in 2016 to manage the architectural and engineering company’s federal business in the eastern U.S. He’s a University of Arizona graduate with a master’s from the National Defense University.

CRAWFORD POUNDS

Charlotte managing partner | PricewaterhouseCoopers

Charlotte

Pounds has been a fixture at the consulting firm for more than 30 years. The University of Alabama graduate has overseen the Charlotte office since 2014 and previously led the Carolinas and Southeast markets.

MATT SNOW

CEO | DHG

Charlotte

The Dixon Hughes Goodman CPA firm, with 2,100 employees and $504 million in revenue in 2021, is merging with 3,300-employee BKD of Springfield, Mo., on June 1. The Wake Forest University graduate, 58, who joined DHG in 2007 and became CEO in 2014, will be chair of the combined company.

BRANDON RUCKER

partner, audit practice leader | RSM

Charlotte

A partner since 2006, he oversees more than 700 audit professionals and is a board member at RSM US, which is part of a global network of audit, tax and consulting firms. He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University in his home state.

WILLY STEWART

CEO, chair | Stewart

Raleigh

The Colombian native and N.C. State University graduate started his engineering practice in 1994. Stewart, 62, has about 220 employees at six offices. Their projects include the Raleigh-Durham International Airport’s newest terminal. Stewart’s leadership work includes serving as board chair at WakeMed Health and Hospitals.

DONALD THOMPSON

chair | Walk West

CEO, co-founder

| The Diversity Movement Raleigh

Thompson left East Carolina University early to work full time. He later became a top executive at two Triangle tech firms that were acquired by Adobe and India’s KPIT. He was the second employee at the Walk West digital-marketing company, which has ranked on the Inc. 5000 list of fast-growing U.S. companies. In 2019 he joined four others to form The Diversity Movement consultancy, which has attracted more than 100 clients seeking a more equitable work environment.

Pre-workday motivation: I’m causemotivated. Our mission is to create workplace excellence through a diversity, equity and inclusion lens. I feel energized and fortunate to work with some amazing folks, but also really important executives and clients that are trying to find their way in the DEI space. Chasing our vision of workplace excellence gets me jazzed every day.

Key to industry success: We are unique in our focus on linking business outcomes with diversity equity and inclusion programming. Our outlook is that DEI should be treated with the same rigor and expectation for measurable outcomes as the other strategic initiatives. Our goal is becoming better each day and people respect that and want to work with companies and leaders that feel that way.

RANDALL TAYLOR

senior vice president, chief operating officer | Aecom

Raleigh

The N.C. State University graduate took his current role in 2020 and has helped diversify the Dallas-based engineering and consulting company’s business in the Southeast. Aecom is among the 200 biggest U.S. companies with 2021 revenue of $13 billion.

Best advice: Be more thoughtful. This bit of advice has been particularly important in today’s world where everyone is thinking about choices, challenges and opinions, and generally finding themselves overwhelmed, filled with anxiety, and feeling more stress than ever.

Three people to share a meal: Colin Powell, Michael Jordan and Liz Cheney.

Proud family accomplishment: I have been able to raise kids that are independent thinkers. They have become strong enough in their self-images and their self-esteem to chart their own path and think through problems and issues with their own lenses. I’m particularly proud that they are not calling me every day and asking for money!

Favorite hobby: Racquetball. Some of the top players in the state are in our local group (I’m ranked No. 23). A second favorite is bourbon. I’m a budding connoisseur.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Pit in downtown Raleigh.

WHITLEY WOOD principal, co-managing director | Gensler Charlotte Charlotte

The UNC Greensboro interior-design graduate has more than 15 years of experience in managing and designing workplace environments with a specialty on financial services. Gensler and other design firms are benefiting as companies shift to remote and hybrid work models.

Brian Allen

Andy Andrews

Rob Barnhill

Jon Bell

Kirk Bradley

Calvin Brodie

Andrea Bushnell

Tommy Camp

Roy Carroll II

David Cuthbertson

Pat Dean

Brett Gray

Clay Grubb

Neal Hanks

John ‘Johno’ Harris III

Greg Hatem

Sam Hunter

David Jones

John Kane

Greg Keith Jr.

Fred Klein

Ted Klinck

Steve McClure

Tim Minton

Chase Monroe

Compie Newman

Michael Overton

Peter Pappas

Greg Peele

Gregory Poole III

Bob Portman

Gary Rabon

David Ravin

Pat Riley

Pat Rodgers

Edwin Rose

Arthur Samet

Greg Sanchez

Dave Simpson

Tim Smith

Thomas Taft Jr.

Robin Team

Eddie Vannoy

Tammy Whitworth

Chris Wooten

Property values in North Carolina continued to soar over the last year, creating an unprecedented bullish real estate environment. The average home value in most of the state’s largest metropolitan areas increased by more than 15% over the last year, according to Attom Data Solutions research. Rental rates showed similar gains. The number of homes for sale remained depressed even as new starts picked up. This section includes many successful North Carolina contractors, developers and brokerage executives.

BRIAN ALLEN

president | Precision Walls

Cary

The Cary native and Campbell University graduate joined the family business after graduating from Campbell University in 1996. In 2019 ownership transferred to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan to improve retirement benefits and succession planning. It has more than 1,000 employees and 11 offices in four states.

ALEX ‘ANDY’ ANDREWS IV

chair, CEO | Dominion Realty Partners

Raleigh

The former tennis pro started his business in 2005 and has become a leading regional developer with offices in Raleigh, Charlotte and Richmond, Va. The Woodberry Forest School graduate has raised more than $9 million for tennis programs involving low-income children.

Pre-workday motivation: Being fortunate to do what I do every day.

Key to industry success: Creativity in solving problems.

Best advice: Make the most out of your opportunities.

Three people to share a meal: Roger Federer, Jack Nicklaus and Elon Musk.

Proud family accomplishment: How we all dealt with the loss of my 31-year-old daughter who died of cancer.

Favorite hobby: Golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: Carolina Hurricanes hockey game.

ROB BARNHILL

president | Barnhill Contracting

Rocky Mount

He’s had his post since 2010 at the company founded by his grandfather and previously led by his father, Bob. The company’s work on the Greg Poole Jr. All Faiths Chapel at Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park was named a “Best Building Project” by the Carolinas Association of General Contractors in January.

JON BELL

executive chair | Bell Partners

Greensboro

The UNC Chapel Hill MBA transitioned to his role in January after serving as CEO for six years. He has worked for the company started by his father, Steve, since 2001. It has raised $3.5 billion for apartments and other real estate investments since 2006.

KIRK BRADLEY

chair, CEO | Lee-Moore Capital

Sanford

The University of Georgia graduate and Duke University MBA has spent his professional career at his family’s business, which started in 1932 as Lee-Moore Oil Company. In 2006, he sold the gasoline division. His best-known project is the Governors Club golf-course community in Chapel Hill. He was named to the UNC System Board of Governors last year.

Pre-workday motivation: Finding a scalable solution to workforce and affordable housing.

Key to industry success: Real estate is a team sport. Having a wide and deep professional network is key.

Best advice: Do your best to help everybody you can.

Three people to share a meal: Benjamin Franklin, Elon Musk and Peter Thiel.

Proud family accomplishment: That we all love and enjoy each other’s company. Lots of fun and laughter when we are together.

Favorite hobby: Reading, travel, hunting and golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: Duke Chapel.

CALVIN BRODIE

president | Brodie Contractors

Raleigh

After starting his masonry business in 1989, he’s employing more than 300 people with projects across the state. He’s overseen lots of education and health care construction including many UNC System and Wake County buildings. He grew up in Franklin County, graduating from Bunn High School.

ANDREA BUSHNELL

CEO | NC Realtors

Greensboro

The Montana State University graduate earned a law degree at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Ore. She worked at Oregon’s Realtors association for nearly 14 years before joining the N.C. group in 2010.

Key to industry success: As the CEO of the state’s largest trade association, I have learned to have incredible respect for the challenges facing our 57,000 members every day in their professional lives. It is critical to understand those challenges in order to create and implement solutions. Empathy, creativity, patience, openmindedness and the ability to quickly analyze an issue and rapidly respond are all essential to success.

Best advice: My parents encouraged me to travel, to be an intrepid explorer, to respect and experience the natural world and to always be open to new ideas, experiences and opportunities.

Proud family accomplishment: My kids all know their way around the kitchen. All four enjoy cooking. Truly, my husband and kids are making their way in the world successfully and happily. What more could a wife and mom ask for?

Favorite hobby: Tennis.

TOMMY CAMP

president, CEO | Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Carolinas Realty

Charlotte

The University of South Carolina graduate has led what was previously Prudential Carolinas Realty since 2005. Warren Buffett’s company bought the business in 2915. He oversees more than 900 agents across 15 offices.

ROY CARROLL II

founder, president, CEO | The Carroll Companies

Greensboro

The Greensboro native is a major Triad developer, with more than $4 billion in real estate assets owned or under development. In February he said he was converting a former Macy’s store in Greensboro into a storage rental business, including space for collector cars.

DAVID CUTHBERTSON

co-owner | True Homes

Monroe

Cuthbertson helped start the business that became the 39th largest U.S. home builder in 2020 with 2,004 sales and $508 million in revenue, according to Builder magazine. He helped start American Community Bancshares in 1998 — it was sold in 2009 — and then American Bank & Trust in 2019.

PAT DEAN

senior vice president, national operations | Balfour Beatty

Charlotte

Dean joined the London-based contractor as the company’s Carolinas business unit leader in 2006. In 2020, the Kansas State University graduate took his nationalscope job. The company has worked on office towers for SPX, MetLife, Bank of America and other N.C. employers.

BRETT GRAY

managing principal | Cushman & Wakefield

Charlotte

The UNC Chapel Hill graduate joined the national real estate services firm in 2012 and has had his current role since 2017. He oversees offices in the six major Carolinas metro areas.

Pre-workday motivation: Read the news, answer critical emails and work out.

Key to industry success: Character, drive and energy.

Best advice: Success is made up of lots of failures. Embrace and learn from it as it will lead you to success.

Three people to share a meal: Chris Farley, George Clooney and Michael Jordan.

Proud family accomplishment: My daughter. It’s incredible to watch life through her eyes.

Favorite hobby: Family, friends, Tar Heels and Panthers games, concerts and traveling.

Where to entertain a visitor: Charlotte’s South End.

W. CLAY GRUBB

CEO | Grubb Properties

Charlotte

The Tulane University and UNC School of Law graduate became leader of his family’s real estate business in 1993. The 240-employee company has closed more than 3.5 million square feet of properties in 17 cities with a focus on apartments that fall between the affordable and luxury sectors.

NEAL HANKS

principal owner, president | Beverly-Hanks Realtors

Asheville

Hanks, 58, joined Beverly-Hanks in 1987 and took over as president in 1999. The former president of the Asheville Board of Realtors is an Appalachian State University graduate. The agency has annual volume topping $1 billion.

JOHN ‘JOHNO’ HARRIS III

president | Lincoln Harris

Charlotte

Harris took over as president of the company in 2015 after serving as chief operating officer and working for Fortress Investment Group. His father, Johnny Harris, is CEO and chair of the partnership with Dallas-based Lincoln Property.

GREG HATEM

founder, managing partner | Empire Properties

Raleigh

The Roanoke Rapids native and N.C. State University engineering graduate founded his real-estate business in 1995. The company owns about 70 buildings with more than 1 million square feet of space in Raleigh and Durham, including several restaurants.

Key to industry success: Taking the long view. Our goal has been to revitalize communities. A big part of that is bringing on people that are incredibly talented and share the same long-view perspective.

Best advice: My mother’s mom would always say, “Do the best you can with what you’ve got.” This sweet, yet strong, woman from a small village in Lebanon, whose mom passed away when she was 8 years old during the last pandemic, actually lived it. We often hear “Do your best.” But she recognized, at an early age, that “your best” is not a constant. It varies with what you have and where you are in life.

Three people to share a meal: Philippe Halsman. He was unparalleled at photographing some of the world’s most prominent people and capturing both their whimsical side and their deepest thoughts on film. Danny Thomas. The son of Lebanese immigrants reached the highest levels of entertainment and was grounded enough to create St Jude’s Hospital for children. Joni Mitchell. I just love her.

Favorite hobby: Photography. I have been shooting seriously since I was a teenager. My father thought if I was taking photos, I wouldn’t get in trouble. I have photographed a national title in ‘83 along with Popes, presidents, Nobel laureates, and, most importantly, my kids.

DAVID JONES

CEO | Coldwell Banker Howard Perry Walston

Cary

Jones, 63, started with the real estate agency as the controller in 1987, became president in 2000 and took his current role in 2019.The former Ernst & Whinney audit manager is a Wake Forest University graduate. The company has more than a dozen Triangle offices.

JOHN KANE

CEO | Kane Realty

Raleigh

The Wake Forest University graduate started his company in 1978 and has become Raleigh’s best-known developer with his North Hills, center city and Downtown South projects mixing office, housing and entertainment. He’s planning a big mixed-used development at the former JCPenney site in North Hills.

GREG KEITH JR.

president, CEO | The Keith Corp

Charlotte

Keith has helped develop 350-plus projects totaling more than $3.7 billion across 37 states. With bachelor’s and law degrees from Wake Forest University, he founded the business in 1989 with his father, Graeme. It has general contracting and corrections-facility management subsidiaries.

Pre-workday motivation: Like most people, I find it challenging to manage all that I have to do. My daily time in prayer with the Lord settles my mind, helps me focus and prepares me for the day.

Key to industry success: Our people and our reputation is key. Veritas Vincit (truth prevails) is our motto. Our word is our honor. This has resulted in sustained and successful business relationships.

Best advice: The happiest you will ever be in your life is when you bring joy to others’ lives.

Three people to share a meal: Billy Graham and Jesus.

Proud family accomplishment: We all love and respect each other. I am blessed that I get the honor and privilege of working alongside my dad and two sons each day. I am equally proud of my daughters — for who they are and what they’ve accomplished in their lives.

My favorite hobby: Walking and praying. Where to entertain a visitor: My farm.

SAM HUNTER

chair, CEO | T.A. Loving Co.

Goldsboro

With bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Virginia Tech, he leads one of the 400 largest U.S. contractors, which was founded in 1925. He became CEO in 1990 and chair in 2014. He’s a past president of the Carolinas Associated General Contractors and AGC of America.

FRED KLEIN

founding partner | Childress Klein

Charlotte

A Princeton University graduate with a Wharton MBA, the Navy veteran formed the business in 1988 with Atlanta’s Don Childress. The company employs more than 250 people and has developed 450-plus projects, including the new Duke Energy tower in Charlotte. Klein is a UNC Charlotte trustee.

TED KLINCK

CEO, president | Highwood Properties

Raleigh

Klinck joined the real estate investment trust in 2012 after working at Goddard Investment Group and Morgan Stanley. The University of Georgia graduate became CEO in 2018 and has overseen the closing of more than $15 billion of transactions in the past decade.

STEVE MCCLURE

CEO | The Spectrum Cos.

Charlotte

McClure, 41, joined the 40-year-old development firm in 2004 and led its residential division and was chief operating officer before taking his current role in 2021. He has a bachelor’s from Wake Forest University and a Duke University MBA.

Pre-workday motivation: I start my day with a healthy breakfast, five minutes of meditation, a scan of The Wall Street Journal and some time with my wife and kids before school. Three days a week, I hit the gym before work.

Best advice: “You can do anything, but not everything,” from the late Charlotte developer David Allen. It crystallizes the importance of setting priorities, making choices and setting appropriate goals.

Proud family accomplishment: It is gratifying to see my kids, ages 7 and 10, already working hard to make good choices. It can be as simple as choosing to read versus watch TV or choosing to include a friend on the playground who is being left out. My wife and I want our family to make a positive difference in this world.

TIM MINTON

executive vice president | NC Home Builders Association

Raleigh

The Elon University MBA graduate has been lobbying for home builders for more than 20 years. He worked for the Raleigh-Wake County builders association from 2005-15 before moving to the statewide group.

Pre-workday motivation: Every day is an opportunity to do something great.

Key to industry success: Be innovative and think ahead.

Best advice: Never mess up on the money. Three people to share a meal: Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and Billy Graham.

Proud family accomplishment: Our strong faith in God and hardworking attitude.

Favorite hobby: Collecting old comic books. Where to entertain a visitor: Legislative building.

COMPIE NEWMAN

managing director | CBRE

Charlotte

The Dallas-based real estate services firm hired him in 2010 after he had worked for NorthMarq Capital, RBC Capital Advisors and First Union. The Naval Academy graduate oversees the Charlotte office. He’s helped place more than $3.5 billion in real estate capital over his career.

CHASE MONROE

Carolinas market director, Charlotte brokerage lead | JLL

Charlotte

Monroe joined JLL when it acquired Keystone Partners, where he was a founding partner. He previously worked at Lincoln Harris and Spectrum Properties.

Pre-workday motivation: A Peloton ride, a long walk with our dogs and texts at 5 a.m. from my business partners.

Key to industry success: Treating everyone with the highest respect, honesty, integrity and always doing the right thing. Surrounding yourself with incredible people is also a key ingredient.

Best advice: Focus on what you can control or affect, not on the things out of your control. We call it “taking care of your threefoot circle.”

Three people to share a meal: Warren Buffet, my grandfather and Jeff Bezos.

Proud family accomplishment: That my boys always try to do the right thing, work hard, and love their mom.

Favorite hobby: Hiking, fly fishing, snow skiing and visiting with friends.

Where to entertain a visitor: O-Ku, Stagioni’s, South End and central business district.

MICHAEL OVERTON

owner, president | The Overton Group

Greenville

Since 2013 the Greenville native and East Carolina University graduate has built a major commercial real estate company after working at his family’s water sportscatalog business, which was sold in 2003. He’s on the boards of the Greenville Planning and Zoning Commission and Greenville ENC Alliance.

PETER PAPPAS

owner, CEO | Terwilliger Pappas, Pappas Properties

Charlotte

The N.C. State University graduate has worked on more than 3 million square feet of projects since starting his company in 1999. Pappas is developing a highprofile office-medical-residential site in midtown Charlotte. He previously worked for The Harris Group.

GREG PEELE

general manager, executive vice president | Skanska USA Building

Durham

Peele joined the Sweden-based contractor in 2000 and now leads the North Carolina and Virginia regions. He’s on the board of directors for the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce. He has a bachelor’s from N.C. State University and an MBA from UNC Greensboro.

GREGORY POOLE III

chair, president, CEO | Gregory Poole Equipment

Raleigh

Poole is the third generation to lead the Caterpillar franchise, which was established by his grandfather and great uncle in 1951. The company celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, and has grown from 40 people in Raleigh to 1,300 employees across five states.

BOB PORTMAN

president, CEO | Southern Industrial Constructors

Raleigh

Portman is responsible for more than 1,300 people in eight offices at one of the Triangle’s largest subcontracting firms. The Boise State University alumnus and Army veteran joined the business in 2014.

Key to industry success: Hiring the best people and empowering them every day to meet the demanding needs of our customers. We have a strong family culture with managers who practice disciple leadership, have an entrepreneurial spirit, and who stay laser-focused on customer satisfaction.

Best advice: Always set big, hairy, audacious goals (BHAGs). Before entering military service, my father told me about the concept, and I have adopted these as guiding principles for my personal life and professional career. Don’t settle for mediocrity, and good things will always happen.

Three people to share a meal: Jesus, Elon Musk and Michael Jordan.

Proud family accomplishment: They’re all on their own, doing good things and contributing to society with a solid set of morals and values.

Favorite hobby: Mountain bike riding, hunting and basketball. I also love to take pictures of sunsets and sunrises. Where to entertain a visitor: Lake Gaston.

GARY RABON

president, CEO | Coldwell Banker

Advantage

Raleigh

The Raleigh native and East Carolina University graduate started his business in 1995 with nine agents and has built it into one of the region’s biggest agencies. He was inducted into the Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors Hall of Fame in 2019.

DAVID RAVIN

president, CEO | Northwood Ravin

Charlotte

The architectural graduate of UNC Charlotte and the University of Michigan leads more than 300 employees at a multifamily developer with projects across the Southeast and Southwest. He formed the business with New York-based Northwood Investors in 2011 after working for Crosland for 14 years.

PAT RILEY

president, CEO | Allen Tate

Charlotte

Riley, 70, has led the business since 1992 and helped strike the 2018 partnership with Pittsburgh-based Howard Hanna Real Estate, creating the largest U.S. independently owned brokerage. The companies have 11,000 Realtors at 300plus offices in 10 states, including about 1,500 in the Carolinas region.

Pre-workday motivation: I am a morning person. I love what I do, and I do my most creative thinking at that time. Making a difference in people’s lives motivates me.

Key to industry success: Attract and retain people who love coaching and counseling clients with their most important possession on this earth. My job as a leader is to inspire them, coach them and help them grow every day.

Best advice: I learned at a very young age that whatever you set out to do is achievable if you put your passion, heart and soul into it.

Three people to share a meal: George W. Bush, Warren Buffett and Lou Holtz.

Proud family accomplishment: My dad was a self-made man and Mr. Optimistic. My mother made sure I finished everything that I started, including earning my Eagle Scout by age 13.

Favorite hobby: Tennis, boating and relaxing at the mountains and beach.

Where to entertain a visitor: Center City and South End and sharing the evolving growth story of these areas. I was honored to serve as a multiyear board member and past chair of Charlotte Center City Partners and play a strategic part in the development of these neighborhoods.

GREG SANCHEZ

CEO | Tri Properties

Raleigh

The UNC Chapel Hill graduate and worldclass master’s-level swimmer has helped develop 4.5 million square feet of space while leading the business since 1994. In 2021, NAI Carolantic Realty and TRI Properties merged after a couple years of discussion.

PAT RODGERS

president, CEO | Rodgers Builders

Charlotte

Rodgers started as an administrative assistant at the business formed by her late husband, B.D. Rodgers, in 1963. She became president and CEO in 1987 after obtaining her general contractor’s license. Its many projects include BB&T Ballpark and Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte.

Pre-workday motivation: I have been very lucky in my life and have been given the opportunity to be on a great team.

Best advice: B.D. Rodgers said, “Things work out for the best because you make the best out of them.”

Favorite hobby: Snow skiing and traveling. Where to entertain a visitor: Levine Avenue of the Arts in Charlotte. It’s a great example of a very successful public-private partnership.

D. EDWIN ROSE

president, CEO | Shelco

Charlotte

The N.C. State University graduate joined the contractor in 1983 and became CEO in 2000. He’s managed more than 6.5 million square feet of construction and oversees the Shelco’s three offices in Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Raleigh. Recent projects include Corning’s vial manufacturing plant in Durham.

ARTHUR SAMET

chair, CEO | Samet Corp

Greensboro

The Samet organization dates to 1961, while Samet succeeded his father as its leader in 2000. Growth has accelerated in recent years as the construction company added 190 staffers between 2019 and 2021. He’s a University of Georgia graduate with a UNC Chapel Hill MBA.

DAVE SIMPSON

president, CEO | Carolinas

Associated General Contractors

Charlotte

The Citadel graduate was a reporter for The News & Observer for a decade before joining the contractors’ trade group in 1989. He became president and CEO in 2014. He has a master’s in journalism from the University of Missouri.

Pre-workday motivation: Exercising and reading about business.

Key to industry success: Getting the construction job done successfully on time and within budget to make for happy repeat customers.

Best advice: “Try to do what you love with people you love, and if you can manage that, it’s the definition of heaven on Earth.” — Conan O’Brien.

Three people to share a meal: Jack Nicholson, Tiger Woods and Mick Jagger.

Proud family accomplishment: My wife Denise, a remarkable schoolteacher, and our children, Ben, Maggie and Emily, as well as their spouses and our grandchildren. We are thankful for the optimism, courage and resilience shown by my hero, Maggie, who continues waging a successful battle with cancer.

Favorite hobby: Handball and sports.

Where to entertain a visitor: Hayes Barton Cafe (now The Barton) in Raleigh and Alexander Michael’s in Charlotte.

TIM SMITH

owner | Preston Development

Cary

The Salisbury native, 73, started his residential development company with Bubba Rawl in 1991. It is known for projects such as Preston and The Arboretum at Weston in Cary and the massive Chatham Park project near Pittsboro. His father, Wilson, was a Food Lion co-founder.

THOMAS TAFT JR.

principal | Taft Family Ventures

Greenville

Taft oversees the five divisions that make up the business previously led by his grandfather and father, having worked for the company for about 11 years. He also develops his own multifamily, office and restaurant projects. He is a member of the N.C. Board of Transportation.

EDDIE VANNOY

co-owner, CEO | Vannoy Construction

Jefferson

Vannoy joined the contractor in 1971 and took over for his father as CEO in 1985. It now has several offices in the Carolinas and annual revenue topping $600 million. He co-owns the business with his brother, Mark, who is president.

Key to industry success: Meeting people and forming meaningful relationships that continue to grow.

Proud family accomplishment: Working alongside my brother and growing the company that my parents started 70 years ago. Everyone at Vannoy Construction is truly a “family” member — a family you choose.

Favorite hobby: Collecting cars and memorabilia In 2020, I auctioned off my collection of muscle cars and memorabilia but have since started rebuilding my collection. My favorite vehicles are the Dodge Demons.

Where to entertain a visitor: Jefferson Landing, a gated mountain resort community and golf course that we built from the ground up.

ROBIN TEAM

managing partner | Front Street

Capital

Lexington

The Lexington native is a Wake Forest University graduate who has helped develop or acquire more than $565 million in income-producing assets. His private equity real estate group now owns or manages assets topping $360 million. It made its first Tennessee investment last year.

TAMMY WHITWORTH

chair, CEO | Window World Wilkesboro

The Wilkes County native purchased the exterior remodeling company from her late husband’s parents in 2007, decades after she and her husband purchased their first Window World location in Wilmington. The CEO of the business since 2010, she serves on the foundation board of Wilkes Community College. Window World has more than 200 locations.

CHRIS WOOTEN

president, CEO | S.T. Wooten Corp.

Wilson

Wooten has been president since 1994 and CEO since 2019, succeeding his late father, Seth. Formed in 1952 by his grandfather, the company focuses on heavy highway, design-build, materials and commercial site work. It employs more than 1,000 people.

Lee Barnes

John Cato

Lisa Cooper

Jeff Dyke

Andy Ellen

Marvin Ellison

Don Flow

Brian George

Tom Greco

Gary Green

Meg Ham

Jeff Harris

Rick Hendrick

Jim Lanning

Tim Lowe

Carlie ‘Mack’ McLamb Jr.

Bob Page

Nir Patel

Art Pope

Lisa Tucker

North Carolina has a history of retail industry leadership that continues with large operators such as Lowe’s, Hendrick Automotive Group, Sonic Automotive and Tanger Factory Outlet Centers. Entrepreneurial success stories also abound, including Furnitureland South, Mast General Store and Shoe Show.

Justin Strickland

Stephen Yalof

LEE BARNES

president | Family Fare

Convenience Stores

Durham

The retail chain dates to 1936 and operates more than 80 stores through franchises mainly in eastern and central North Carolina. The Appalachian State University graduate, who is a former trustee at the Boone school, has a Duke University MBA. He previously worked for Shell Oil.

JOHN CATO

chair, president, CEO | The Cato Corp

Charlotte

The UNC Charlotte graduate has been CEO of the family-controlled public company since 1999. His grandfather, father and uncle started the apparel retailer in 1946. It has more than 1,000 stores in 30 states.

LISA COOPER

president | Mast General Store

Valle Crucis

Cooper has been part of the retail chain since her parents, John and Faye Cooper, purchased the original Watauga County store in 1979. Her initial pay as an 11-yearold was 25 cents an hour. The employeeowned company now has 11 locations in four states.

Pre-workday motivation: A good cup of coffee. And leading a company that makes a difference in so many ways in our communities.

Key to industry success: Creating a positive work environment. As a retailer, we stand apart for so many reasons. Each store has its own unique setting in a historic building in beautiful downtown or rural settings. They truly are destinations. The product mix is extraordinary. But the asset that sets us apart is our employees. They are knowledgeable, welcoming and approachable.

Best advice: Treat people with respect. Listen and learn from others. The new lessons we are all learning from the last two years are how to adjust to the new normal and how to pivot quickly. Coming into a workplace where we smile, laugh, learn, and grow together makes all the difference.

Three people to share a meal: Oprah Winfrey, Dolly Parton and Warren Buffett.

Proud family accomplishment: My three children have kind hearts and are responsible young adults. I am one proud mom.

Favorite hobby: Tennis, concerts and serving on nonprofit boards.

Where to entertain a visitor: Stick Boy Bakery, Mast Store, lunch at Over Yonder, Grandfather Mountain and Grandfather Vineyard & Winery.

JEFF DYKE

president, director | Sonic Automotive

Charlotte

Dyke joined the public company in 2005 and became president in 2018, and director in 2019. Prior to Sonic Automotive, he gained 10 years of experience at automotive retailer AutoNation. Sonic operates in 23 states with annual revenue topping $12 billion.

ANDY ELLEN

president, general counsel | N.C. Retail Merchants Association

Raleigh

Ellen helps big and small retailers have influence in state affairs, having joined the group as general counsel in 1998. The Southern Pines native became president in 2012. He has a bachelor’s from Elon University and a Campbell University law degree.

Pre-workday motivation: A morning 5K by myself. It is where I think through what I am going to tackle that day.

Key to industry success: Surrounding yourself with great people and letting them do their jobs.

Best advice: Treat everyone with the same respect regardless of position.

Three people to share a meal: Robert Plant, Jack Nicklaus and Jim Valvano.

Proud family accomplishment: We believe in each other to our core.

Favorite hobby: Golf.

Where to entertain a visitor: The greenway in Wake Forest.

MARVIN ELLISON chair, president, CEO

| Lowe’s Mooresville

Since moving to the giant retailer in 2018 from the CEO post at JCPenney, he’s helped make Lowe’s more competitive with rival Home Depot. The University of Memphis graduate is a former top executive at Home Depot and Target who was named one of Barron’s “Top CEOs” in 2021.

DON FLOW

chair, CEO | Flow Automotive Companies

Winston-Salem

Owner of more than 45 dealerships that employ more than 1,700 people, Flow is an active civic leader in his home city and across the state. He chairs the Golden LEAF Foundation. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a Wake Forest University MBA.

BRIAN GEORGE

president, CEO | Alex Lee

Hickory

He’s part of the fourth generation of Georges to run Alex Lee, which owns the Merchants Distributors wholesale grocery business and Winston-Salem-based Lowes Foods supermarkets that together employ more than 10,000 people. The Notre Dame University accounting graduate joined the family business in 2006 and became CEO in 2014.

Pre-workday motivation: My family.

Key to industry success: Make the customer the focus of everything you do.

Best advice: It will be better in the morning. Where to entertain a visitor: Lowes Foods.

TOM GRECO

president, CEO | Advance Auto Parts

Raleigh

Greco became top executive at the 5,600-store retailer in 2016 after leading PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America snacks business. He has helped Advance become more competitive with rivals AutoZone and O’Reilly Auto Parts. It reported a profit of $616 million on revenue of $11 billion in 2021.

GARY GREEN

CEO | Compass Group North America

Charlotte

Green has been CEO since 1999, having joined the United Kingdom-based food service giant business in 1987. The company employs 280,000 people in North America. Fortune magazine has rated Compass among the “World’s Most Admired Companies” for three straight years.

MEG HAM

president | Food Lion

Salisbury

Ham took over as top executive at the 1,100-store, 82,000-employee chain in 2014 after working for owner Ahold Delhaize since 1988. She is a New York native and Cornell University graduate. The Shelby Report, an industry publication, named Food Lion its top Southeast retailer for 2021.

JEFF HARRIS

president, CEO | Furnitureland

South

Jamestown

Running the 1.3 million-square-foot store has been Harris’ life work. The business was started by his parents in 1969. More than 1,000 different brands are sold. The High Point University graduate is on advisory boards at his alma mater and First Citizens Bank. Pre-workday motivation: I think about the blessings in my life and the opportunity to spend time with the ones I most care about. Coffee helps.

Key to industry success: Serving others and helping our clients create beautiful home interiors by offering the highestquality products for the best value, supported by world-class logistics.

Best advice: Only you are responsible for how you react to every situation.

Three people to share a meal: Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson.

Proud family accomplishment: Their spirituality, love for one another and uncontrollable laughter together.

Favorite hobby: Spending time with my family, playing golf and working out.

Where to entertain a visitor: The world’s largest furniture store.

RICK HENDRICK

CEO | Hendrick Automotive Group, Hendrick Motorsports

Charlotte

Starting with a small shop in Bennettsville, S.C., the Warrenton native leads a $10 billion retailer with more than 10,000 employees at 93 dealerships and 21 collision centers in 13 states. He’s also an iconic NASCAR team owner, notching a record number of top-level series victories.

JIM LANNING

president, CEO | Ingles Markets

Black Mountain

Lanning served as president of the 198-store supermarket chain for 13 years before adding the CEO title in 2016. The Western Carolina University graduate started at the family-controlled public company at 16 as a service clerk. Ingles has more than 26,000 employees.

TIM LOWE

president | Lowes Foods

Winston-Salem

Heading the chain of more than 80 stores since 2013, Lowe is a University of Houston graduate who previously worked at Walmart. In February he opened a suburban Charlotte store that combines a traditional grocery with a food hall concept. Hickory-based Alex Lee owns the business.

CARLIE ‘MACK’ MCLAMB JR.

owner, CEO | Carlie C’s IGA Dunn

His parents, Carlie and Joyce McLamb, formed the business in 1961 as a single country store in Johnston County. It now operates 27 groceries with more than 1,500 workers in eastern and central North Carolina. He’s a director of First Bancorp.

BOB PAGE

founder, CEO | Replacements, Ltd. Greensboro

In 1981, the UNC Chapel Hill graduate and former state employee started his tableware business with one assistant after finding a hobby in thrifting and reselling items on consignment. Employment topped 400 in recent years. Page, who grew up on a farm near Greensboro, has for decades been a leading advocate for LGBTQ rights.

NIR PATEL

CEO | Belk

Charlotte

Patel joined Belk in 2016 as chief merchandising officer after serving in leadership positions at Kohl’s. He succeeded Lisa Harper as CEO last July, five months after the company owned by Sycamore Partners completed a bankruptcy reorganization. The chain operates about 300 stores in 16 states.

ART POPE

owner, CEO | Variety Wholesalers

Raleigh

The former state budget director and supporter of conservative causes oversees 380 Roses and other discount stores in 15 states. The graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University law school is on the UNC System Board of Governors and chairs his family’s John William Pope Foundation.

JUSTIN STRICKLAND

founder, CEO | Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change

Winston-Salem

Strickland founded his business in 2016 after stints with NAPA Auto Parts and Jiffy Lube. The business is named after his sons, Tate and Beckett. The company operates 60 corporate-owned shops and has franchised 27 locations with another 100 under development. He attended UNC Greensboro.

LISA TUCKER

president | Shoe Show

Concord

Tucker’s parents, Robert and Carolyn Tucker, started the retailer in 1960 in Kannapolis. She became president in 2018 and now oversees a $1 billion-plus business with more than 1,150 stores in 40 states under such brands as Shoe Show, Shoe Dept. and Burlington Shoes.

STEPHEN YALOF

president, CEO | Tanger Factory Outlet Centers

Greensboro

Yalof. 59, succeeded Steven Tanger as top executive at the 36-center chain in January 2021 after working as president of rival Simon Premium Outlets. The George Washington University graduate leases space to more than 600 brand-name companies in 20 states and Canada.

Kevin Baker

Brian Clark

Bill Collins

Roy Cox

Michael Fox

Greg Gantt

Haley Gentry

Glenn Gonzales

Michael Landguth

Ryan Legg

John Lewis

Ralph Lopez Massas

Phil Peck

Jim Segrave

Paul Thompson

Carl Warren

In 1903, North Carolina gained the recognition of being first in flight after the Wright brothers’ successful takeoff. North Carolina remains an influential transportation hub, housing one of the nation’s busiest airports, fast-growing trucker Old Dominion Freight Line and an expanding aerospace manufacturing sector.

KEVIN BAKER

executive director | Piedmont Triad Airport Authority

Greensboro

The Lehigh University engineering graduate has led the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority since 2009. Employment at the airport has expanded to more than 9,000 in his tenure, many working on building and maintaining aircraft. Denverbased Boom Supersonic plans a major assembly plant at the site.

Pre-workday motivation: The “Two Guys Named Chris” radio show and thinking about how to bring new jobs to the airport.

Key to industry success: Being prepared when companies come looking. Have sites that are the right size that can be available at the right time and at the right cost.

Best advice: “Adversity and failure build character,” from the CEO of one of my former employers. And from Nido Qubein: “You cannot control the end quantity, quality or cost of the product the airport provides (air service), but you will be blamed for all three.”

Proud family accomplishment: I have an amazing family. I have an incredible wife of 27 years and two young adult children who are just remarkable human beings. I’m a fortunate guy.

Favorite hobby: My family, traveling and home projects.

Where to entertain a visitor: The Greensboro Science Center.

BRIAN CLARK

executive director | North Carolina Ports Authority

Wilmington

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduate joined the state system in 2020 and succeeded Paul Cozza in January 2021. He previously was a senior manager at ports in Port Elizabeth, N.J., and Mobile, Ala., and worked for APM Terminals and Sea Land Services.

BILL COLLINS

president | HAECO Americas

Greensboro

The former executive at American Airlines and GE Aviation joined the Hong Kongbased aircraft maintenance company in 2018. HAECO shifted to a weekdays-only work policy, helping attract employees during the pandemic. He has a bachelor’s degree from Rochester Institute of Technology.

ROY COX

president, CEO | Best Logistics Group

Kernersville

The UNC Chapel Hill graduate became CEO in 2016 and oversees 400 trucks,1,500 trailers and more than 500 employees. He has worked at Best for more than 25 years.

Pre-workday motivation: The opportunity to be entrepreneurial in decisions that affect our businesses.

Key to industry success: Hiring great people and getting out of their way.

Best advice: The power is in the people.

Three people to share a meal: My wife and two daughters.

Proud family accomplishment: Their faith and values.

Favorite hobby: Watching my daughter play basketball.

MICHAEL FOX

chair | N.C. Board of Transportation partner | Tuggle Duggins president | Piedmont Triad Partnership

Greensboro

The Appalachian State University graduate, who has a UNC Chapel Hill law degree, is a powerful player in local and state transportation and business matters. His legal practice focuses on business and real estate litigation, zoning and land use.

Pre-workday motivation: Being able to move our state and community forward.

Key to industry success: Hard work and good judgment.

Best advice: “Don’t borrow trouble.” From my grandfather about not worrying about things that have not happened.

Three people to share a meal: Jesus, Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Jefferson.

Proud family accomplishment: How well our “Brady Bunch” seven children have bonded.

Favorite hobby: Bird hunting.

Where to entertain a visitor: Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts.

GREG GANTT

president, CEO | Old Dominion Freight Line

Thomasville

The Appalachian State University graduate became the first non-Congdon family member to be CEO in 2018. He has helped continue Old Dominion’s growth as one of the 10 biggest U.S. truckers. He joined the company in 1994 and became chief operating officer in 2011.

HALEY GENTRY

aviation director | City of Charlotte

Charlotte

Gentry began as an intern at the city’s aviation department in 1991 and held marketing and operations jobs before succeeding Brent Cagle as the top exec last year. The department oversees Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which served 43 million passengers last year.

GLENN GONZALES

CEO | Jet It Greensboro

The jet leasing company added 76 employees last year as demand for private aviation increased. The former Air Force pilot and jet salesperson now oversees 125 employees who lease Greensboro-made HondaJets to customers. He has an MBA from the University of South Carolina.

MICHAEL LANDGUTH

president, CEO | Raleigh-Durham International Airport Morrisville

Landguth has more than 20 years of experience in the aviation industry and has led the Triangle’s major airport since 2011. He previously ran the Chattanooga, Tennessee airport. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aeronautical sciences from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.

Pre-workday motivation: Experiencing something new and exciting every day motivates me. No two days at an airport are alike. When I think I know how my day will go, I end up doing something completely different. It also gives me a sense of purpose to be in an industry that contributes to the community by helping people connect.

Key to industry success: Persistence and not quitting when you’re down. It would have been easy to get discouraged when the pandemic brought our business to a halt. Instead, we took the long view and pushed through a tough couple of years. We didn’t give up, and now we’re enjoying a recovery that is moving faster than we ever expected.

Three people to share a meal: Jesus, Warren Buffett and John Elway.

Proud family accomplishment: Becoming a grandfather for the first time late last year. Seeing my grandson grow and reach milestones, like rolling over or lifting his head, has been a life-changing experience. Watching my daughter as a mother caring for her son makes me incredibly proud.

Favorite hobby: I could spend all day on a jet ski.

Where to entertain a visitor: The airport, of course.

RYAN LEGG

owner | MegaCorp Logistics

Wilmington

The University of West Virginia graduate shares the CEO title with his wife, Denise Legg. Founded in 2009, the company assigned 200,000 truckloads and reported $700 million in revenue last year. It added 175 employees with plans for 300 more over the next five years.

JOHN LEWIS

CEO | Charlotte Area Transit System

Charlotte

The Allegheny College graduate is focused on developing a multi-billion long-term transit expansion around the Queen City that requires local, state and federal support. He took the Charlotte post in 2015 after serving as CEO of the Central Florida Regional Transit Authority.

RALPH LOPEZ MASSAS

vice president, Charlotte hub | American Airlines Charlotte

The University of Phoenix graduate took his post in July 2020 after working at the airline’s Fort Worth, Texas, hub. He helped America recover its passenger traffic in Charlotte more rapidly through the pandemic than many other airports. He joined the airline in 1995.

Pre-workday motivation: Solving the puzzle ahead. Since I began my journey in commercial aviation 26 years ago, I wake up energized to tackle the challenges of one of the most complex industries and dynamic work environments imaginable. A quick 20 to 30 minute workout, getting breakfast ready for the family — complete with freshly brewed coffee and squeezed orange juice — helps get me ready for the day ahead.

Key to industry success: Run a safe, reliable and efficient operation while consistently delivering the very best network for our customers. To do so, it is imperative to have the right plan, the right processes and the best team in the business.

Best advice: Keep your feet firmly on the ground and your head on the moon… and no one needs to know that. This advice was given to me by a great mentor as I began my leadership journey and has been foundational in my development. It reminds me to be rooted, humble and receptive and never forget where I came from while always aspiring and eager to conquer the challenges ahead.

Three people to share a meal: I’ll go with two: Leonardo da Vinci and Pablo Picasso.

Proud family accomplishment: I am very fortunate and proud to have an incredible wife and two fantastic sons. They are the best gift life has afforded me.

Favorite hobby: Travel, exploring and absorbing new places, their unique culture and diverse cuisines. When home, I enjoy cooking a great meal, going out for a run or a great yoga flow.

Where to entertain a visitor: We moved to Charlotte in the height of the pandemic, so we are still discovering the area ourselves.

JIM SEGRAVE

CEO | LGM Enterprises

Kinston

Segrave’s business includes the flyExclusive unit that leases more than 80 charter jets to CEOs, celebrities and others preferring private aviation. LGM also provides aircraft paint services and is expanding its maintenance business. He’s a trustee at his alma mater, East Carolina University.

PHIL PECK

president | Epes Transport System

High Point

The Virginia Tech University graduate took his current role in 2021 after starting in 1995 as a driving manager. The Penske Logistics-owned company has become one of the state’s largest private trucking companies, operating more than 1,500 trucks.

PAUL THOMPSON

founder, chair | Transportation

Insight

Hickory

The University of Arkansas MBA founded or co-founded eight other North Carolina businesses in addition to the $4 billion revenue logistics company formed in 2000. San Francisco-based private-equity group Gryphon Investors bought a majority stake in TI in 2018. It employs more than 600 people.

CARL WARREN

president, CEO | North Carolina Railroad Co.

Raleigh

The former CSX ports director in Jacksonville, Fla., succeeded Scott Saylor at the state-chartered company in 2020. It oversees a 317-mile rail corridor from Charlotte to Morehead City and invests in economic development projects.

Pre-workday motivation: Knowing I can have a positive impact on others.

Key to industry success: Being patient and listening.

Best advice: Treat others the way you would want to be treated.

Proud family accomplishment: My thoughtful and compassionate wife and my amazing, fearless and talented children.

Favorite hobby: Riding my bike on trails. Where to entertain a visitor: North Carolina Art Museum.