REAL ESTATE
HOMEBUILDERS, RANKED BY 2014 ARIZONA SALES CLOSED
Top 10 PULTE GROUP INC. 16767 N. Perimeter Drive, Scottsdale, 85260 // 480-391-6000 // pultegroup. com AZ HOME SALES 1,114 PRINCIPAL Scott Wright, Arizona division president HIGHESTRANKING WOMEN Michelle Gregorec, vice president of finance; Rebecca Lundberg, vice president of sales, Arizona division MERITAGE HOMES CORP. 8800 E. Raintree Drive, Suite 300, Phoenix, 85260 // 480-515-8100 // meritagehomes.com AZ HOME SALES 924 PRINCIPAL Steve Hilton, chairman and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Hilla Sferruzza, chief accounting officer, senior vice president and corporate controller TAYLOR MORRISON 4900 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 2000, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-840-8100 // taylormorrison.com AZ HOME SALES 872 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sheryl Palmer, president/CEO D.R. HORTON INC. 20410 N. 19th Ave., Suite 100, Phoenix, 85027 // 480-483-0006 // drhorton.com AZ HOME SALES 721 PRINCIPAL Tom Davis, division president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Holly R. James, vice president of land acquisition and development
MANY WAYS TO BE GREEN
HILLA SFERRUZZA CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CORPORATE CONTROLLER BY CHRISTOPHER GEOFFREY MCPHERSON
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It’s hard to get into a conversation with Hilla Sferruzza, chief accounting officer, senior vice president and corporate controller with Meritage Homes Corp., without getting an explanation about her first name. “It’s Hilla,” she says, “pronounced like ‘Sheila’ but without the ‘s.’ It’s a Hebrew name.” The Hebrew word “hilah” means halo, which has a surprising connection to her. “I was born in Israel under a full moon that had a big halo around it,” she explains. “(My parents) tried to translate ‘hilah’ letter for letter in Hebrew. What resulted is not the right pronunciation in English,” she says with a laugh. She also laughs when she talks about her passion: math. “I love math,” she says. “I really, really, really, love numbers. I’m constantly running mathematical equations in my head, even things that have nothing to do with work. I would be sad if that wasn’t a part of my everyday life.” Luckily, numbers do play an important part in her life. As her company’s chief accounting officer she is responsible for the company’s financial records, internal control structure and external audits. As corporate controller, she’s responsible for the day-to-day accounting as well as the strategic accounting functions for the corporate entity.
But Sferruzza learned that she also needed to work for a company where she understood the product as well as the numbers. “Right out of college I worked for a public accounting firm auditing different companies,” she says. “I realized very early on in my career that I’m a tactile person. I had hightech companies that did satellites and I didn’t really understand it. I had a couple of homebuilder clients and some hospitality clients and I loved them. I first moved into hospitality and then I moved back into real estate.” One of the reasons she’s passionate about working for Meritage is the company’s commitment to the environment. “We became very heavily involved in the energy efficiency movement and are now recognized as a leader in energy-efficient homes,” she says. “We benefit from our concern for the environment.” They are proud of being “green,” which she says has a couple of different definitions. “One is green because you’re saving money,” she explains. “Two is green because you’re saving the environment, but it’s also green living so our houses are healthier homes. We redesigned the entire makeup of our homes to make them energy efficient. It’s good for the environment but it’s also good for us.”
FULTON HOMES CORP. 9140 S. Kyrene Road, Tempe, 85284 // 480-753-6789 // fultonhomes. com AZ HOME SALES 697 PRINCIPAL Ira Fulton, chairman of the board HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kathy Barnes, president of corporate strategy, financial underwriting liaison SHEA HOMES 8800 N. Gainery Center Drive, Suite 350, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480-348-6000 // sheahomes.com AZ HOME SALES 489 PRINCIPAL Don Murphy, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN No designee LENNAR CORPORATION 1725 W. Greentree Drive #114, Tempe, 85284 // 480-777-4600 // lennar.com AZ HOME SALES 449 PRINCIPAL Alan M. Jones, division president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN No designee K. HOVNANIAN HOMES 20830 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 250, Phoenix, 85050 // 877-546-8669 // khov. com AZ HOME SALES 413 PRINCIPAL Lou Smith, group president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN No designee MARACAY HOMES 15279 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 300, Scottsdale, 85254 // 480-970-6000 // maracayhomes.com AZ HOME SALES 394 PRINCIPAL Andy Warren, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Andrea Goudge, vice president and controller RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES 16427 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 145, Scottsdale, 85254 // 602-956-4100 // richmondamerican.com AZ HOME SALES 379 PRINCIPAL David Viger, division president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN No designee
WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2015
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