Power is a fleeting thing. Just ask anyone who has worked for General Electric Co., the cream of the international corporate crop for decades. Now, the struggling organization is valued 30% less than industrial rival Honeywell Corp., which will soon make Charlotte its home base. Likewise, the churn of power is evident in our second annual listing of the state’s most influential leaders.
A year ago, Cary technology executive Tim Sweeney was little known outside the video-game industry. Now, his company’s Fortnite game is an international phenomenon that could morph into a major social-media network. Epic Games, which had revenue topping $3 billion according to press reports, raised another $1.25 billion in capital in October.
Sweeney was an easy addition to the Power 100, compiled after securing ideas from dozens of N.C. businesspeople and our staff’s multiyear experience of tracking the state’s economy. We didn’t include those who spend little time here or political leaders. Other newcomers include Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison and Duke University President Vincent Price.
A majority of the Power 100 are holdovers from last year. Influential people are rarely in a hurry to hand over their reins. But there is an inevitable changing of the guard, particularly as North Carolina’s technology industry blossoms with promising companies led by Michael Chasen, Abhishek Mehta, Todd Olson and others. Leaders of traditional industries that built North Carolina in the 20th century exert a fraction of their previous influence.
It’s a subjective list, and we know that some deserving folks aren’t on it. In addition to corporate power, we looked for those making an impact on the broader community, including behind-the-scenes operators. No doubt some of the missing are glad to remain under the radar, while others would love to be cited. Just tell us who they are — we are all ears. If we are doing our job, that’s never going to change.
55, President and Chief Creative Officer, Wray Ward
Charlotte
54, CEO, Novant Health
Winston-Salem
48, President and CEO, Highland Brewing
Asheville
47, CEO, Barnhill Contracting
Rocky Mount
59, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
Winston-Salem
58, Chief Operations and Technology Officer, Bank of America
Charlotte
69, CEO, Hendrick Automotive Group
Charlotte
45, CEO, Ally Financial
Charlotte
72, Founder, Brubaker & Associates
Raleigh
56, President, CEO, The Carroll Cos.
Greensboro
60, President, CEO, The Biltmore Co.
Asheville
62, President, Biltmore Farms
Asheville
46, CEO, PrecisionHawk
Raleigh
47, President and CEO, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
Raleigh
48, Founder, Colopy Ventures
Durham
62, Executive Chairman, Old Dominion Freight Line
Thomasville
40, President and CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Durham
58, President and CEO, Asheville Chamber of Commerce
Asheville
57, Executive Director, North Carolina State Ports Authority
Wilmington
60, President and CEO, Premier
Charlotte
57, CEO, Spectrum Cos.
Charlotte
63, Chairman, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry
Charlotte
63, CEO, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry
Charlotte
68, Chancellor, UNC Charlotte
Charlotte
69, President and CEO, CommScope
Hickory
51, CEO, Red Ventures
Indian Land, S.C.
53, CEO and President, Lowe’s
Mooresville
61, Chief Legal Officer, Novant Health
Charlotte
70, Founder, Eshelman Ventures
Wilmington
62, CEO, Flow Automotive
Winston-Salem
64, CEO, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Winston-Salem
60, CEO, Highwoods Properties
Raleigh
58, President, CEO, Honda Aircraft
Greensboro
51, President, Golden Leaf Foundation
Rocky Mount
59, President and CEO, Duke Energy
Charlotte
42, President and Chief Operating Officer, Capitol Broadcasting
Raleigh
76, CEO, SAS Institute
Cary
51, Executive Director, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
Winston-Salem
48, President, N.C. Community College System
Raleigh
40, Regional President, Eastern Carolinas market,
PNC Financial Services
Raleigh
40, President and Chief Operating Officer, Lincoln Harris
Charlotte
63, CEO, Coca-Cola Consolidated
Charlotte
72, President, Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem
58, Executive Officer, Empire Properties
Raleigh
62, President, CEO, RTI International
Research Triangle Park
57, Chairman and CEO, First Citizens Bancshares
Raleigh
40, Restaurant owner, cookbook author and TV personality
Kinston
62, CEO, Medical Mutual Holdings
Raleigh
55, Majority owner, Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte
65, Founder and CEO, Kane Realty
Raleigh
63, President and CEO, The Keith Corp.
Charlotte
61, CEO, Piedmont Triad Partnership
Greensboro
62, CEO, Labcorp
Burlington
70, CEO, BB&T
Winston-Salem
59, Executive Vice President, Corning
Charlotte
72, Senior Managing Partner, Childress Klein
Charlotte
48, Chairman and CEO, LendingTree
Charlotte
66, Retired technology executive
Cary
56, Senior Executive Vice President, Wells Fargo
Charlotte
67, CEO and Chairman, Live Oak Banchares
Wilmington
60, CEO, Crescent Communities
Charlotte
62, President and CEO, Foundation for the Carolinas
Charlotte
69, President and CEO, McConnell Golf
Raleigh
59, CEO, Grant Thornton International
Charlotte
41, CEO, Tresata
Charlotte
58, CEO, First Bancorp
Southern Pines
49, CEO, Bandwidth
Raleigh
60, CEO, nCino
Wilmington
56, Chairman and CEO, National Gypsum
Charlotte
56, CEO, Martin Marietta Materials
Raleigh
43, CEO, Pendo
Raleigh
49, President, Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst
56, CEO, Mission Health
Asheville
62, Chairman and CEO, Variety Wholesalers
Henderson
53, CEO, AvidXchange
Charlotte
61, President, Duke University
Durham
70, President, High Point University
High Point
66, co-Owner, Preston Development
Cary
61, Partner, Moore & Van Allen
Charlotte
67, CEO, Allen Tate
Charlotte
60, Managing Partner, Smith Anderson
Raleigh
71, CEO, Rodgers Builders
Charlotte
70, Interim President, UNC System
Chapel Hill
56, CEO and President, Sepi Engineering and Construction
Raleigh
65, Director, Gene Therapy Center, UNC Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill
71, President, Koury Corp.
Greensboro
52, CEO, STM Industries
Hickory
50, CEO, Shurtape Technologies
Hickory
51, Chief Administrative Officer, Bank of America
Charlotte
48, Real-estate investor
Greenville
50, President & CEO, Charlotte Center City Partners
Charlotte
69, co-Owner, Preston Development
Cary
60, Mid-South Division President, SunTrust Banks
Durham
60, Founder and Chairman, Teall Capital
Winston-Salem
48, CEO, Epic Games
Cary
70, CEO, Tanger Factory Outlet Centers
Greensboro
61, Owner, Carolina Panthers
Charlotte
56, CEO, Vidant Health
Greenville
61, CEO, Parkdale
Gastonia
51, President and CEO, Red Hat
Raleigh
60, President, Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte
54, CEO, Atrium Health
Charlotte
61, Chancellor, N.C. State University
Raleigh
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