2020 Power 100

Welcome to Business North Carolina’s third Power 100 list of the state’s most influential business leaders. This year’s report features stories and interviews with 27 people including the state’s most powerful pork producer, the owner of the nation’s biggest furniture store, and the banker charged with reversing Wells Fargo’s deteriorating customer-service reputation.
North Carolina’s rapid growth as a major business center makes selecting the list more interesting — and difficult — each year. There are more powerful people than ever before. After taking suggestions from all corners and quizzing dozens of people for ideas, the editorial team settles on the names. We look for leaders who are representative of some broad categories of power:
• Institutional powerhouses, such as university presidents Vincent Price and Jose Sartarelli and hospital bosses Michael Waldrum and Julie Freischlag.
• Middle-of-the-action folks, creating a lot of activity and, sometimes, making a lot of money. Drug-discovery investor Fred Eshelman and venture capitalist David Gardner are examples.
• Outstanding entrepreneurs, including lending genius Doug Lebda and video-game superstar Tim Sweeney.
• Networking powerhouses, such as lawyer Rob Harrington and banker Jim Hansen.
• Pillars of commerce, such as software icon Jim Goodnight, auto dealer Don Flow and bank investor Chip Mahan.
• Public company CEOs including Susan DeVore, Lynn Good and Kelly King.
• Real estate kingpins including Andy Andrews and Roy Carroll.
• Singular talents who make major waves in their spheres. Examples this year include restaurateur Ashley Christensen and hip-hop star J. Cole.
• Thought leaders, including marketing experts such as Peggy Brookhouse and David Mullen.
We also look for geographic diversity without making it a major factor. As a statewide publication, we love telling stories of businesses and people outside the large metropolitan areas. But rapid growth in the Charlotte and Triangle regions and widespread industry consolidation are making those areas more dominant. It’s also an apparent contrast with North Carolina’s political environment in which lawmakers hailing from more rural areas remain in dominant positions. This list doesn’t include political leaders.
We also have a strong bias for those showing a shared concern for the broader community. Most on the list spend much time supporting efforts to improve North Carolina. Much of that work occurs out of the public limelight.
Nearly a third of this year’s list is made up of newcomers. Those entrants include Honeywell CEO Darius Adamczyk, who runs one of the nation’s 100 largest public companies; Andy Andrews, whose company is developing office towers in Charlotte and Raleigh; UNC System board chairman Randy Ramsey, who owns a small-town boat-building company; and Advance Auto Parts CEO Tom Greco, who heads Raleigh’s only Fortune 500 company.
As we note annually, it’s a subjective list. No doubt some of those who should be named are disappointed — while others are glad to be under the radar.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

DARIUS ADAMCYZK
Welcome wagon
53, CEO, Honeywell International
Charlotte

ANDY ANDREWS
Double vision
61, Owner, CEO, Dominion Realty Partners
Raleigh

JENNIFER APPLEBY
Creative spark
56, president, chief creative officer, Wray Ward
Charlotte

CARL ARMATO
$5 billion man
55, president, CEO, Novant Health System
Winston-Salem

LEAH WONG ASHBURN
Tops in hops
49, president, CEO, Highland Brewing
Asheville

SCOTT BAXTER
Perfect fit
55, president, CEO, Kontoor Brands
Greensboro

STEVE BERLIN
Going with the flow
60, partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
Winston-Salem

CATHY BESSANT
Erica’s boss
59, chief operations and technology officer, Bank of America
Charlotte

MURCHISON “BO” BIGGS
Biggs’ shot
65, secretary-treasurer, K.M. Biggs
Lumberton

PEGGY BROOKHOUSE
Brand helper
57, president, Luquire George Andrews
Charlotte

ED BROWN
Hospital dealer
71, chairman, Atrium Health Board of Commissioners
Charlotte

JEFFREY BROWN
Strong Ally
46, CEO, Ally Financial
Charlotte

WESLEY BURKS
Care taker
65, CEO, UNC Health Care
Chapel Hill

ROY CARROLL II
Open the gates
57, president, CEO, The Carroll Cos.
Greensboro

JOHN “JACK” F.A.V. CECIL
Mountain marvels
63, president, Biltmore Farms
Asheville

WILLIAM “BILL” A.V. CECIL JR.
Mountain marvels
61, president, CEO, The Biltmore Co.
Asheville

ASHLEY CHRISTENSEN
Foodie favorite
43, Owner, Ashley Christensen Restaurants
Raleigh

ADRIENNE COLE
Capital champion
48, president, CEO, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
Raleigh

JERMAINE “J.” COLE
Dream weaver
34, musician
Raleigh

PAUL COZZA
Ship shape
58, executive director, North Carolina State Ports Authority
Wilmington

KIT CRAMER
High times
59, president, CEO, Asheville Chamber of Commerce
Asheville

SHARON DECKER
Horse sense
63, chief operating officer, Tryon International Equestrian Properties
Mill Spring

DARRYL DEWBERRY
Skyline shaper
58, chairman, CEO, The Spectrum Cos.
Charlotte

SUSAN DEVORE
Healthy respect
61, president, CEO, Premier
Charlotte

EDDIE EDWARDS
Doing splits
70, president and CEO, CommScope
Hickory

ROB EDWARDS
Private power
52, partner, Ridgemont Equity Partners
Charlotte

MARVIN ELLISON
Fixer-upper
54, CEO and President, Lowe’s
Mooresville

FRED ESHELMAN
Tar heel visionary
71, founder, Eshelman Ventures
Wilmington

DON FLOW
Pedal to the metal
63, CEO, Flow Automotive
Winston-Salem

JULIE ANN FREISCHLAG
Proud partner
65, CEO, Wake Forest Baptist Health; dean, Wake Forest School of Medicine
Winston-Salem

MICHIMASA FUJINO
Jet giant
59, president, CEO, Honda Aircraft
Greensboro

DAVID GARDNER
Venture seeker
56, founder, managing partner, Cofounders Capital
Cary

LYNN GOOD
High energy
60, chairman, CEO, Duke Energy
Charlotte

JIM GOODNIGHT
Nothing artificial
77, CEO, SAS Institute
Cary

TOM GRECO
In the driver’s seat
61, CEO, Advance Auto Parts
Raleigh

JIM HANSEN
Capitol captain
41, regional president, eastern carolinas market, PNC Financial Services
Raleigh

ROBERT HARRINGTON
Laying down the law
58, partner, Robinson Bradshaw
Charlotte

JEFF HARRIS
Spreading some green
51, president, CEO, co-owner, Furnitureland South
Jamestown

JOHN “JOHNO” HARRIS III
Union leader
41, president, Lincoln Harris
Charlotte

J. FRANK HARRISON III
Cola king
64, CEO, Coca-Cola Consolidated
Charlotte

NATHAN HATCH
Deacon dynamo
73, president, Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem

TOM HEIKS
Banking boss
63, head, U.S. commercial middle market banking, Fifth Third Bank
Charlotte

FRANK HOLDING JR.
Steady progress
58, chairman, CEO, First Citizens Bancshares
Raleigh

LINDA HUDSON
Direct authority
69, CEO, The Cardea Group
Charlotte

RALPH HUFF
Homing instinct
70, owner, H&H Homes; partner, Coldwell Banker Advantage
Fayetteville

DALE JENKINS
Future thinker
63, CEO, Curi
Raleigh

JOHN KANE
King of the hills
67, CEO, Kane Realty
Raleigh

GREG KEITH
Faithful fortune
64, president, CEO, The Keith Corp.
Charlotte

STAN KELLY
Building his core
62, president, CEO, Piedmont Triad Partnership
Greensboro

KELLY KING
Truist believer
71, CEO, Truist Financial
Charlotte

CLARK KINLIN
Strong fiber
60, executive vice president, Corning
Charlotte

FRED KLEIN
Realty royalty
73, senior managing partner, Childress Klein
Charlotte

TED KLINCK
Reit rider
54, CEO, Highwoods Properties
Raleigh

DOUG LEBDA
Breaking a billion
49, CEO, LendingTree
Charlotte

ANDREW LINDNER
New frontier
49, partner, Frontier Growth
Charlotte

MARY MACK
Customer friendly
57, head of consumer banking, Wells Fargo
Charlotte

RICHARD MACLEAN
Frontier wizard
54, partner, Frontier Growth
Charlotte

JAMES “CHIP” MAHAN III
Coastal clout
68, chairman, founder, CEO, Live Oak Bancshares
Wilmington

TODD MANSFIELD
Urban crescent
61, CEO, Crescent Communities
Charlotte

MICHAEL MARSICANO
Community champ
64, president, CEO, Foundation For The Carolinas
Charlotte

JOHN MCCONNELL
Teed-off
69, founder, CEO, McConnell Golf
Raleigh

ED MCMAHAN
Fabulous firepower
44, managing partner, Falfurrias Capital
Charlotte

CHASE MONROE
Merging partners
54, market director, Jones Lang LaSalle
Charlotte

RICHARD MOORE
Local leader
59, CEO, First Bancorp
Southern Pines

DAVID MORKEN
Strike up the band
50, chairman, co-founder, CEO, Bandwidth
Raleigh

DAVID MOUNTS
Brand power
56, CEO, Inmar
Winston-Salem

DAVID MULLEN
Marketing magic
41, president, partner, The Variable
Winston-Salem

PIERRE NAUDÉ
Global ambition
61, CEO, nCino
Wilmington

TOM NELSON
Above board
57, CEO, National Gypsum
Charlotte

WARD NYE
Rock star
57, CEO, Martin Marietta
Raleigh

TODD OLSON
Head in the clouds
44, co-founder, CEO, Pendo
Raleigh

TOM PASHLEY
Golf guru
50, president, Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst

VEN POOLE
Going public
57, senior partner, Dewitt Carolinas; board member, GFL Environmental
Raleigh

ART POPE
Retail resurrection
63, Chairman, CEO, Variety Wholesalers
Henderson

MICHAEL PRAEGER
Top techie
52, co-founder, CEO, AvidXchange
Charlotte

BILL PRESTAGE
Turkey Titan
84, owner, Prestage Farms
Clinton

VINCENT PRICE
Devil’s advocate
62, president, Duke University
Durham

BILLY PRIM
Water wielder
64, executive chairman, Primo water
Winston-Salem

NIDO QUBEIN
Campus creator
71, president, High Point University
High Point

RANDY RAMSEY
Steering the ship
57, president, Jarrett Bay Boatworks
Beaufort

GERALD ROACH
Legal eagle
61, firm chair, Smith Anderson
Raleigh

PAT RODGERS
Contractor clout
72, CEO, Rodgers Builders
Charlotte

SEPI SAIDI
Project manager
57, president, CEO, SEPI
Raleigh

GARY SALAMIDO
State champ
56, CEO, N.C. Chamber
Raleigh

ARTHUR SAMET
Crane king
50, chairman, CEO, Samet Corp.
Greensboro

JUDE SAMULSKI
Disease fighter
66, president, chief scientific officer, AskBio
Research Triangle Park

JOSE SARTARELLI
Balancing act
70, chancellor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington

JIM SHUFORD
Sticking with it
53, vice chair, Shurtape Technologies
Hickory

STEPHEN SHUFORD
Tale of the tape
51, CEO, Shurtape Technologies
Hickory

ANDREA SMITH
Big job, small focus
52, Chief administrative officer, Bank of America
Charlotte

BEN SUTTON JR.
Hitting it out of the park
61, founder, chairman, Teall Capital Partners
Winston-Salem

TIM SWEENEY
Epic entrepreneur
49, CEO, Epic Games
Cary

STEVEN TANGER
Outlet operator
71, director, CEO, Tanger Factory Outlet Centers
Greensboro

ROBIN TEAM
Team player
65, managing partner, Front Street Capital
Winston-Salem

DAVID TEPPER
Football, futbol
62, owner, Carolina Panthers, MLS franchise
Charlotte

MIKE WALDRUM
Holding the line
57, CEO, Vidant Health
Greenville

ANDY WARLICK
Textile titan
62, CEO, Parkdale Mills
Gastonia

JIM WHITEHURST
Hat trick
52, president, CEO, Red Hat
Raleigh

FRED WHITFIELD
Rebounding
61, president, vice chairman, Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte

GENE WOODS
Leaving a wake
55, CEO, Atrium Health
Charlotte

RANDY WOODSON
Pack leader
62, chancellor, N.C. State University
Raleigh

JANE WU
Building bridges
38, president, Panorama Holdings
Charlotte

ALAN ZIMMER
Family jewels
61, president, CEO, Reeds Jewelers
Wilmington

HERBERT ZIMMER
Family jewels
74, general counsel, zimmer development
Wilmington
