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.
53, CEO, Honeywell International
Charlotte
61, Owner, CEO, Dominion Realty Partners
Raleigh
56, president, chief creative officer, Wray Ward
Charlotte
55, president, CEO, Novant Health System
Winston-Salem
49, president, CEO, Highland Brewing
Asheville
55, president, CEO, Kontoor Brands
Greensboro
60, partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
Winston-Salem
59, chief operations and technology officer, Bank of America
Charlotte
65, secretary-treasurer, K.M. Biggs
Lumberton
57, president, Luquire George Andrews
Charlotte
71, chairman, Atrium Health Board of Commissioners
Charlotte
46, CEO, Ally Financial
Charlotte
65, CEO, UNC Health Care
Chapel Hill
57, president, CEO, The Carroll Cos.
Greensboro
63, president, Biltmore Farms
Asheville
61, president, CEO, The Biltmore Co.
Asheville
43, Owner, Ashley Christensen Restaurants
Raleigh
48, president, CEO, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
Raleigh
34, musician
Raleigh
58, executive director, North Carolina State Ports Authority
Wilmington
59, president, CEO, Asheville Chamber of Commerce
Asheville
63, chief operating officer, Tryon International Equestrian Properties
Mill Spring
58, chairman, CEO, The Spectrum Cos.
Charlotte
61, president, CEO, Premier
Charlotte
70, president and CEO, CommScope
Hickory
52, partner, Ridgemont Equity Partners
Charlotte
54, CEO and President, Lowe’s
Mooresville
71, founder, Eshelman Ventures
Wilmington
63, CEO, Flow Automotive
Winston-Salem
65, CEO, Wake Forest Baptist Health; dean, Wake Forest School of Medicine
Winston-Salem
59, president, CEO, Honda Aircraft
Greensboro
56, founder, managing partner, Cofounders Capital
Cary
60, chairman, CEO, Duke Energy
Charlotte
77, CEO, SAS Institute
Cary
61, CEO, Advance Auto Parts
Raleigh
41, regional president, eastern carolinas market, PNC Financial Services
Raleigh
58, partner, Robinson Bradshaw
Charlotte
51, president, CEO, co-owner, Furnitureland South
Jamestown
41, president, Lincoln Harris
Charlotte
64, CEO, Coca-Cola Consolidated
Charlotte
73, president, Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem
63, head, U.S. commercial middle market banking, Fifth Third Bank
Charlotte
58, chairman, CEO, First Citizens Bancshares
Raleigh
69, CEO, The Cardea Group
Charlotte
70, owner, H&H Homes; partner, Coldwell Banker Advantage
Fayetteville
63, CEO, Curi
Raleigh
67, CEO, Kane Realty
Raleigh
64, president, CEO, The Keith Corp.
Charlotte
62, president, CEO, Piedmont Triad Partnership
Greensboro
71, CEO, Truist Financial
Charlotte
60, executive vice president, Corning
Charlotte
73, senior managing partner, Childress Klein
Charlotte
54, CEO, Highwoods Properties
Raleigh
49, CEO, LendingTree
Charlotte
49, partner, Frontier Growth
Charlotte
57, head of consumer banking, Wells Fargo
Charlotte
54, partner, Frontier Growth
Charlotte
68, chairman, founder, CEO, Live Oak Bancshares
Wilmington
61, CEO, Crescent Communities
Charlotte
64, president, CEO, Foundation For The Carolinas
Charlotte
69, founder, CEO, McConnell Golf
Raleigh
44, managing partner, Falfurrias Capital
Charlotte
54, market director, Jones Lang LaSalle
Charlotte
59, CEO, First Bancorp
Southern Pines
50, chairman, co-founder, CEO, Bandwidth
Raleigh
56, CEO, Inmar
Winston-Salem
41, president, partner, The Variable
Winston-Salem
61, CEO, nCino
Wilmington
57, CEO, National Gypsum
Charlotte
57, CEO, Martin Marietta
Raleigh
44, co-founder, CEO, Pendo
Raleigh
50, president, Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst
57, senior partner, Dewitt Carolinas; board member, GFL Environmental
Raleigh
63, Chairman, CEO, Variety Wholesalers
Henderson
52, co-founder, CEO, AvidXchange
Charlotte
84, owner, Prestage Farms
Clinton
62, president, Duke University
Durham
64, executive chairman, Primo water
Winston-Salem
71, president, High Point University
High Point
57, president, Jarrett Bay Boatworks
Beaufort
61, firm chair, Smith Anderson
Raleigh
72, CEO, Rodgers Builders
Charlotte
57, president, CEO, SEPI
Raleigh
56, CEO, N.C. Chamber
Raleigh
50, chairman, CEO, Samet Corp.
Greensboro
66, president, chief scientific officer, AskBio
Research Triangle Park
70, chancellor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington
53, vice chair, Shurtape Technologies
Hickory
51, CEO, Shurtape Technologies
Hickory
52, Chief administrative officer, Bank of America
Charlotte
61, founder, chairman, Teall Capital Partners
Winston-Salem
49, CEO, Epic Games
Cary
71, director, CEO, Tanger Factory Outlet Centers
Greensboro
65, managing partner, Front Street Capital
Winston-Salem
62, owner, Carolina Panthers, MLS franchise
Charlotte
57, CEO, Vidant Health
Greenville
62, CEO, Parkdale Mills
Gastonia
52, president, CEO, Red Hat
Raleigh
61, president, vice chairman, Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte
55, CEO, Atrium Health
Charlotte
62, chancellor, N.C. State University
Raleigh
38, president, Panorama Holdings
Charlotte
61, president, CEO, Reeds Jewelers
Wilmington
74, general counsel, zimmer development
Wilmington
63, President, Zimmer Development
Wilmington
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