The N.C. Leadership Conference, sponsored by Business North Carolina and the North Carolina Tribune, awarded three Executive of the Year honors at the April 26 event in Raleigh.
The awards recognized distinguished work and the significant contributions the executives are having on North Carolina’s business landscape.
Artificial Intelligence Sector: Igor Jablokov, CEO of Raleigh-based Pryon
Jablokov helped Pryon secure a $100 million in capital in its latest funding round. It marked the biggest investment in a North Carolina-based AI company. He previously founded Yap, which was acquired by Amazon and played a pivotal role in developing the Alexa voice-recognition service. Jablokov has a B.S. in computer engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and an MBA from UNC Charlotte.
Economic Development Sector: Chris Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
Chung has led the state’s business recruitment efforts in partnership with the N.C. Department of Commerce since 2015. He previously held a similar post in Missouri. During his tenure in Raleigh, the state has attracted more than 500 expansion projects that have led to more than 67,000 job announcements and $14 billion in announced new investments. Highlights have included developments involving Toyota Battery Manufacturing, Wolfspeed and Boom Supersonic. Chung has a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University.
College Athletic Sector: Jim Phillips, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner
Phillips, who joined the ACC in 2021, faces a whirlwind of challenges. With conference realignment, NIL regulations, and the transfer portal reshaping college sports, Phillips demonstrated leadership by helping the conference add the University of California, Berkeley; Stanford University; and Southern Methodist University to its membership. Phillips has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree from Arizona State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee.
More than 100 people attended the Leadership Conference, attending panel discussions on topics including key issues at the N.C. General Assembly; workforce development; college athletic trends; and artificial intelligence.
Business North Carolina publishes stories, in a monthly magazine and online, about the state’s economy, trend-setting organizations and leaders. The N.C. Tribune newsletter launched in 2022 to cover the intersection of commerce and politics.
The publications offer a unique, nonpartisan statewide perspective about the ninth-most populous U.S. state, rated the “Top State for Business” by CNBC for the past two years.