Icons
There’s influence, and then there’s serious influence: These senior business leaders are no longer as active in day-to-day affairs but still wield enormous clout.
John Atkins
Durham architect, civic activist in various Triangle area endeavors
Don Beaver
Hickory nursing-home kingpin owns Charlotte’s minor-league baseball team
Smoky Bissell
Veteran developer who sold his Ballantyne office park for $1.2 billion
Erskine Bowles
Charlotte investment banker; director at Facebook, Morgan Stanley
Frank Daniels Jr.
Veteran newspaper executive; part of group that owns Business North Carolina
Dick Daugherty
Retired IBM executive and longtime promoter of Research Triangle Park
Paul Fulton
Ex-Sara Lee president; leads group favoring more higher-ed spending
Allen Gant Jr.
Chairman and former CEO of Triad textile giant Glen Raven
Johnny Harris
Charlotte’s most outspoken developer, heir to Morrison land fortune
Bob Ingram
Former CEO of Glaxo Wellcome; private-equity investor in health care
Leon Levine
Founder of Family Dollar Stores; now a prominent philanthropist
Bobby Long
Sold his life-insurance business; backs many Triad projects and events
James Maynard
Founder of Golden Corral restaurant chain; private-equity Investor
Hugh McColl Jr.
Retied CEO of Bank of America; Charlotte’s most famous leader
Jim Melvin
Ex-banker and Former Greensboro Mayor; heads Bryan Foundation
Wendell Murphy
Leading pork producer; former state Senator; N.C. State University booster
Mack Pearsall
Lawyer who has held key civic leadership roles in Rocky Mount, Asheville
Gregory Poole Jr.
Retired CEO of Raleigh’s Caterpillar Dealership; civic leader
Russell Robinson
Law-firm founder who has represented many key business leaders
O. Temple Sloan Jr.
Founder of General Parts, bought by Advance auto for $2 billion in 2014
O. Bruton Smith
Created public companies for his car dealerships, Nascar Speedways
C.D. “Dick” Spangler
Billionaire investor in banks, National Gypsum; former UNC System chief
Mike Weaver
Greensboro contractor, developer, investor and philanthropist
Smedes York
Former Raleigh mayor, veteran contractor and real-estate investor
Change Agents
“Ones to watch” — while they lead prominent businesses or organizations, these executives are relatively new in their roles.
Adrienne Cole
President and CEO, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
Raleigh
Ryan Combs
Executive director, Research Triangle Regional Partnership
Cary
Patrick Conway
President and CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Durham
Kandi Deitemeyer
President, Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte
Gerald Evans
CEO, Hanesbrands
Winston-Salem
Julie Ann Freischlag
CEO, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Winston-Salem
Scott Levitan
President and CEO, Research Triangle Foundation
Durham
Vincent Price
President, Duke University
Durham
Cecil Staton
Chancellor, East Carolina University
Greenville
Click the links below to read more:
The intro
The Power 100 list
Roy Carroll II
Dale Jenkins
Leah Wong Ashburn
Robert E. Barnhill Jr.
Frank Emory
Mark Bellissimo
