Our genius web guys have been busy. Check out the new and improved food truck schedule. You can now sort any column, or, use the search to filter out what data you want. Want to know where Easy Slider is going to be on Tuesday? Type “Easy Tue” in the search box.
On to this week: Several of the food trucks will be at The Village Apartments on Tuesday. Wednesday brings Crate & Barrel pop-up, as well as “The Food Truck Experience” at Sigel’s Greenville. Bite Nights in Addison continue.
Thursday night features several food trucks in the Dallas Arts District for Aurora 2013.
This week, we add Bombay Street Food and The Pickled Carrot. Bombay Street Food is our first Indian fare truck, brought by the same people behind the bricks’n’mortar locations of Bombay ChopStix in Richardson and Las Colinas. The Pickled Carrot is serving up banh mi sandwiches, primarily in Denton since the regulations have eased in that city.
Good Karma Kitchen demonstrates why running a food truck can be more difficult than a bricks’n’mortar restaurant. They won’t be out this week, as their truck “Lucy” threw a rod and will be need a new engine.
With that, we have our schedule for the week. Always check Facebook and Twitter before venturing out!
| CHAPTER | CATEGORY | FIRST | LAST | COMPANY | TITLE | BLURB | IMAGES | SPONSORED TEXT | SPONSORED URL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | Aaron | Powell | Pizza Hut | Global CEO | Aaron Powell, who enjoys reading about former U.S. presidents, moved from Singapore to North Texas in late 2021, leaving a post as president, Asia Pacific for Kimberly-Clark to guide Pizza Hut’s global growth strategies and performance. “With the right team, and a little direction, anything is possible, and I love what I am seeing from Pizza Hut leaders and our franchisee partners,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Powell-Aaron-PizzaHut-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | a | Arteaga | Dallas Museum of Art | Eugene McDermott Director | In 1984, the Dallas Museum of Art moved to the Dallas Arts District. Now, in its 40th year anchoring the largest arts district in America, Agustín Arteaga is leading the museum into a new phase. “I’m looking forward to the renovation and expansion of our museum,” he says. “Forty years ago, the DMA transformed Dallas, now we’re envisioning how to serve the city of the future.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Arteaga-Agustin-DMA.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | Alberto | Lombardi | Lombardi Family Concepts | Owner and CEO | In 2023, Alberto Lombardi, who spent three years intending to be a Franciscan monk, added Chinese fine dining venue Maison Chinoise in Uptown to his collection of concepts, which includes nearby Taverna, Toulouse. He started his career as a busboy before traveling the world as a waiter on a cruiseliner. “I quickly discovered my passion for working with people,” he says of his first job. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lombardi-Alberto-LombardiFamilyConcepts-2024.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | Artie | Starrs | Topgolf | CEO | Artie Starrs says his proudest achievement in 2023 was positioning Topgolf—which is up to 90 global venues and 12 under development—as the first branded, medaled event in Special Olympics history. Starting in 2024, local organizing committees for any Special Olympics event will have the option to include Topgolf as a global medaled event. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Starrs-Artie-TopGolf.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | Blake | Walker | Arcis Golf | CEO and Founder | Blake Walker founded golf course owner and operator Arcis Golf in 2013. In 2023, Arcis acquired Pacific Life’s golf club portfolio, marking the company’s 13th acquisition in two years and bringing its portfolio to nearly 70 clubs. In the past four years, Arcis has invested $100 million into club upgrades and, “In the last year, we’ve seen strong organic growth,” Walker says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Walker-Blake-ArcisGolf-2024.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | Brad | Alberts | Dallas Stars | President and CEO | In 2023, the Dallas Stars reached the Western Conference Finals for the second time in the last four seasons. The Stars, led by Brad Alberts, are also at the forefront of The Texas Sports Betting Alliance pushing for the legalization of sports betting in Texas. Moving forward, Alberts says, “I’m also working on major renovations to all our major facilities.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Alberts-Brad-DallasStars.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | Brett | Yormark | Big 12 Conference | Commissioner | Brett Yormark took over the Irving-headquartered Big 12 in late 2022, and 2023 marked the conference’s first year with its new expansion teams: Brigham Young University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Houston. He plans to take the Big 12 into Mexico City with future events in basketball and other sports. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yormark-Brett-Big12Conference-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | Carolina | Alvarez-Mathies | Dallas Contemporary | Executive Director | In the spring of 2023, Carolina Alvarez-Mathies wrapped up her first year leading the Dallas Contemporary. One of the country’s youngest museum directors, Alvarez-Mathies identifies her biggest win as mastering the balance between strategy and action. “We’re building our plans for the future while rolling out exciting new programming,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Alvarez-Mathies-Carolina-DallasContemporary-2024.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | Charlotte | Jones | Dallas Cowboys | Owner, Executive Vice President, and Chief Brand Officer | Charlotte Jones leads branding for one of the world’s most iconic sports enterprises. She is also a key player in Arlington’s National Medal of Honor Museum. While working for her father, Jerry Jones, her biggest lessons learned are: “Respect your opponent, honor what you’re fighting for, and understand the responsibility and opportunity you have to bring people together,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jones-Charlotte-DallasCowboys.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | Chris | Young | Texas Rangers | Executive Vice President and General Manager | Chris Young made bold acquisitions for the Texas Rangers in 2023 as he traded for future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer and star reliever Aroldis Chapman. Led by six 2023 All-Star selections, the Rangers enjoyed the franchise’s best season since 2016 winning 90 games. Advice that guides him daily, he says, is: “Make the right decision, even if it’s the most difficult one.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Young-Chris-TexasRangers-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | Clark | Hunt | FC Dallas and Kansas City Chiefs | Chairman and CEO | Clark Hunt’s Kansas City Chiefs captured its third Super Bowl title in the history of the franchise in 2023. Which explains why his go-to karaoke song is Queen’s “We Are The Champions.” Locally, with FC Dallas, he’s led the franchise to be a national model of development with its youth soccer programs. Hunt also continues to be an active supporter of the Perot Museum. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hunt-Clark-FCDallas.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | Cynt | Marshall | Dallas Mavericks | CEO | Cynt Marshall, the first Black woman to be an NBA CEO, has led the Mavericks to become a leader in diversity. Now, Marshall—who grew up wanting to teach math—wants to change the landscape league-wide. “We need more women in ownership, executive leadership, coaching, and referee positions. We know how to create and leverage human connections,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Marshall-Cynt-DallasMavericks-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | Daniel | Hunt | FC Dallas | President | Dan Hunt, who leads the day-to-day operations of FC Dallas, serves as the chairman of the Dallas Bid Committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “Getting our region selected as a host city is something I’m very proud of,” he says. “Bringing the World Cup to our area for a second time will benefit all of us and create a legacy for generations to come.” Next up? Trying to bring the World Cup Final to DFW. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hunt-Dan-FCDallas-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | David | Gibbs | YUM! Brands | CEO | When David Gibbs began his career, his father painted a picture of him in front of a Taco Bell. “I still have it hanging,” Gibbs says. Now, the leader of the parent company for KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and more has guided the company through accelerated growth in 2021 and 2022. “This was fueled by record development numbers and digital sales growth,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gibb-David-YumBrands-2024.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | David | Pillsbury | Invited | CEO | Invited is the owner and operator of more than 200 private clubs in the nation. Recent local milestones by the company led by David Pillsbury include a $3.4 million renovation of The Constellation Club in Irving and a $5 million renovation of Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, which brought the 2023 USA Pickleball National Championships to DFW. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Pillsbury-David-ClubCorp.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | Dean | Fearing | Fearing's Restaurant | Chef and Owner | Shaped by his father Tom, who was an innkeeper, Dean Fearing had much to celebrate in 2023. Reflecting on opening his eponymous restaurant 16 years ago inside the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas has brought a sense of establishment—and a five-star rating for the hotel from Forbes Travel Guide has only added to the feat. “Being the hotel’s restaurant has been a huge boost for my staff,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Fearing-Dean-Fearings.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | Dee | Lincoln-Ruley | Dee Lincoln Prime | Founder | Nicknamed “the queen of steaks,” New Orleans native Dee Lincoln-Ruley was involved in the launch of Del Frisco’s and its Double Eagle steakhouse. She now runs her own brand at The Star in Frisco, where she recently added a speakeasy. The restaurant is on track to hit $14 million in revenue for 2023. “We stay relevant, and we are not a traditional steakhouse,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lincoln-Ruley-Dee-DeeLincolnPrime-2024.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | Edgar | Guevara | M Crowd Restaurant Group | President and CEO | The group behind Tex-Mex chain Mi Cocina, Taco Diner, and The Mercury expanded into McKinney in 2023 with its 23rd Mi Cocina location. A 24th is planned for Houston. President and CEO Edgar Guevara says another big win was launching a nonprofit fund for employees. “It is designed to provide short-term crisis relief assistance,” Guevara says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Guevara-Edgar-MCrowd.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | Greg | Bibb | Dallas Wings and Panther City Lacrosse Club | President, CEO, and Managing Partner | Greg Bibb is at the helm of two burgeoning Dallas-Fort Worth sports franchises, the Dallas Wings and Panther City Lacrosse Club. The Wings have proved profitable the past two seasons, and in 2023, he spearheaded an official partnership between the Mavericks and Wings—the first such deal between WNBA and NBA teams not controlled by the same ownership group. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Bibb-Greg-DallasWings.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | John | Tesar | Tesar Restaurant Group | Chef and Owner | Decorated with a Michelin Star for his concept Knife and Spoon in Orlando, John Tesar, a former aspiring surfer and rock star, now looks forward to opening Knife Italian inside the Ritz in Las Colinas. “We are also doing a hotel project in Austin, and I’m also looking forward to the renovation of The Highland hotel and Knife and the creation of our new speakeasy,” Tesar says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tesar-John-JohnTesarConcepts-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | Justin | Kenna | GameSquare Holdings | CEO | Justin Kenna led esports company GameSquare Holdings to a Nasdaq listing in 2023 through a merger with Engine Gaming. The deal is expected to accelerate the company’s path to profitability with a new combined company with more than $70 million in trailing 12-month revenue. “Our position with the next generation of consumers is unparalleled,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kenna-Justin-GameSquareEsports-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | Kenneth | Novice | Broadway Dallas | President and CEO | Kenneth Novice leads Broadway Dallas, which rebranded from Dallas Summer Musicals. In 2024, the organization will bring Hamilton, Beetlejuice, and Hairspray to Fair Park. But Novice is most proud of community impact. “2023 was another year of impactful education and community partnership throughout schools and communities in Dallas,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Novice-Ken-DallasSummerMusicals.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | Kevin | Hochman | Brinker International | CEO and President | In addition to overseeing Maggiano’s Little Italy and It’s Just Wings, Kevin Hochman is president of Chili’s Bar and Grill. He says the brand’s more than 1,200 restaurant teams made gains in guest experience scores in 2023, and Brinker overall has seen sales success. “The company’s same-store sales through our third quarter are up nearly 11 percent,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hochman-Kevin-Brinker-2024.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | Kim | Noltemy | Dallas Symphony Association | President and CEO | In 2023, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra went on tour for the first time in a decade. Dallas Symphony Association leader Kim Noltemy marks the feat as her proudest moment over the last year. But anticipating what the future holds, Noltemy is most eager about developing and expanding the DSO’s audience. “We are seeing a surge of new and diverse audiences,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Noltemy-Kim-DallasSymphony-2024.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | Laura Rea | Dickey | Dickey's Barbecue Pit | CEO | Longtime leader Laura Rea Dickey addressed supply chain issues head-on. “A proud moment was building and opening our own USDA production facility to better manage supply chain needs and ensure the quality and availability of our protein products,” she says. Dickey has led the barbecue franchise since 2017 and oversees its more than 550 restaurants. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dickey-LauraRea-Dickeys-2024.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | Lily Cabatu | Weiss | Dallas Arts District Foundation | Executive Director | The Dallas Arts District is now 40 years old, and Executive Director Lily Cabatu Weiss says the year of celebration was about expanding impact. “We welcomed visitors into our architectural gem from the Uptown Jeddah project in Saudi Arabia, Sendai in Japan, and The Music Center in Los Angeles as they looked to us for an example of economic impact success,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Weiss-Lily-DallasArtsDistrict-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | Mark | Faber | Texas Motor Speedway | Executive Vice President and General Manager | Mark Faber has led the racing giant, which creates an annual estimated economic impact of $300 million, toward increased attendance and corporate involvement. His humanitarian goals include outreach to Hispanic and other multicultural communities, and fighting child trafficking and abuse through the Speedway Children’s Charities. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Faber-Mark-TexasMotorSpeedway-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | Perry | Sook | Nexstar Media Group | Chairman and CEO | Nexstar is the largest owner of TV stations in the U.S., acquiring 200 broadcast stations across 39 states and 116 markets since Perry Sook founded it in 1996. In 2022 it recorded a record $5.2 billion in revenue. “The $2.5 billion we generate from cable and satellite operators is our largest source of revenue,” he says. Nexstar reportedly has interest in purchasing ESPN from Disney. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sook-Perry-NexstarBroadcastingGroupInc.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | Roland | Parrish | Parrish Restaurants | CEO and Owner | With 26 McDonald’s franchises in North Texas, Roland Parrish owns more than five times the national average for franchisees. His enterprise produces more than $60 million in revenue, and he’s proud of how it’s navigated economic challenges. “We have survived due to great fiscal discipline, operational excellence, and exemplary debt management,” Parrish says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Parrish-Roland-ParrishRestaurants-2024.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | Sean | Gamble | Cinemark | President and CEO | In 2022, Cinemark, which is led by Sean Gamble, reported more than $2.45 billion in revenue. The numbers are up 62 percent year over year but lag 2019’s record revenue of $3.28 billion. Looking ahead, Gamble is bullish on the entertainment market. “We have a significant number of growth and margin-generating opportunities that are directly within our control,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gamble-Sean-Cinemark-2024.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | Seth | Waugh | PGA of America | CEO | Seth Waugh leads the PGA of America, which calls Frisco home. In 2023, global audiences fixed their eyes on the new ‘home of golf’ when it hosted the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in May and the announcement of America’s 2023 Ryder Cup team in August. “We are the hottest part of town,” he says. “Our brand and Omni’s money have created enormous value.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Waugh-Seth-PGAofAmerica-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | Stephan | Courseau | Travis Street Hospitality | Founder and CEO | In 2024, Stephan Courseau will unveil two restaurants inside The Terminal at Katy Trail with his partner Bruno Davaillon. The larger of the two will be French-Asian restaurant Le PasSage. Nearby, Rose Café will combine Asian and Parisian influences. “Especially in Dallas, there’s still room to showcase a lot of flavors, spices, and herbs,” Courseau says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Courseau-Stephen-TravisStreetHospitality-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Chefs and Restaurateurs | Tiffany | Derry | T2D Concepts | Co-Founder | After being selected as the region’s only Beard Award finalist in 2022, Top Chef alumna Tiffany Derry was named to Inc’s 2023 Female Founders 200. She plans to open a third location of her Southern Kitchen concept Roots Chicken Shak in DeSoto soon. “It will bring chef-quality food to an underserved area and create ownership opportunities for minorities,” Derry says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Derry-Tiffany-T2DConcepts-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | Warren | Tranquada | AT&T Performing Arts Center | President and CEO | After taking the helm of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in 2022, Warren Tranquada is focused on improving audience experience ranging from parking to engagement with artists. The one thing he’d change about the industry, he says, “Is to regulate the maximum mark-up from the original ticket price. And we need more tech to prevent bots from buying seats.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tranquada-Warren-AT-and-TPerfomingArtsCenter-23.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Sports | William | Hancock | College Football Playoff | Executive Director | Bill Hancock was the first full-time director of the NCAA Final Four, the first executive director of the Bowl Championship Series, and is the first executive director of the College Football Playoff. He says his latest and toughest challenge was deciding to expand the playoffs to 12 teams, but his proudest moment, he says, was moving forward with it. Come 2025, he will ride into retirement. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hancock-William-CollegeFootballPlayoff-2024.png | |||
| Arts, Sports, and Leisure | Arts and Entertainment | Zenetta | Drew | Dallas Black Dance Theatre | Executive Director | In 2023, Zenetta Drew continued to build upon her initiative that was born from the pandemic: virtual theatre performances. “By leveraging our digital content for long-term audience development, we are now reaching over 35 countries with no signs of slowing down,” Drew says. “Nay-sayers said TV would take away from football stadium sales, and the opposite happened.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Drew-Zenetta-DallasBlackDanceTheatre-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Hedge Funds | Andy | Mitchell | Lantern Capital Partners | Founder and CEO | Leader of Dallas-based Lantern Capital, Andy Mitchell says he is excited about the future of tech in communication. “They continue to improve quality of life by enabling the masses to access information for research and understanding each other,” he says. Mitchell led the firm into the entertainment space when it acquired The Weinstein Co. in 2018. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mitchell-Andy-Lantern.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Hedge Funds | Anurag | Jain | Perot Jain | Principal | Perot Jain was among investors raising a $44 million funding round to develop Major League Cricket in the U.S. For Principal Anurag Jain, who is also chairman of revenue cycle management company Access Healthcare, DFW will play a key role in the project as the league repurposed a Grand Prairie stadium for games. “We will compete with baseball one day,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jain-Anurag-PerotJain.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | Brendan | McGuire | PNC Bank | Regional President, North Texas | PNC opened a tech hub in Farmers Branch in 2022, which leader Brendan McGuire says will house 200 workers focused on developing the bank’s tech and innovation. It also launched a mobile banking unit, hoping to reach underbanked areas in DFW. “Last year, we had record-setting growth in North Texas, and there’s still so much more ahead,” McGuire says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/McGuire-Brendan-PNC.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | Bruce | Jackson | Santander Consumer USA | CEO | Bruce Jackson took the helm of auto finance giant Santander Consumer USA at the end of 2022, after serving as president of Chrysler Capital and holding top posts at JP Morgan, Ally Financial, and Bank of America. He is already cementing key relationships. “We were able to secure a significant deal with Mitsubishi Motors North America and other prestigious car manufacturers,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jackson-Bruce-Santander-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Caren | Lock | TIAA | Regional VP and Associate General Counsel | In 2022, TIAA committed to building a regional campus at The Star in Frisco, a $58 million project creating upwards of 2,000 jobs. “Upon completion, TIAA will be the largest private sector employer in Frisco,” says Caren Lock, who joined the company in the early 2000s. She is the primary point of contact for legislative, executive, and regulatory matters for TIAA. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lock-Caren-TIAA-23.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Carter | Tolleson | Tolleson Wealth Management | CEO | Carter Tolleson found his passion for finance early in life. “I discovered the stock market when I was young and developed a passion for trading when I was in high school,” he says. Now, Tolleson—an avid art collector—is in his sixth year of leading his family’s company. What excites him about the future? “We are in a position to grow and help more and more families that need us,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tolleson-Carter-TollesonWealth.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Cheryl | Alston | Dallas Employees’ Retirement Fund | Executive Director | Avid hiker Cheryl Alston says 2023 brought top investment returns and customer service ratings for the City of Dallas’ pension fund. She feels the industry needs to continue to become more inclusive. “Women- and minority-owned firms control only 1.4 percent of the more than $82 trillion managed by the U.S. asset management industry,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Alston-Cheryl-DallasEmployeesRetirementFund.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Hedge Funds | Chris | Carter | NGP | Managing Partner | Chris Carter joined NGP as an associate in 2004 and has risen to managing partner. In June, the energy-focused private equity and venture capital firm closed its Energy Transition IV fund with $700 million in total capital commitments. “Energy transition is key to the future of NGP, and our investment activity in the space is accelerating,” Carter says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Carter-Chris-NGP-23.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Christian | Rodriguez | Charles Schwab | Managing Director | Christian Rodriguez says Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade are continuing to integrate well after their merger closed in 2019. “We still have more to go, but we have made significant progress in 2023,” he says. The former NFL player, who was adopted by his high school football coach, rose to a top regional role for Schwab in 2014 after more than a decade with Bank of America. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rodriguez-Christian-CharlesSchwab-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | Curtis | Farmer | Comerica Bank and Comerica Inc. | Chairman, President, and CEO | Curtis Farmer recently helped Comerica Bank leadership add offices and employees as it formalized its Southeast Market. Closer to home, the bank opened a collaborative space for small business owners, Comerica Business HQ. “We transformed idle real estate in South Dallas to empower community partners and local small businesses in need,” Farmer says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Farmer-Curtis-Comerica-23.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Debra | Tagg | BFS Advisory Group | President | Finance leader Debra Tagg tackled some of her biggest fears over the past few years. As part of her 50th year on the planet campaign, she climbed a frozen waterfall in Colorado, soared on a trapeze, and more. Back home, she powered through a tough market. “We navigated our portfolios through the Fed’s interest rate campaign, while also growing our team,” Tagg says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tagg-Debra-BFSAdvisoryGroup-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Doug | Deason | Deason Capital Services | President | Leading his family’s office since 2009, Doug Deason manages a wide range of assets in diverse industries. He’s also active in civic and nonprofit organizations and was the driving force behind the launch of the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center at SMU’s Dedman School of Law. The center tackles issues such as wrongful convictions and over-incarceration. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Deason-Doug-DeasonCapital.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | Elaine | Agather | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Chairman of the Dallas Region | During the crisis of confidence following Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank fallouts, longtime JPMorgan leader Elaine Agather says her team remained strong through the turbulence. “We stepped up and provided much-needed stability at an uncertain time. We were prepared because of our fortress balance sheet and the way our bank handles risk,” Agather says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Agather-Elaine-Chase.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Frances | Gardner | Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions | Managing Partner | Frannie Gardner, who co-founded her asset management company more than 30 years ago, says her key leadership strategies are “integrity, motivation, problem-solving, and listening.” Looking into the future, she says she is excited about the potential effects of artificial intelligence. “I think it will help us streamline processes and help remove barriers,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gardner-Frannie-GardnerWallace.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investment Banking | Gretchen Frary | Seay | Clearsight Advisors | Managing Director | Gretchen Frary Seay has managed Clearsight’s Dallas office since 2011, when she left a director role at PricewaterhouseCoopers. In 2022, the M&A veteran led Clearsight Advisors to close 12 deals in a challenging economic market. Seay is bullish on the industry’s future. “The changing market creates new and exciting opportunities in M&A,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Frary-Seay-Gretchen-Clearsight.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Harry | LaRosiliere | UBS Financial | Senior Vice President of Wealth Management | Born in Port au Prince, Haiti, Harry LaRosiliere became a senior vice president at The Kravitz Group, a part of UBS, in 2008 and served as mayor of Plano from 2013 to 2021. He left Harlem with no job lined up and says it paid off. “Regardless of the aspect in life, if you are following your passion, what appears to be a risk to some can be a sure bet for you,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/LaRosiliere-Harry-UBS.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Henry | Woodruff | Epiq Capital Group | Managing Director | Born and raised in Manchester, England, Henry Woodruff was a VP at San Francisco-based ICONIQ Capital when it spun out multi-family office investment firm EPIQ Capital Group. EPIQ recently opened a Dallas office with Henry Woodruff as managing director. The company also recently underwent a rebrand. “It reinforces our core values and mission as a firm,” Woodruff says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Woodruff-Henry-Epiq-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | Jennifer | Chandler | Bank of America | Dallas President | After nearly 25 years in leadership roles at Bank of America, Jennifer Chandler is excited about the ongoing growth of the region. “If the public and private sectors continue to work, we can improve the quality of life for more Dallas citizens,” she says. Chandler leads the bank’s philanthropic solutions team, which has won four industry awards in the past year. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Chandler-Jennifer-BankofAmerica.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | John | Steinmetz | Vista Bank | Vice Chairman and CEO | In his 16th year with Vista Bank, John Steinmetz guided the company through the acquisition of North Texas-based Charis Bank in 2023 and an expansion into Palm Beach, Florida. “We will soon open a branch in South Dallas near Fair Park,” Steinmetz says. He oversees commercial and retail banking operations, nearly 200 employees, and an asset portfolio that is nearing $2 billion. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Steinmetz-John-VistaBank-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | Jorge | Calderón | Capital One | DFW Market President | Jorge Calderón has worked through various leadership roles at Capital One since 2006, which he says is “poised to achieve our goals for a third consecutive year.” Calderón’s key leadership strategy? Avoid getting wrapped up in office politics and focus on employee development. “Our goal as leaders is to help our associates see more in themselves,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Calderon-Jorge-CapitalOne-23.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investment Banking | Joseph | Mannes | SAMCO Capital Markets | President | Joe Mannes, who grew up wishing to be a 7-foot-5 NBA center, joined SAMCO Capital Markets in 2001 and says he has been recently considering a new management question he gleaned from The New York Times: “Do you wish to be heard, helped, or hugged?” Servant leadership is a real thing, he says. “It’s about helping people be successful, not ordering them around.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mannes-Joseph-SamcoCapitalMarkets-23.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investment Banking | Keith | Behrens | Stephens | Managing Director and Energy Group Head | Keith Behrens joined Stephens in 2009 and serves as head of its Energy Investment Banking Group. This year, he says finding capital sources beyond private equity funds has been key to funding drilling and acquisition deals. “We are making major inroads in accessing family office equity capital to back our clients to replace the traditional PE capital that has left our space,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Behrens-Keith-StephensInc.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | Malcolm | Holland | Veritex Community Bank | President and CEO | Malcolm Holland took the helm of Veritex Community Bank—listed among the 10 largest Texas-based banks—when it launched in 2010. He has grown the bank’s total assets to more than $12.5 billion in 2023’s first quarter. “Despite the banking challenges, we have made our company better and stronger by maintaining truth, transparency, and integrity,” Holland says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Holland-Malcolm-VeritexCommunityBank-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Hedge Funds | Margot | Carter | Living Mountain Capital | President | Margot Carter leads the technology-focused investment firm Living Mountain Capital. Its portfolio includes Dallas-based fintech CollateralEdge, Austin-based Capital Factory, and Carter’s own CRM data optimization company Cien.ai. “We look to seize opportunities to innovate through new ways of working, embracing change, and leveraging technologies,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Carter-Margot-Cien.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | Mark | Wade | Bank of Texas | CEO | Mark Wade was named CEO of Bank of Texas in late 2022, succeeding longtime leader Norm Bagwell. In his first year, Wade has led Bank of Texas into the San Antonio market and has plans to grow into Arkansas with its parent company BOK Financial. “We are playing offense while others may be more focused internally,” he says. “We’re set up to excel through challenging times.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wade-Mark-BankofTexas-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Matthew | Ogle | Legacy Knight Multifamily Office | CEO and Founding Partner | Matthew Ogle founded multifamily office alongside partner Abe Minkara in 2019. They’ve since expanded the company at a rapid pace. “We have been growing at around 150 percent CAGR since our founding,” Ogle says. In the past year, Legacy Knight has added five investment verticals and augmented staff by 25 percent. It also beat its seven-year plan in year two. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ogle-Matthew-LegacyKnight-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investment Banking | Rick | Lacher | Houlihan Lokey | Managing Director | In 2022, Houlihan Lokey’s 37 offices worldwide advised on more than 381 deals under $1 billion—more than many of its larger competitors—and reported $1.81 billion in revenue for its fiscal year 2023. Rick Lacher has led the firm’s M&A practice since 2002 and serves as co-head of its M&A committee and its board and special committee advisory practice. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lacher-Rick-HoulihanLokey.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | Rob | Holmes | Texas Capital | President and CEO | In 2022, Texas Capital Bank restructured, recapitalized, doubled its frontline staff, and launched an investment bank and sales and trading desk that President and CEO Rob Holmes says has been profitable since its inception. “It’s a huge feat for the first of its kind in Texas in the last 40 years,” says Holmes, who took the helm of the bank in 2021. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Holmes-Rob.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Hedge Funds | Rob | Langley | Align Capital Partners | Co-Founder and Managing Partner | During a year when many anticipated slower deal flow, Rob Langley says his lower middle market private equity firm, which he co-founded in 2016, bought and sold nearly $2 billion worth of companies. “We also raised $750 million in new committed capital,” he says. Langley has worked on more than 50 transactions for more than $2 billion in value during his career. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Langley-Rob-AlignCapitalPartners-23.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Hedge Funds | Robert | Covington | Braemont Capital | Founder, CEO, and Managing Partner | Robert Covington says one of his toughest challenges was leaving RedBird Capital Partners to launch Braemont Capital in 2021. “It was an exceedingly difficult decision to leave and start a firm on my own,” he says. But it has paid off. Two years later, Braemont closed the largest inaugural capital raise in Texas history at $525 million and plans to launch another in late 2024 or early 2025. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Covington-Robert-BraemontCapital-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investment Banking | Robert | Rough | Telos Capital Advisors | Managing Director | Robert Rough’s first job was performing in a theatrical production at JFK Center in Washington D.C. “I learned the importance of discipline, teamwork, and doing your best at every show,” he says. Now, Rough helps lead Dallas-based Telos Capital, a lower-middle market firm. Rough has closed more than 100 transactions throughout his more than 40-year career. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rough-Robert-Telos-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investment Banking | Ryan | Binkley | Generational Group | President and CEO | After his brother was tragically killed by a drunk driver, Ryan Binkley left his pastoring job in Atlanta to launch middle market advisory firm Generational Group with his father. The company has completed more than 1,300 transactions since 2006 and has grown to 15 offices nationwide. Up next for the multifaceted leader? Binkley is running for President of the United States in 2024. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Binkley-Ryan-GenerationalEquityAdvisors-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | Sam | Susser | Susser Bank | Chairman and CEO | Sam Susser sold his convenience store empire to Energy Transfer Partners for $2.4 billion in 2014. He then purchased Affiliated Bank, renamed it to Susser Bank, and has since grown it to more than $1.57 billion. In 2022, it grew 30 percent. “Most important, we strengthened our culture, communication, and alignment across more than 260 team members,” Susser says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Susser-Sam-SusserBank-23.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Scott | Wood | True North Advisors | CEO and Co-Founder | Scott Wood, who says he was hardwired to be an entrepreneur, co-founded True North Advisors in 2000 with Mark Gehlbach. Now, with $3.1 billion in assets under management, the company has repositioned its client portfolios in anticipation of a downturn. “This required thinking differently from the crowd and to start this process long before the market showed signs of decline,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wood-Scott-TrueNorthAdvisors-23.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Investments, Wealth Management, and Family Offices | Tait | Cruse | Northwestern Mutual | Managing Partner and President | Three years after receiving a leukemia diagnosis and treatment, Tait Cruse says he is “excited about life in general.” Cruse oversees more than 315 financial advisers and representatives as the Dallas market lead for Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual. He also is a founding member of the TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation, named for his son, who passed away from cancer. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cruse-Tait-NorthwesternMutual-2024.png | |||
| Banking and Finance | Banking | Tanya | Sanders | Wells Fargo | Head of Auto | Former Auto Finance Executive of the Year Tanya Sanders took the top post for Wells Fargo Automotive in 2021, guiding auto financing for a network of more than 10,000 dealers and more than 3 million consumers. She oversees a loan portfolio of more than $55 billion for the company. “I’m most excited to see the impact of more technology in cars and transportation,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sanders-Tanya-WellsFargo-2024-2.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Abigail | Erickson | Frontiers of Flight of Museum | CEO | Abigail Erickson is soaring. Over the last 12 months, she’s started as CEO of the Frontiers of Flight Museum, left nonprofit Bryan’s House in good standing after eight years, and saw her two daughters off to college. For the next three years, she’ll focus on the museum’s renovations, partnerships, and workforce development opportunities. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Erickson-Abigail-FrontiersofFlight-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Adam | Wright | Dallas Baptist University | President | In the last year, Dallas Baptist University had the largest incoming first-year class and international student population in the school’s history. “We’ve also expanded our campus footprint and added several academic programs,” Adam Wright—who grew up wanting to be Batman—says. “Plus, we’ve invested more than 100,000 hours of community service in the DFW region.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wright-Adam-DBU.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Albert | Zapanta | United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce | President and CEO | Dallas-based U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce builds mutually beneficial trade and investment relationships between the two countries. The chamber celebrated its 50th anniversary in May 2023 and is led by Albert Zapanta, a former energy executive who earned the Silver Star, five Bronze Stars for valor, the Purple Heart, and 30 other awards during the Vietnam War. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Zapanta-Al-USMexicoCOC-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | April | Allen | Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation | President and CEO | April Allen is not building a deck park to provide shade trees and a playground for children. Instead, she’s connecting communities and creating a gateway for North Texas residents. She’s leading the development of the 5.5-acre Southern Gateway Park, deemed “a park with a purpose,” under construction over Interstate 35 East adjacent to the Dallas Zoo. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Allen-April-SouthernGateway-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Economic Development | Beth | Bowman | Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce | President and CEO | Irving-Las Colinas continues to solidify its reputation as a headquarters mecca. Recent wins include Kelly-Moore and Cacique Foods, and a new build-to-suit for Christus Health. Also, Wells Fargo’s new regional campus will bring $500 million in capital investment to the city, says Beth Bowman, who is also president and CEO of Irving Economic Development Partnership. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Bowman-Beth-CityOfIrving.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Bob | Mong | University of North Texas at Dallas | President | Bob Mong has been the president of the University of North Texas at Dallas and its College of Law since 2015. During this time, the university has grown in retention, awarded degrees, and enrollment, becoming one of the state’s fastest-growing public universities. The university broke ground on a $100 million STEM building as part of many STEM initiatives. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mong-Bob-UNT.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Brian | Luallen | Fair Park First | CEO | Fair Park is in the midst of a renaissance. CEO Brian Luallen looks forward to having more than eight million visitors a year over the next eight years, with the improvements and projects expected to make the park a global attraction. “When Dallas voters overwhelmingly supported Proposition A last November, it was a gam- changer,” Luallen says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Luallen-Brian-FairParkFirst-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Carine | Feyten | Texas Woman's University System | Chancellor and President | Carine Feyten started the #campuswithaheart hashtag to celebrate the culture at Texas Woman’s University. Under her leadership, TWU ranks second in the state for the value added to its graduates’ income-earning potential. In 2023, the American Council on Education and Fidelity Investments presented TWU with their 2023 Award for Institutional Transformation. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Feyten-Carine-TWU-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Cece | Cox | Resource Center | CEO | Cece Cox leads one of the largest LGBTQIA+ and HIV/AIDS service organizations in the country. She manages a 90-person staff and delivers services to more than 60,000 people each year. The past 12 months saw the launch of a $31 million affordable housing development and the growth of a primary medical care practice that prioritizes the LGBTQIA+ community. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cox-Cece-ResourceCenter-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Chris | Wallace | North Texas Commission | President and CEO | Chris Wallace has his finger on the pulse of everything DFW. The organization he leads, the North Texas Commission, is a public-private partnership dedicated to advancing the region’s vibrancy. “We’re unique as there’s no other organization like us in Texas,” he says. “We’re now leading our region’s advocacy in Austin and D.C., with our most prominent leaders at our side.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wallace-Chris-NorthTexasCommission.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Christopher | Cassidy | National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation | President and CEO | Christopher Cassidy is used to having big jobs. The retired NASA astronaut and United States Navy SEAL is now tasked with designing, funding, building, and maintaining Arlington’s National Medal of Honor Museum. Set to open in early 2025, the museum will showcase the Medal of Honor recipients and their stories of valor and inspiration in the face of impossible odds. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cassidy-Chris-NationalMedalofHonorMuseum-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Craig | Davis | Visit Dallas | President and CEO | After spending nearly 20 years with a similar organization in Pittsburgh, Craig Davis joined Visit Dallas in 2020. He points to the city’s passage of Proposition A to ensure enough capital to build the new and remodeled Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center as a big recent success. Set to open in 2028, Davis says, “It will change the landscape and future of downtown Dallas.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Davis-Craig-VisitDallas-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Dale | Petroskey | Dallas Regional Chamber | President and CEO | Under Dale Petroskey’s leadership, the Dallas Regional Chamber won the National Chamber of the Year award presented by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. “We’re thrilled to be honored, but we don’t do this work to win awards,” he says. “We do it to help make the Dallas region the best place in America for people to live, work, and do business.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Petroskey-Dale-DallasRegionalChamber.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Economic Development | Daniel | Bowman | City of Allen | Economic Development Director | Dan Bowman, who moved to Allen when he was 9 years old, was named to the top spot of the city’s economic development group in 2014. He has since helped steer brisk growth for the northern suburb with a diversity of office, retail, and hospitality projects and was instrumental in structuring a public-private partnership for the Watters Creek Hotel & Convention Center. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/BowmanDaniel-AllenEconomicDevelopment.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Florencia Velasco | Fortner | The Concilio | President and CEO | Florencia Velasco Fortner’s impact as a child advocate, grassroots organizer, and Latina leader has been felt in every community she’s touched in North Texas and beyond for 25 years. Under her leadership, The Concilio has increased families served from 2,000 to more than 14,000 and grown the operating budget from $400,000 to $5.4 million annually. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Fortner-FlorenciaVelasco-TheConcilio-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Gerald | Turner | Southern Methodist University | President | “It’s an exciting time at SMU,” says Gerald Turner. The university passed the $1 billion mark in its $1.5 billion fundraising campaign. The Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies building opened, the Cox School of Business is being renovated, $250 million of renovations are set to be finished at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in 2024, and the ACC voted to add the university to its league. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/TurnerGerald-SMU.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Harrison | Blair | Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce | President and CEO | In the last year, Harrison Blair led the nation’s oldest operating Black chamber of commerce on its first international trade mission to Africa since 1996. He says, “We made several critical relationships in South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria that will be important in the coming decade as our nation works to build deeper strategic alliances and relationships with West Africa.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Blair-Harrison-BlackChamberofCommerce.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | EMBA/MBA Programs | Harry | Dombroski | The University of Texas at Arlington | Dean, College of Business | Harry Dombroski didn’t come from a traditional academic background but has brought much to the UTA College of Business. He was a longtime Hunt Consolidated and Hunt Oil Co. executive who graduated from UTA in 1979 and has remained involved with the school. Today, it is one of the largest business colleges in the area, enrolling about 6,500 students. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dombroski-Harry-UTA.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | EMBA/MBA Programs | Hasan | Pirkul | The University of Texas at Dallas | Dean of the Naveen Jindal School of Management | During his tenure, Hasan Pirkul has transformed UT Dallas’ Naveen Jindal School of Management into one of the country’s foremost public business schools. “Many universities are still dealing with the impact that Covid had on enrollments,” Pirkul says. “We reversed the declining international enrollments, and this academic year, we have a record number of students.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Pirkul-Hasan-UTD-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | EMBA/MBA Programs | Hettie | Richardson | Texas Christian University | Interim Dean, Neely School of Business | As the associate dean of undergrad programs, Hettie Richardson established the Neeley student satisfaction survey and created the Finance Crash Course, the JPMorgan Chase Inclusive Excellence Mentoring Program, and the Neeley Mentorship Program. In 2023, she was named interim dean of TCU’s school of business, which was the first school to establish NIL curriculum in the country. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Richardson-Hettie-TCU-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Irish | Burch | Dallas Children's Advocacy Center | President and CEO | For Irish Burch, becoming CEO of Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center was the next step of a legacy. Her first job as a social worker honored her mother’s work in the same field. “My focus is on making a meaningful impact on child abuse victims,” she says. “In an earlier role, I did this as a Child Protective Services Specialist and Forensic Interviewer.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Burch-Irish-DallasChildrensAdvocacyCenter-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | EMBA/MBA Programs | J. Lee | Whittington | University of Dallas | Dean, Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business | J. Lee Whittington has a long-standing record of excellence as an administrative leader, scholar, teacher, and entrepreneur and has been instrumental in the redesign undertaken by the college of its profile and program offerings. He’d like to see “More emphasis on learning for learning’s sake, instead of just checking the boxes to get a piece of paper.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Whittington-JLee-UniversityofDallas-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Jan | Langbein | Genesis Women's Shelter & Support | CEO | Jan Langbein has spent more than 30 years fighting to prevent violence against women and children. She co-founded the International Conference on Crimes Against Women and received a presidential appointment as senior policy adviser on Violence Against Women. Genesis recently opened a non-residential center, allowing for increased services and capacity. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Langbein-Jan-GenesisWomensShelter-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Economic Development | Jason | Ford | Frisco Economic Development Corp. | President | First came massive retail projects, then a flurry of office parks. Now, Frisco is one of the nation’s leading sports and entertainment markets, with headquarters for both the Dallas Cowboys and PGA of America. The city’s latest win? “Bringing a new, one-of-a-kind Universal Parks & Resorts theme park to Frisco,” says Jason Ford, president of the city’s economic development group. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ford-Jason-FriscoEDC-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Jeff | Fehlis | American Cancer Society | Executive Vice President | Jeff Fehlis joined the American Cancer Society in 2017 as the top executive in an 11-state region after a successful career in the airline industry with American and Delta that spanned three decades. One of his biggest successes locally is building the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge, a 40,000-square-foot, $25 million facility near Baylor University Medical Center. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Fehlis-Jeff-AmericanCancerSociety.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Jennifer | Bartkowski | Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas | CEO | Jennifer Bartkowski is a leader, fundraiser, and builder. She is excited that, “Over the last 12 months, we have developed, refined, and launched a four-year strategic plan that allows us to reimagine Girl Scouts to serve more girls in more communities in more inclusive ways. It’s a transformational approach to developing the female leaders of tomorrow.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Bartkowski-Jennifer-GirlscoutsofNortheastTexas-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Jennifer | Cowley | The University of Texas at Arlington | President | Jennifer Cowley is the first female president of The University of Texas at Arlington and the 10th overall. “We are in the fastest-growing region in the country, and I’m excited about UTA’s contributions to the talent needed to support our growth.” In fall 2023, the school debuted a resource and energy engineering degree program to support the energy industry. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cowley-Jennifer-UTArlington-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Jennifer | Sampson | United Way of Metropolitan Dallas | McDermott-Templeton President and CEO | Jennifer Sampson is committed to improving access to education, economic opportunity, and health for 1.5 million North Texans. A tireless community advocate, her vision includes incorporating innovative uses of technology, integrating emerging fundraising markets, and strengthening collaborative partnerships throughout the region. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sampson-Jennifer-UnitedWayDallas-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Jennifer | Scripps | Downtown Dallas Inc. | President and CEO | Downtown Dallas Inc. provided key advocacy for the passage of Proposition A, which will dramatically improve the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and reinvigorate the southwestern quadrant of downtown through the nearly $3 billion project. “I’m bullish on downtown Dallas,” she says. “You can feel the energy on the sidewalks and in restaurants.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Scripps-Jennifer-DowntownDallas-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Economic Development | Jenny | Mizutowicz | City of Richardson | Director of Economic Development | When Jenny Mizutowicz passed the Certified Economic Developer exam in 2016 at age 29, she became the region’s youngest individual to earn the certification. “It boosted my career potential and provided me with opportunities at the next level,” she says. Mizutowicz was named Richardson’s first economic development director in November 2022. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mizutowicz-Jenny-CityofRichardson-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Jessica | Gomez | Momentous Institute | Executive Director | Jessica Gomez was a percussionist and the only girl on the drum line in her high school. The licensed psychologist plays many roles today as the leader of the Momentous Institute. The nonprofit, which impacts more than 5,500 children and families annually and was founded by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, is the sole benefeciary of the Byron Nelson golf tournament. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gomez-Jessica-MomentousInstitute-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Justin | Lonon | Dallas College | Chancellor | Justin Lonon, a competitive race car driver in his free time, was a leading force in consolidating the Dallas County Community College District and its seven colleges into one Dallas College. To help address the teacher shortage, he also oversaw the creation of the state’s first community college four-year degree in early childhood education. The inaugural 125 students graduated this year. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lonon-Justin-DallasCollege.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Kelvin | Walker | Dallas Citizens Council | CEO | Private equity executive Kelvin Walker took the helm of the Dallas Citizens Council in March 2019. Long one of the region’s most influential organizations, it comprises more than 150 business leaders who provide guidance on policy issues that move the city forward. When it comes to leadership strategies, Walker says, “I value authenticity, transparency, and collaboration.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/WalkerKelvin-DallasCitizensCouncil.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Economic Development | Keri | Samford | The Colony Economic Development Corporation | Executive Director of Development | It was big news when The Colony won the Nebraska Furniture Mart-anchored, 433-acre Grandscape development in 2011. The project took top honors at the 2021 Global Retail and Leisure International Awards, and, says economic development director Keri Samford, “is the gift that keeps on giving,” with multiple groundbreakings for new tenants this past year. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Samford-Kerri-TheColony-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Kit | Sawers | Klyde Warren Park | President and CEO | Fundraising and events guru Kit Sawers has been a driving force behind the success of the city center’s public greenspace since 2018. The 5.2-acre deck park relies on contributions from donors to keep it clean, safe, and active for more than one million annual visitors. Now, she’s undertaking an estimated $76 million project to add 1.7 acres, scheduled for completion in 2024. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sawers-Kit-KlydeWarrenPark.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Linda | McMahon | The Real Estate Council | President and CEO | Linda McMahon is the go-to leader for commercial real estate professionals and is passionate about doing what she can to make the region better. As the largest and most influential organization of its kind in Texas, TREC represents more than 2,000 members and 625 companies—about 95 percent of the commercial real estate industry in North Texas. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/McMahon-Linda-TREC.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Linda | Silver | Perot Museum of Nature and Science | Eugene McDermott CEO | Linda Silver has many roles—veteran museum leader, strategist, fundraiser, and advocate. She leads Dallas’ Perot Museum, which celebrated its first decade last year. “We’re focused on the future and in preparing North Texans for the role STEM plays,” she says. This includes taking summer discovery camps on the road and offering free pop-up STEM camps in underserved neighborhoods.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Silver-Linda-PerotMuseum.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Liz | Brailsford | World Affairs Council of Dallas-Fort Worth | President and CEO | Before joining the World Affairs Council of DFW in 2021, Liz Brailsford was COO of the umbrella organization World Affairs Councils of America. She’s now the authority on the region’s role as an international city as it collaborates with countries worldwide on economic development, trade, and engagement. The DFW branch recently underwent a massive rebrand initiative. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Brailsford-Liz-WorldAffairsCouncil-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Lorie | Logan | Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas | President and CEO | Lorie Logan began serving as the 14th president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in August 2022 and is the first woman to hold the role in a permanent capacity. She represents the Eleventh Federal Reserve District on the Federal Open Market Committee in formulating U.S. monetary policy and oversees the Dallas Fed’s 1,200 employees. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Logan-Lorie-FederalReserve-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Lynn | McBee | City of Dallas | Workforce Czar | Education leader, philanthropist, and former mayoral candidate Lynn McBee was appointed by Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson in January 2022 as the city’s workforce development czar. The initiative targets an older population who must be skilled, reskilled, or upskilled. In the last three decades, she has invested more than 45,000 hours of service to more than 30 nonprofits. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/McBee-Lynn-CityofDallas-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | EMBA/MBA Programs | Marilyn | Wiley | University of North Texas | Dean, G. Brint Ryan College of Business | UNT’s College of Business is getting even better—and bigger, says Dean Marilyn Wiley. “We had not only our largest enrollment but our largest freshman class ever,” she says. In early January 2023, the University of North Texas opened a new standalone Frisco campus near PGA of America’s headquarters. She is excited about trends in reskilling and upskilling for lifelong learning. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wiley-Marilyn-UNT-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | EMBA/MBA Programs | Matthew | Myers | Southern Methodist University | Dean, Edwin L. Cox School of Business | SMU Cox offers undergraduate and graduate degrees to around 2,500 students a year. Looking ahead, Dean Matthew Myers is excited about the school’s renovation and expansion project. Plans call for the first classes to start in the $140 million facility in fall 2024. The larger campus will include 30 percent more indoor space, collaborative environments, and upgraded technology. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Myers-Matthew-SMU.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Michael | Horne | Parkland Health Foundation | President and CEO | Michael Horne is a career educator, social entrepreneur, and visionary. Under his leadership, Parkland Health Foundation has secured significant philanthropic investments. Horne is focused on expanding access to medical services across Dallas County. “Quality healthcare is critical to improving economic mobility,” he says. “And we’re committed to ensuring healthy lives.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Horne-Michael-Parkland-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Michael | Sorrell | Paul Quinn College | President | Michael Sorrell worked for numerous Dallas law firms and was a special assistant in the Clinton administration executive office. Come 2007, he became the president of Paul Quinn College. Under his leadership, the college founded the “We Over Me Farm” on the former football field to create an urban college model and address a food desert in the region. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sorrell-Michael-PaulQuinCollege.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Michael | Thomas | My Possibilities | CEO | My Possibilities’ biggest success has been the planning and constructing the Employment Innovations School, a vocational training program that will support more than 300 adults with disabilities seeking a pathway to community employment. “I fully expect to replicate the My Possibilities model across the United States in the near future,” says CEO Michael Thomas. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Thomas-Michael-MyPossibilites-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Michael | Williams | University of North Texas System | Chancellor | The UNT System is setting records in almost every measurement of success related to enrollment, fundraising, research, legislative funding, and academic excellence. To do so, Dr. Michael Williams leaned on his education, experience, and entrepreneurship, having launched multiple business entities, including healthcare, mortgage, and software companies. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Williams-Michael-UNTSystem-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Economic Development | Mike | Rosa | Dallas Regional Chamber | Senior Vice President | As the Dallas Regional Chamber’s chief economic development executive, Mike Rosa—who says his spirt animal is a beaver due to their craftiness—has played a critical role in luring many corporate relocations to DFW over the years. And interest continues to be strong. “This region continues to be a great place for businesses to locate and grow, and for people to succeed in work and life,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rosa-Mike-DallasRegionalChamber.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Mimi | Sterling | The Family Place | CEO | Servant leadership is a core part of Mimi Sterling’s life, whether it relates to family, community, Neiman Marcus customers during her previous career or now survivors of domestic violence. The Family Place last year provided 64,324 days of emergency shelter, 24,019 days of transitional housing, and 18,752 hours of counseling to nonresidential clients. Editors Note: Sterling stepped down from The Family Place after publishing the 2024 Dallas 500. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sterling-Mimi-TheFamilyPlace-23-1.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Monica | Paul | Dallas Sports Commission | Executive Director | Monica Paul is a serious player when it comes to her role in improving Dallas’ sports market. She has a vital role in developing marketing programs and bid strategies to attract Olympic, professional, collegiate, and amateur events to the region. In part thanks to her, Sports Business Journal ranked Dallas the number one city in the United States for conducting sports business. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Paul-Monica-DallasSportsCommission-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Neal | Smatresk | University of North Texas | President | Under Neal Smatresk, UNT was named a Carnegie-ranked Tier One research university, identified as a top 10 U.S. public university on the rise, and earned designations as a Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving Institution. Public-private partnerships abound. “Closing the gap between higher education and the business world presents great opportunities,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Smatresk-Neal-UNT.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Neil | Matkin | Collin College | District President | “Collin College has the lowest in-district tuition and the second-lowest tax rate in the state,” says District President Neil Matkin. “We aggressively manage our operational costs to ensure we reduce financial barriers to education.” In 2023, Matkin collaborated with 13 hospital CEOs and their staffs to launch Collin College’s fourth baccalaureate degree in clinical operations management. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Matkin-Neil-CollinCollege-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Nicole | Small | Lyda Hill Philanthropies and LH Capital | CEO | In 2023, Lyda Hill Philanthropies and Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science announced the Hill Prizes, which will accelerate high-risk, high-reward research ideas with significant potential for real-world impact. “These kinds of projects will fuel the innovation and cutting-edge discovery at our research institutions,” says CEO Nicole Small. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Small-Nicole-LydaHillPhilanthropies-23.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Philip | Hiatt Haigh | The Loop Dallas | Executive Director | The leader of the Circuit Trail Conservancy, Philip Hiatt Haigh is always on the move working to build The Loop. This public-private partnership is creating 11 new miles of trail, which will result in a 50-mile transportation network around the heart of Dallas. The system will connect neighborhoods to transportation hubs and economic opportunities. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Haigh-Philip-KT-24.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Richard | Benson | The University of Texas at Dallas | President | Richard Benson, a passionate New York Mets and Buffalo Bills fan, is excited about the growth of arts and humanities programs at UTD. The program sets the university apart by integrating them with STEM-focused disciplines. “Generous donors have ensured that we can foster the creative impulses of our students and faculty and benefit our community,” Benson says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/BensonRichard-UTD.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Stephen | Love | Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council | President and CEO | Stephen Love has worked in management for more than 40 years, demonstrating leadership in hospital operations, finance, and corporate governance. The one thing he’d like to change about healthcare? “We should conduct it through the lens of science and not politics,” he says. He also played a critical role as a spokesperson for the hospitals of DFW when the pandemic broke. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Love-Steve-W-DFWHospitalCouncil.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Government and Civic Organizations | Tony | Vedda | North Texas LGBT Chamber of Commerce | CEO and President | Under Tony Vedda’s leadership, the North Texas LGBT Chamber successfully introduced a bill in the 88th Texas Legislature to expand the state’s definition of historically underutilized businesses to include certified LGBT Business Enterprises. He says, “What excites me is that I don’t know where the future will take the chamber, but it will be a fun ride.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Vedda-Tony-LGBTChamber-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Tori | Mannes | ChildCareGroup | CEO and President | “The benefits and importance of quality early education and childcare are widely acknowledged, but the U.S. childcare industry is broken,” Tori Mannes says. She leads ChildCareGroup, a 122-year-old nonprofit providing comprehensive early childhood programs. Mannes oversees a staff of more than 420 professionals, who serve almost 60,000 children, parents, and teachers per year. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mannes-Tori-ChildcareGroup-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Trisha | Cunningham | North Texas Food Bank | President and CEO | Under Trisha Cunningham’s leadership, North Texas Food Bank just completed a three-year $500 million campaign called Nourish North Texas that included $150 million in funds, $300 million of donated food, and initial funding for an endowment with a $50 million target. “While still operating at a deficit because needs are higher than projected, we’ve met our goals,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cunningham-Trisha-NorthTexasFoodBank-2024.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Colleges and Universities | Victor | Boschini | Texas Christian University | Chancellor | Victor Boschini celebrated an impactful 20 years as chancellor in 2023, coinciding with the university’s sesquicentennial. It was a big year in other ways, too. TCU’s School of Medicine achieved accreditation, and the university had a record-breaking football season that included the CFP National Championship—the first football team in Texas to reach the four-team playoffs. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Boschini-Victor-TCU.png | |||
| Education, Government, and Nonprofits | Nonprofit Foundations and Organizations | Yasmin | Bhatia | Uplift Education | CEO | Given that she leads a large charter school system where 100 percent of the graduates have been accepted to college, most people guess that Yasmin Bhatia started her career as an educator. Instead, she spent nine years as a consultant with McKinsey & Co., serving the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the City of Dallas, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Bhatia-Yasmin-UpliftEducation-2024.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Allen | Harrison | Medical City Healthcare | President | Allen Harrison began his career as a biomedical engineer in healthcare but soon realized that he could have an even greater impact through hospital administration. He is now president of Medical City Healthcare. Harrison, who has quite the concert t-shirt collection, is excited about the future because “demand for healthcare is durable, and innovation in healthcare is perpetual.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Harrison-Allen-MedicalCityHealthcare-2024.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Barclay | Berdan | Texas Health Resources | CEO | Barclay Berdan, a gardener in his free time, leads the health system that cares for more patients than any other in the region, with 29 hospitals, more than 4,000 licensed beds, and 28,000 employees in 16 counties. In 2023, Texas Health Resources was ranked No. 6 on Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Texas list and was the only ranked healthcare system on the list. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Berdan-Barlcay-TexasHealthResources.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Brian | Tyler | McKesson Corp. | CEO | Brian Tyler runs the ninth-largest company in the United States by revenue but wants to embrace change. He says the industry needs to challenge itself “to lead with a growth mindset, let go of the fear of failure, and push beyond the status quo with speed and urgency—we will drive meaningful innovation and advance health outcomes for all those who depend on us.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tyler-Brian-McKesson-23.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Christopher | Crow | Catalyst Health Group | Co-Founder and CEO | This year, Catalyst Health Group launched Stellus Rx, which provides medication adherence and patient support services to patients nationwide. The company also launched its Catalyst Care Connect platform, which provides professional services to hundreds of physicians throughout Texas. What drives Catalyst CEO Chris Crow? “Helping communities thrive,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Crow-Christopher-CatalystHealthNetwork-23.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Christopher | Durovich | Children's Health | President and CEO | Chris Durovich has led Children’s Health for 20 years. The system’s flagship campus is the only hospital in DFW to rank in all 10 pediatric specialties in 2023’s U.S. News & World Report rankings for six straight years. He knows that the accolades aren’t achieved alone. “Our work is the ultimate team sport,” he says. “It’s very rewarding to pursue, discover, and apply new knowledge.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Durovich-Christopher-ChildrensHealth.png | |||
| Healthcare | Health Insurance | Christopher | Gay | Evry Health | CEO | Entrepreneur Chris Gay moved from disrupting car insurance to health insurance with digital-first Evry Health, which increased electronic health engagement by a factor of five compared to the legacy insurers this year. Evry, acquired by Globe Life in 2023, aims to eliminate barriers to care and increase physician engagement by wiping out copays and deductibles for employees. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gay-Chris-EvryHealth-2024.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Daniel | Podolsky | UT Southwestern Medical Center | President | Detroit native Daniel Podolsky led UT Southwestern through major success in 2023. It came in tied for the best hospital in Texas by U.S. News & World Report and was also named to the nation’s honor roll as a top 20 hospital in the country. The health system is nationally ranked in 11 specialties, eight of which are among the top 25 and three in the top 50. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Podolsky-Daniel-UTSouthwestern-23.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Fred | Cerise | Parkland Health | President and CEO | Fred Cerise leads Dallas County’s public hospital, which rebranded as Parkland Health in 2022 and serves hundreds of thousands of individuals. In 2023, Parkland launched hospital-at-home programs to deploy remote care tech and improve the patient experience while lowering healthcare costs. His walk-up song would be “Life in the Fast Lane” by the Eagles, he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cerise-Frederick-Parkland.png | |||
| Healthcare | Health Innovation and Research | Gabby | Everett | BioLabs Pegasus Park | Director of Business Operations and Strategy, Site Head | North Texas has embraced BioLabs, which reached 85 percent capacity in its first year and is hosting 24 companies ranging from cancer therapeutics to wearable med devices in a thriving and collaborative community. The company’s Gabby Everett says she’d like to see more women in industry leadership, as she is often the only female when meeting with biotech startups. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Everett-Gabby-Biolabs-2024.png | |||
| Healthcare | Health Insurance | Gene | Dours | Cigna Healthcare | Vice President, Client Management, Texas and Oklahoma | These days, Gene Dours has been busy helping clients find the new normal post-pandemic, including expanding access to virtual behavioral care and to prescriptions through a GoodRx partnership. As a leader, he knows he must differentiate his strategies. “There is no one way to interact with a person you work with,” Dours says. “Everyone is different.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dours-Gene-Cigna-2024.png | |||
| Healthcare | Health Innovation and Research | Hubert | Zajicek | Health Wildcatters | CEO and Co-founder | Healthcare accelerator Health Wildcatters celebrated its 10th birthday and its 100th startup accelerated in the last year, but co-founder and CEO Dr. Hubert Zajicek knows healthcare innovation will continue to evolve. “In healthcare, there are so many frontiers left,” he says. “But finding cures to the diseases that make people suffer the most–that is most exciting.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Zajicek-Hubert-HealthWildcatters.png | |||
| Healthcare | Health Insurance | James | Springfield | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas | President | James Springfield is excited about, and impatient for, a change to value-based care in the healthcare system, where providers are incentivized to provide better, not more, care. He is proud of how Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas has expanded its Medicare footprint to 148 counties in Texas, as it now has plans in more counties than ever before in the company’s history. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Springfield-Jim-BlueCrossBlueShield.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Karen | Duncan | JPS Health Network | President and CEO | Ohio native Karen Duncan is looking forward to how JPS Health Network will utilize the $800 million bond approved by Tarrant County residents for new facilities and improved access to care. Her best business advice? “Surround yourself with the expertise needed for the times you’re navigating through,” she says, “and trust that you have the right people.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Duncan-Karen-JPSHealthNetwork-23.png | |||
| Healthcare | Health Innovation and Research | Luke | Hejl | TimelyCare | CEO and Co-Founder | In 2023, TimelyMD rebranded as TimelyCare to reflect the diverse services offered by the growing telehealth company, which reaches more than 2 million students at more than 300 colleges and universities across the country. What began as a medical telehealth business has grown into an enterprise that offers counseling, medical care, basic needs assistance, and more. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hejl-Luke-TimelyMD-2024.png | |||
| Healthcare | Health Insurance | Marianne | Fazen | DFW Business Group on Health | Executive Director | Marianne Fazen leads DFW Business Group on Health’s advocacy and education group focused on innovative benefit solutions, helping employers save money and improve quality for their growing healthcare spend. She would like to see benefits managers elevated to the executive level to reflect the impact they have on people and stewarding the company’s funds. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Fazen-Marianne-DFWBusinessGrouponHealth-23.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Pamela | Stoyanoff | Methodist Health System | President and COO | Pamela Stoyanoff is proud of the way Methodist Health System has maintained a balance between quality, patient experience, and financial performance, where the health system has scored above the 75th percentile in the country. Still, she says there is room for improvement. “I would love to see the industry simplified and more user-friendly,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Stoyanoff-Pamela-Methodist-2024.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Peter | McCanna | Baylor Scott & White Health | CEO | Peter McCanna, mentored by the late Wilbur Cohen, leads the largest nonprofit system in Texas, with 51 hospitals and over 49,000 employees. He is proud of the health system’s launch of its 24/7 virtual care feature. “As expectations for healthcare continue to evolve—especially when it comes to convenience—we’re developing solutions to meet customer needs,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/McCanna-Pete-BaylorScottWhite-and-Health-23.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Rick | Merrill | Cook Children's Health Care System | President and CEO | This year, Cook Children’s Health System, led by Rick Merrill since 2007, opened its 23-acre Prosper hospital in Denton County, part of a multiple-year expansion that will include an emergency department, surgical and procedural floor, pediatric ICU, and inpatient unit. The system was also named the fourth-best pediatric hospital in the Southwest by U.S. News & World Report. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Merrill-Rick-CookChildrens-23.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Robert | Walker | Scottish Rite for Children | CEO | Robert Walker was named president and CEO of Scottish Rite for Children in 2012. A 33-degree Scottish Rite mason, he is proud of the way the organization has grown at the hospital system’s Dallas and Frisco campuses. What drives him? “Our mission is to give children back their childhood by providing exceptional care to children and their families,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Walker-Robert-ScottishRite-2024.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Saum | Sutaria | Tenet Health | CEO and Chairman | As a reflection of his leadership capability, Saum Sutaria was named chairman of the board of executives of the 61-hospital network Tenet Healthcare in August after serving as the hospital system’s CEO since 2021. The former internal medicine physician worked for McKinsey and Co. for nearly 20 years, where he focused on healthcare and private equity practices. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sutaria-Saum-TenetHealthcare-23.png | |||
| Healthcare | Health Insurance | Scott | Flannery | UnitedHealthcare of Texas and Oklahoma | CEO | Pennsylvania native and outdoors enthusiast Scott Flannery is proud of the way UnitedHealthcare has rolled out a plan for vital medications to be free this year and wants consumers to better understand the complexities of the insurance industry. He says his key leadership strategy is to “empower a team to be open, collaborative, and not afraid to fail.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Flannery-Scott-UnitedHealthcare.png | |||
| Healthcare | Health Innovation and Research | Steve | Miff | Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation | President and CEO | Led by Steve Miff, Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation has released innumerable indexes and dashboards measuring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic over the past several years and has recently released AI-driven population health programs focused on asthma and community vulnerability to guide policy and direct resources where they are needed most. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Miff-Steve-PCCI.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Steve | Paulson | Texas Oncology | CEO and President | Notable achievements in 2023 for Texas Oncology, which is led by Steve Paulson, include the renovation and construction of more than a dozen new facilities, an integration with a Dallas physician group, and expansion with an Austin physician group. Going forward, “We are gaining more knowledge in how to target cancer cell mutations more precisely,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Paulson-R-Steven-TexasOncology.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Stuart | Flynn | Texas Christian University | Dean, Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine | TCU’s School of Medicine graduated its first class and received accreditation in the shortest period of time possible in 2023. Founding Dean Stuart Flynn, who coaches in his free time, is passionate about the curriculum, which emphasizes real-world application and holistic learning. His leadership principles include fairness, communication, empathy, respect, and work ethic. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Flynn-Stuart-TCU-23.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Sulman | Ahmed | Deca Dental Group | Founder, Chairman, and CEO | Sulman Ahmed built Deca Dental Group from one dental practice to nearly 150 Ideal Dental locations today. The Zimbabwe native has embraced a consumer-centric business model and says healthcare has lagged for too long on convenience for the patient. This year, the business has expanded into seven new states and added nearly 30 locations. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ahmed-Sulman-DecaDental-2024.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Sylvia | Trent-Adams | UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth | President | Sylvia Trent-Adams assumed her role in 2022 after serving as UNT’s chief strategy officer. A trained nurse who joined the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, she was later named acting U.S. Surgeon General. In 2023, UNTHSC was awarded a $150 million grant to research Alzheimer’s disease, the largest grant in the UNT system’s history. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Trent-Adams-Sylvia-UNT.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Theresa | Brown | CenterWell Senior Primary Care | West Division Chief Medical Officer | In 2023, Theresa Brown celebrated the seven CenterWell Senior Primary Care clinics that opened in North Texas, with three more on the way. The senior care providers are part of Humana, the fourth-largest health insurance company in the country. As a leader, she values resilience, which “is key to seeing the potential for change and advancement of our field.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Brown-Theresa-CenterWell-2024.png | |||
| Healthcare | Health Innovation and Research | Tom | Luce | Lyda Hill Philanthropies | CEO of Biotech Initiatives | Tom Luce was the longtime lawyer for Ross Perot Sr., handling business needs as well as more unique challenges, like brokering the purchase of the Magna Carta and managing Perot’s presidential campaign. Today, he focuses on growing the region’s biotech industry in his role with Lyda Hill Philanthropies and is the founder of think tank Texas 2036. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Luce-Tom-Texas2036.png | |||
| Healthcare | Health Innovation and Research | Tyler | Cooper | Cooper Aerobics | President and CEO | Cooper Aerobics has seen an influx of new patients as the pandemic proved the importance of preventive medicine and lifestyle choices. An avid skiier, hiker, and surfer, CEO Tyler Cooper prioritizes honesty and integrity in leadership. “If the people you’re serving and those who work with you don’t trust you, then whatever you’re trying to accomplish isn’t worthwhile,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cooper-Tyler-CooperAerobics.png | |||
| Healthcare | Healthcare Executives | Warren | Huff | Reata Pharmaceuticals | Chairman and CEO | Warren Huff’s go-to advice is, “When you realize that an opportunity has presented itself, do not hesitate to seize it.” This year, he put the adage into practice as Reata Pharmaceuticals launched its first commercial treatment for a rare neurodegenerative disease and was acquired by pharmaceutical giant Biogen for $7.3 billion. His guilty pleasure is Xxtra Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Huff-Warren-Reata-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Alfredo | Duarte | Taxco Produce | President and CEO | Taxco Produce, which got its start in 1985 in the Dallas Farmers Market, was co-founded by Alfredo Duarte, who recognized a growing interest in Mexican food. Today it serves more than 1,000 local restaurants, stores, and food outlets, providing not just produce but meat, cheese, paper supplies, and more. What has Duarte most excited about the future? “The unknown,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Duarte-Alfredo-TaxcoProduce.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | Allen | Nye | Oncor Electric Delivery | CEO | Allen Nye says the past 12 months were historic for Oncor. “From our $905 million in earnings to the more than $3 billion in capital we deployed across our system, the record growth across the state is driving unprecedented growth across our service territory,” he says. Additionally, Oncor and Toyota recently partnered to research vehicle-to-grid technology. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Nye-Allen-Oncor.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Alvaro | Luque | Avocados From Mexico | President and CEO | In 2022, produce marketing brand Avocados From Mexico helped drive demand for the more than 2.48 billion pounds of avocados imported from Mexico to the United States. “It was the highest-volume year ever,” says AFM president Alvaro Luque. He took the organization’s helm in 2014 and has led it through several successful Super Bowl campaigns and more. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Luque-Alvaro-AvocadosFromMexico.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Ann | Mukherjee | Pernod Ricard North America | Chairwoman and CEO | Leader of the world’s second-largest wine and spirit producer Pernod Richard, Ann Mukherjee uses her platform to effect change: her mother was killed by a drunk driver when she was 14 and she was sexually assaulted as a child by someone under the influence. “Either you run away from that, or you help change it,” she says. She previously worked for both SC Johnson and PepsiCo. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mukherjee-Ann-PernodRicard-23.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Arun | Agarwal | Nextt | CEO | Arun Agarwal leads Nextt, a $500 million textiles company. The diversified manufacturer produces home textiles, garments, apparel fabrics, and polyester yarns; every two seconds, a sheet set supplied by the company is sold. Agarwal is also the board director for Dallas Park & Recreation, one of the U.S.’s largest urban park systems, and co-founded the Indian American CEO Council. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Agarwal-Arun-Nextt-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Retail and E-Commerce | Ashley | Buchanan | The Michaels Cos. | CEO | Since taking the helm of craft product leader The Michaels Cos. in 2020, Ashley Buchanan has helped the brand’s more than 1,200 stores and 40,000 employees take a more data-driven approach. He also helped take the company private via a merger with Apollo Global Management. Before Michaels, Buchanan held leadership roles with Walmart for roughly 12 years. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Buchanan-Ashley-Michaels.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Aerospace and Aviation | Bart | Reijnen | Airbus Helicopters | President and Head, North America | In 2023, Bart Reijnen took over leadership of Airbus Helicopters in the U.S. and Canada, overseeing more than 1,100 employees. He was in the middle of moving his family to Amsterdam when he was unexpectedly asked to lead out of Airbus’ North Texas headquarters. “I can’t wait to learn about, and integrate into, the DFW business environment,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Reijnen-Bart-Airbus-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Aerospace and Aviation | Bob | Jordan | Southwest Airlines | President and CEO | After taking the helm of Southwest Airlines in February 2022, Bob Jordan says he is most proud of adding more than 18,000 new employees to the Southwest team in his first year. For the 12 months ending in June 2023, Southwest reported more than $25.1 billion in revenue, a 35 percent year-over-year increase. “Our people are the secret to our success,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jordan-Bob-SouthwestAirlines.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | Bradley | Williams | Elephant Oil & Gas | CEO | If Bradley Williams could make one change in oil and gas, he says he’d “change the negative public perception and political hostility that have created massive headwinds for the industry,” which is a crucial part of the U.S. economy. “It has provided cheap energy to fuel the growth of our nation for decades, which has allowed us to become a rich nation, yet we are being treated as pariahs.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Williams-Bradley-ElephantOil-and-Gas-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Chris | Calandro | Big Game USA | Founder and CEO | Led by Chris Calandro, Big Game USA is one of the largest football manufacturers in the world. In the past year, it increased its high school clients by 50 percent and now supplies more than 3,000 U.S. schools with footballs. The company also makes footballs for 117 of the 133 FBS Division I football teams, as well as the USFL and Dallas-based XFL, which recently agreed to merge. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Calandro-Chris-BigGameFootball.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Cristin Illes | Kahale | Illes Foods | CEO | Fourth-generation CEO Cristin Illes Kahale rose through several sales leadership positions at her family’s food product company before taking the helm in 2020. She now oversees its two Carrollton plants, which have produced more than 3,000 custom culinary products over the years, working with top restaurant and grocery brands. “We are headed into a very exciting chapter,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kahale-ChristinIllis-IllisFoods-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Dolf | Berle | Nothing Bundt Cakes | CEO | Dolf Berle took the helm of Addison-based cake maker Nothing Bundt Cakes in July 2023 and is leading the company through a phase of rapid growth, aiming to triple the number of new bakeries opened nationwide annually. “Historically, the brand opened nearly 50 per year, which we will exceed greatly this year and in coming years,” Berle says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Berle-Dolf-NothingBundtCakes-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Esteban | Abascal | Interamerican Foods Corp and La Moderna USA | CEO | Esteban Abascal has been with Mexican pasta, cookie, and soup giant La Moderna since he graduated from college in 2009. “I started working in the export area, commercializing our products in the USA,” he recounts. La Moderna opened a large plant in Cleburne in 2018, and Abascal took the helm a year later. It recorded record sales and profits in 2022. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Abascal-Esteban-LaModerna-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | George | Yates | Heyco Energy Group | President and CEO | George Yates earned the top honor in D CEO’s Energy Awards in 2022. He has been a driving force in meeting the demand for energy in Europe through the purchase of a natural gas operation in Spain and an onshore operator in London. “These moves do far more than increase our holdings in Europe,” he says, “they also significantly increase our talent, expertise, and in-country knowledge.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yates-George-HEYCOEnergyGroup-23.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Jamie | O'Banion | BeautyBio | Founder and CEO | By mid-year 2023, BeautyBio’s skincare and beauty device products could be found in 2,000 stores—a 667 percent increase over just one year. The rapid growth led founder and CEO Jamie O’Banion to sell the company in August 2023 to Rhyz, a subsidiary of $2 billion giant Nu Skin Enterprises. In that time, BeautyBio grew from 319 employees to more than 600. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/OBanion-Jamie-BeautyBio.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Jason | McCann | Vari | CEO and Co-Founder | Jason McCann co-founded office furniture manufacturer Vari in 2013. Since then, the company has also launched VariSpace, a coworking network with three North Texas locations. “We’ve transformed well over 2,000 offices for amazing companies, helping them elevate their cultures and people while building meaningful businesses,” McCann says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/McCann-Jason-Vari-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | Jay | Allison | Comstock Resources | Chairman and CEO | Led by Jay Allison, Comstock Resources had a breakout year in 2022, driven by strong natural gas prices, reporting $3.63 billion in revenue—up 96 percent year over year. “We also materially advanced our Western Haynesville exploratory natural gas play by adding 98,000 net acres in the play and drilling two very successful wells,” Allison, who values leading with honesty and loyalty, says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Allison-Jay-Comstock.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Logistics and Transportation | Jean | Savage | Trinity Industries | President and CEO | For Jean Savage, leading Trinity Industries is about two-way communication. “Having a broad perspective and letting people be heard is as key as being able to share your vision,” she says. Trinity Industries is seeing the benefits in its business, culture, and people this year based on various plans, changes, and improvements to the company’s strategy over the last two years. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Savage-Jean-TrinityIndustries-23.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Jean Claude | Tissot | Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages | President | Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages leader Jean Claude Tissot says sustainability has been a key focus. “Last year, we became the first U.S. Coca-Cola bottler to use an average of 50 percent recycled PET plastic in bottles—a goal achieved nine years ahead of its initial target,” he says. He is excited about the brand’s continued digitization moving forward. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tissot-JeanClaude-CocaCola-23.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Retail and E-Commerce | Jessica | Jesse | BuDhaGirl | CEO and Creative Director | After navigating through a tough season when her son developed mental health challenges as a young adult, former model and fashion industry exec Jessica Jesse wanted to help others stay grounded and grateful. So, she combined her experiences into polyvinyl bracelet brand BuDhaGirl. “Fashion impacts how we feel,” she says. BuDhaGirl expanded to London and Paris in 2023. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jesse-Jessica-BudhaGirl-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | Jim | Burke | Vistra | President and CEO | For the 12 months ending June 30, 2023, Vistra’s revenue was more than $15 billion—a more than 25-percent spike. At the helm of the energy company is Baton Rouge native Jim Burke, who helped captain Vistra’s $3.43 billion acquisition of Energy Harbor. The deal will increase Vistra’s nuclear capacity by 4,000 megawatts and add about one million retail customers. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Burke-Jim-VistraCorp-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | John Paul | Merritt | Pony Oil | CEO and Founder | Former Bachelorette contestant John Paul Merritt founded Pony Oil from a laptop inside a Starbucks in 2012. Ten years later, the company was reporting more than $100 million in revenue. In 2020, Merritt co-founded hemp company Delta Agriculture, sequestering roughly 10 tons of CO2 per planted acre. “It’s a fairly new crop, but it’s a miracle crop,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Meritt-JohnPaul-PonyOil.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | Jonathan | Grammer | U.S. Carbon Capture | CEO | At the forefront of what ExxonMobil projects to be a $4 trillion industry by 2050, Jonathan Grammer is proud that his company, U.S. Carbon Capture, is making significant waves. “We landed the contract on one of the largest CO2 pipelines in the United States,” he says. The trial lawyer and landman works with clients to reduce greenhouse gas emissions profitably. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Grammer-Jonathan-GrammerLandandExploration.png | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-grammer-877235186/ | Jonathan Grammer Named as One of Dallas 500 Most Influential Business Leaders | https://www.dmagazine.com/sponsored/2022/12/jonathan-grammer-named-as-one-of-dallas-500-most-influential-business-leaders/ |
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | Joseph | Foran | Matador Resources Co. | Chairman and CEO | In 2022, Matador Resources acquired Advance Energy Partners in a $1.6 billion deal. Led by Joseph Foran, the energy giant—which reported more than $3 billion in 2022 revenue—also reached a daily production level of more than 100,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day. “I try to lead by example and by inclusion,” Foran says. “Going forward, Matador has many opportunities.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Foran-Joe-MatadorResources.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Josh | Irving | I & A Agave Spirits | Co-Founder and CEO | Josh Irving, who has golfed in 11 USGA tournaments, co-founded Socorro Tequila alongside Pablo Antinori a month before the pandemic hit. Now, he continues to lead Socorro and has added Soledad Tequila and Jalisco 1562 Orange Liquor under the I & A Agave Spirits umbrella. A proud moment was “becoming a top ten premium tequila in the state of Texas,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Irving-Josh-I-and-AAgaveSpirits-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Logistics and Transportation | Kadir | Boysan | Greyhound Lines | CEO | After Munich-based Flix SE acquired Greyhound Lines for $46 million in 2021, the company recruited Turkey native Kadir Boysan to lead the largest intercity bus service in the U.S. Starting his career with Procter & Gamble, he has worked in logistics in nine countries across four continents. His best advice? “Overinvest your time in key challenges in front of you,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Boysan-Kadir-FlixNorthAmerica-23.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Kathryn | Hall | HALL Wines | Vintner | Former U.S. Austrian Ambassador Kathryn Hall is the leader of two wine brands and three wineries in the Napa area. “Premium wine is best made by family-owned wineries who think about legacy and quality,” she says. “I’m proud to have become one of the largest premium wine producers in the U.S.” She and her husband Craig Hall run a foundation focused on entrepreneurship. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hall-Kathryn-HALLWines-23.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Logistics and Transportation | Katie | Farmer | BNSF Railway | President and CEO | Katie Farmer was appointed president and CEO of BNSF, 2022’s highest grossing railway in the U.S., in January 2021, becoming the first woman to be named chief executive of a Class I railroad in the nearly 200-year history of the industry in America. She has been with BNSF for 31 years after joining the company as a management trainee with Burlington Northern in Fort Worth. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Farmer-Katie-BNSF.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | Kelly | Roberts | Ricochet Fuel Distributors | CEO | Ricochet Fuel Distributors was launched in Hurst by Kelly Roberts 35 years ago. Today, it’s a diversified fuel logistics company that provides a variety of petroleum products, services, and resources to customers across the U.S. Roberts is especially excited to see the business transition into the hands of her daughter, Cass Roberts Powell, who was recently named president. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Roberts-Kelly-RicochetFuel.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Lain | Hancock | Interstate Batteries | CEO | In May 2023, Lain Hancock moved from COO to CEO for Dallas-based Interstate Batteries, which reported $1.9 billion in 2022 revenue. Along with its core business, the private organization is known for implementing Biblically-based principles into company values. Over the next decade, Hancock says, “We’ve got heavy investments in capability ahead, so I would love to double our market share.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hancock-Lain-InterstateBatteries-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Lori | Ryerkerk | Celanese Corp. | Chairman, CEO, and President | In late 2022, Celanese Corp. closed on its $11 billion acquisition of DuPont’s Mobility and Materials Division. The transaction doubled the size and reach of Celanese’s Engineered Materials business and added more than 4,500 employees under the Celanese umbrella. “We’re building a winning team with high accountability, agility, and passion,” Lori Ryerkerk says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ryerkerk-Lori-CelaneseCorp.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Mahisha | Dellinger | Curls Beauty Brands | Founder | Mahisha Dellinger’s Curls Beauty Brands—an organic hair care company that sells its products in Target, CVS, Walmart, Kroger, and on Amazon—celebrated 20 years in business in 2023. Dellinger says she is most excited about “the acquisition of a new customer base and the acceptance in the general market of natural hair.” She prioritizes empathy and thoughtfulness as a leader. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dellinger-Mahisha-CurlsBeautyBrands-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Merrilee | Kick | BuzzBallz, Southern Champion | CEO and Founder | Montana native Merrilee Kick came up with the idea for Buzzballz while grading papers poolside in the early 2000s. Now, the former high school teacher is at the helm of a readymade beverage giant that showcases more than 15 cocktail flavors. In 2022, Kick says two big points of pride for the company were “international expansion and massive growth.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kick-Merrilee-BuzzBalls.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Michael | Hsu | Kimberly-Clark Corp. | Chairman and CEO | Before taking the helm of Kimberly-Clark in 2019, Michael Hsu held various leadership roles at Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz Co. For the 12 months ending June 30, 2023, Hsu led Kimberly-Clark to report more than $20.3 billion in revenue. Since 2015, the company has improved the well-being of 88.9 million people in underserved and vulnerable communities. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hsu-Michael-KimberlyClark.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Mike | McGowan | Hilti North America | Region Head and CEO | Crossfit and paddleboarding enthusiast Mike McGowan’s first role with Hilti was as a sales associate more than 34 years ago. In 2022, he took the reins as the North American CEO. Envisioning what’s to come, McGowan says he is most excited about “how technology will advance the construction industry.” In 2022, the overarching Hilti Group recorded nearly $7 billion in sales. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/McGowan-Mike-Hilti-23.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Mike | McGuire | Andrews Distributing | President and CEO | Andrews Distributing opened its fifth facility in Ennis in 2023, bringing its employee count to nearly 2,000. At the helm is Mike McGuire. “This new distribution center supported us in delivering more than 40 million cases and generating more than $1.1 billion in revenue,” he says. Andrews also introduced hundreds of spirits brands into its portfolio over the last year. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/McGuire-Mike-Andrews.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Logistics and Transportation | Nadine | Lee | Dallas Area Rapid Transit | President and CEO | DART has successfully filled its operator ranks and now operates at 99 percent of scheduled trips. A year ago, DART was missing 15 percent of its scheduled trips. “Ridership is now at 70 percent of pre-pandemic and growing,” says Nadine Lee, who leads 3,700 employees. In 2023, Lee was elected to chair the North American Division of The International Association of Public Transport. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lee-Nadine-DART-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Aerospace and Aviation | Patrick | Carreno | City of Dallas | Director of Aviation | Patrick Carreno, a big fan of paranormal TV shows and books, oversees operations at Dallas Love Field. He says his proudest moments of the past year are Love Field achieving a promotion to level three in its Airport Carbon Accreditation, earning level one accreditation in its World Customer Experience, and completing a full reconstruction of its 8,800-foot Runway 13R-31L. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Carreno-Patrick-CityofDallas-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Aerospace and Aviation | Pedro | Fábregas | Envoy Air, an American Airlines Group Co. | President and CEO | In 2023, Envoy added 12 Embraer E-Jets, nicknamed “the business warrior,” to its fleet of more than 160 airplanes. The company also expanded its workforce to more than 19,000 employees, the highest number in its history. “We now have employees at airports all across North America and the Caribbean, all the way from Hawaii to the Bahamas,” Pedro Fábregas says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Fabregas-Pedro-Envoy.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | Richard | Dealy | Pioneer Natural Resources | CEO | Richard Dealy takes the helm of Pioneer Natural Resources at the start of 2024, following the company’s $64.5 billion acquisition by ExxonMobil. Together, the two have a combined 16 billion barrels of oil equivalent resources in the Permian Basin. The 30-year company veteran will work alongside his predecessor, Scott Sheffield, as the company transitions. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dealy-Richard-Pioneer-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Aerospace and Aviation | Robert | Isom | American Airlines | CEO | Leading more than 130,000 global employees—and serving 600,000 customers each day—Robert Isom was named CEO of American Airlines in 2022 after serving as president since 2016. In August, he finalized an agreement that provides more than $9 billion of compensation and quality-of-life benefits to AA’s pilots over four years. The program will also expand its pilot training capacity. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Isom-Robert-AmericanAirlines-23.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Retail and E-Commerce | Ryan | Ross | Neiman Marcus Group | President | In June, Neiman Marcus Group opened new retail hubs in Dallas and New York, unveiling three floors of office space in Uptown’s Cityplace Tower. “Our hubs are a magnet, not a mandate, and support NMG’s remote-first hybrid work,” says Neimans’ first-ever president Ryan Ross, who entered the role in late 2022. Anticipating what’s ahead, he expects luxury retail to remain dynamic. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ross-Ryan-NeimanMarcus-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Retail and E-Commerce | Satish | Malhotra | The Container Store | CEO and President | Satish Malhotra took the helm of Coppell-based storage and custom closet brand The Container Store in 2021 and has expanded its partnerships with brands such as Dormify. “We will have over 1,000 new solutions that will help transform our customers’ lives this year,” Malhotra says. He is also proud of the company’s progress in ESG and customer loyalty. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Malhotra-Satish-TheContainerStore-23.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Seth | Teply | Tetra Pak | President and CEO, U.S. and Canada | Seth Teply, who’s guilty pleasure is practical jokes in the office, joined food processing and packaging giant Tetra Pak as an intern and rose to lead U.S. and Canadian operations in 2021. He says continued supply chain issues during 2022 made it a challenging year, but his team delivered. “We are stronger for it,” he says. The company sold more than 11.4 billion packages in the U.S. in 2021. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Teply-Seth-TetraPak-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Aerospace and Aviation | Stephanie | Pope | Boeing Global Services | President and CEO | St. Charles, Missouri, native Stephanie Pope leads Boeing Global Services, which works to keep Boeing’s fleets flying safely, efficiently, and sustainably. “That privilege is not lost on me,” she says. The enterprise, which was formed in 2017, reported $17.6 billion in revenue for 2022, accounting for nearly 30 percent of Boeing’s total revenue and nearly all of its operating profits. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Pope-Stephanie-Boeing-23.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Food and Beverage | Steven | Williams | PepsiCo Foods North America | CEO | Steven Williams’ fourth year at the helm of snack giant PepsiCo Foods North America brought ample growth across R&D, portfolio transformation, digitization, and more. “I’m excited about the progress we’re making in innovating the way food is grown, made, and shared,” he says. Williams joined the company in 2001, after it acquired Quaker Oats. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Williams-Steven-PepsiCo.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Ted | Ogawa | Toyota Motor North America | President and CEO | Ted Ogawa is at the forefront of Toyota’s innovative partnership with Joby Aviation. The president and CEO of Toyota Motor North America was appointed a board member in 2023 for the Santa Cruz, California-based company creating an all-electric aircraft for commercial passengers. “We’re breaking barriers and making what seemed impossible, possible,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ogawa-Tetsuo-Toyota.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Manufacturing and Consumer Goods | Terry | Babilla | BSN Sports | President and COO | Terry Babilla started with BSN Sports in 1995, and by 2003, he was promoted to president and COO. The role came with $90 million of debt and an impending bankruptcy, but Babilla maneuvered the business into profitability, and now the enterprise is the country’s largest distributor of team sports apparel and equipment. At 2022’s close, revenue was north of $1.5 billion. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Babilla-Terry-BSNSports-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | Timothy | Go | HF Sinclair Corp. | President and CEO | In 2022, HF Sinclair reported $38.2 billion in revenue—a 107 percent year-over-year increase. Coming off the record year, Timothy Go was promoted from COO to CEO, while maintaining his responsibilities as president. “During the pandemic, we established a new parent company: HF Sinclair,” Go says. “It was challenging, but we’re now reaping the benefits of this growth strategy.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Go-Timothy-HollyFrontier-23.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Retail and E-Commerce | Tony | Carimi | Park Place Dealerships | Managing Director | Tony Carimi led Park Place Dealerships through a $685 million acquisition by Asbury Automotive in 2020 and, more recently, the development of a new center of excellence. “This is a laboratory for designing and piloting member development, process innovation and improvement, change management, and leadership development and continuity,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Carimi-Tony-ParkPlaceDealership.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Logistics and Transportation | Tré | Black | On-Target Supplies & Logistics | President and CEO | Tré Black says the biggest success in 2023 at On-Target Supplies & Logistics, a company his father founded and that he now leads, is “retaining and growing our employment base without compromising our core values.” Black has big plans for the future. In a year or two, he expects to establish On-Target, which reported 300 percent EBITDA growth in 2022, as a holding company. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Black-Tre-OnTargetSolutions.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Retail and E-Commerce | Virginia | Drosos | Signet Jewelers | CEO | Gina Drosos’ sixth year at the helm of Signet Jewelers was one of profitability and growth. “We delivered $7.8 billion of revenue in fiscal year 2023, up slightly over 2022, and we estimate that we outpaced category growth, driving our U.S. market share to 9.7 percent,” Drosos says. She leads Signet’s more than 10 brands, including Zales, Jared, and Kay. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Drosos-Virginia-Signet-2024.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Logistics and Transportation | Will | Coleman | Alto | Co-Founder and CEO | Will Coleman leads Alto, a self-described refined rideshare experience where all the drivers are employees who hold benefits. The service is available in North Texas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington D.C. Coleman says the walk-up song he would play as he enters his office would be “Rocket Man” by Elton John because Alto is “headed to the moon.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Coleman-Will-Alto.png | |||
| Leading Industries | Energy and Utilities | William | Quinn | Pearl Energy Investments | Managing Partner | Billy Quinn founded investment firm Pearl Energy in 2015, after serving as managing partner for NGP. Quinn oversees Pearl Energy’s more than $1.9 billion of committed capital under management deployed across 14 companies. Looking ahead, he says he’s most excited about Pearl’s “great underlying industry fundamentals combined with a lack of capital availability.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Quinn-William-PearlEnergyInvestments-2024.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Albert | Black | On-Target Supplies & Logistics | Owner | Albert Black Jr. is an entrepreneur and philanthropist known for his commitment to innovation and community empowerment, which includes being the first Black Chairman of the Dallas Regional Chamber. Due to a labor shortage, the On-Target founder created company-sponsored education programs for young people to introduce them to supply chain management. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Black-Albert-OnTargetSupplies.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Allie Beth | Allman | Allie Beth Allman & Associates | Executive Director of the Board | Allie Beth Allman was a pioneer when she formed her own residential brokerage in 1985. Affectionally known as the “Queen of Highland Park,” she has closed some of the biggest home sales in the region. Over the years, clients have included Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Troy Aikman, former President George W. Bush, and former Vice President Dick Cheney. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Allman-Allie-Beth-AllieBethAllman-and-Associates.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Bobby | Lyle | Lyco Holdings | Founder, Chairman, and CEO | The name behind SMU’s engineering program and a former dean of the university’s business school, Bobby Lyle has launched several companies and joint ventures. “I get excited about the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs whose ideas are pushing the envelope of the industries in which we are engaged,” Lyle says. “The excitement and ‘fear’ of AI keeps me awake at night.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lyle-Bobby-LycoHoldings.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Carl | Sewell Jr. | Sewell Automotive Cos. | Chairman and CEO | Following his father’s footsteps, Carl Sewell Jr. is a widely respected business leader and automotive industry icon. The antithesis of a stereotypical car salesman, Sewell is known for bringing a sense of professionalism to the industry, driven by the highest level of customer service. Established in 1911, the Sewell family of 21 Texas dealerships sell more than 50,000 vehicles a year. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sewell-Carl-SewellAutomotive.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Craig | Hall | HALL Group | Founder and Chairman | Author, civic leader, and philanthropist Craig Hall made his first real estate buy at age 18 with $4,000 saved from small ventures he began as a 10-year-old. Today, HALL Group’s business interests range from office parks and hotels, to wineries and tech startups. “Show your people you care about them, and use your skills and influence to make the world a better place,” he advises. | https://www.dmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hall-Craig-HallGroup.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | D. Andrew | Beal | Beal Bank | Founder, President, and Chairman | Andrew Beal is a banker, businessman, investor, and amateur mathematician. Forbes estimates his net worth at $13.8 billion. In 1993, he publicly stated the Beal Conjecture, which implies Fermat’s Last Theorem as a corollary. No counterexample has been found to the conjecture. Beal has donated millions of dollars to support science and math initiatives. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Beal-Andy-BealBank.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | George W. | Bush | George W. Bush Presidential Center | Former President | The country’s 43rd President lives in Dallas and has strong Texas roots, serving as the state’s governor from 1995 to 2000 and being part-owner of the Texas Rangers from 1989 to 1998. His presidential library on SMU’s campus is also home to the George W. Bush Foundation and a nonpartisan policy institute that aims to advance the values of freedom. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Bush-George-BushPresCenter.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Jerry | Jones | Dallas Cowboys | Owner, President, and General Manager | After buying the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, Jerry Jones masterminded the team’s rise to NFL prominence, securing three Super Bowl wins in the 1990s. More impressive, he created a marketing force; the team is now valued at more than $9 billion, compared to an average NFL team value of $5 billion. Jones also has made numerous savvy real estate investments throughout the region. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jones-Jerry-DallasCowboys.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | John | Billingsley | JBB Advanced Technologies | Founder, Chairman, and CEO | John Billingsley founded Tri Global Energy and built it into a top developer of renewable energy projects like wind farms and utility-scale solar projects. After he sold Tri Global to Enbridge in September 2022, Billingsley launched JBB Advanced Technologies to deliver renewable energy sources to power blockchain and artificial intelligence-based innovations. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Billingsley-John-TriGlobalEnergy.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Kelcy | Warren | Energy Transfer | Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board of Directors | Kelcy Warren’s Energy Transfer is one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America, with nearly 125,000 miles of pipeline across 41 states. Its revenue grew from $1 billion in 2003 to $90 billion in year-end 2022. Warren says the real heroes are energy pioneers. “The brightest people in the whole industry are the explorers, the risk-takers, and wildcatters,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Warren-Kelcy-EnergyTransfer.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Ken | Hersh | George W. Bush Presidential Center | President and CEO | Ken Hersh built a career in energy as the co-founder of NGP Energy Capital. He also found time to lead the Hersh Foundation. In 2016, he took the reins of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Adding to his long list of accomplishents, Hersh wrote a book in 2023. The Fastest Tortoise: Winning in Industries I Knew Nothing About chronicles his life’s lessons. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hersh-Ken-GWBPresidentialCenter-2024.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Kenneth H. | Cooper | Cooper Aerobics | Founder and Chairman | Kenneth Cooper is a trailblazing figure in preventive medicine and fitness. Renowned as the “Father of Aerobics,” his groundbreaking research and work on physical fitness have transformed the health and wellness industry. As founder of the Cooper Aerobics Center, the 92-year-old has empowered countless individuals and organizations to prioritize health and vitality. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cooper-Kenneth-CooperAerobics.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Lyda | Hill | Lyda Hill Philanthropies | Chairman | Philanthropist Lyda Hill had a double mastectomy in her early 40s. “It was a shock, as I was in perfect health,” she says. “My experience led me to identify ways to support cancer research and patients.” Hill’s most recent endeavor is Pegasus Park, a ground-breaking, 26-acre campus in Dallas that’s dediated to life science innovation, business, and social impact. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hill-Lyda-LydaHillPhilanthropies.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Mark | Cuban | Dallas Mavericks | Owner | Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban began his serial entrepreneurship journey as a pre-teen. He started selling garbage bags at age 12 and moved on to trading stamps by 16. Today, the billionaire and Shark Tank investor has a stake in a deep and diverse portfolio of companies. Notably, he aims to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry with his innovative Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cuban-Mark-DallasMavs.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Nancy A. | Nasher | NorthPark Center | Owner | As owner of the iconic NorthPark Center, Nancy Nasher has integrated culture with public spaces to create a “shopping museum.” Today, NorthPark is one of the top-performing shopping centers in the country and one of the most-visited destinations in Texas. “Many employees have been with us for decades,” Nasher says. “It takes a village to make it the special place it is.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Nasher-Nancy-NorthPark.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Ray L. | Hunt | Hunt Consolidated | Executive Chairman | Ray Hunt is known for his global energy prowess. Closer to home, his real estate projects have transformed the region, from a new Uptown campus for Goldman Sachs and development around the PGA of America headquarters in Frisco to the iconic Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas. In 2021, Hunt was inducted into the NTCAR Hall of Fame. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hunt-Ray-HuntConsolidated.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Roger | Staubach | 15 Partners | Founder | Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach earned the nickname “Captain Comeback” for his clutch performances. He led the NFL team to four Super Bowl appearances, winning two. He had an equally significant impact in real estate, pioneering the specialty of tenant representation with The Staubach Co. In 2008, he sold his firm to JLL for $613 million. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Staubach-Roger-JLL.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Ronald | Kirk | Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher | Senior of Counsel | Ron Kirk knew from an early age what he wanted as a career. “As a child of the segregated South, I was inspired by the work of Thurgood Marshall and always wanted to be a lawyer,” he says. Kirk brought a pro-business sensibility to his role as Dallas Mayor from 1995 to 2002. In 2009, he began a three-year stint as U.S. Trade Representative in the Barack Obama Administration. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kirk-Ron-GibsonDunnCrutcher.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Ross | Perot Jr. | Hillwood | Chairman and Partner, BankCap Partners | The son of the late EDS founder has carried on his father’s legacy for innovation and risk-taking. At 23, he co-piloted the first flight by helicopter around the world. And in the late 1980s, he pioneered AllianceTexas. Today, the 27,000-acre development in North Fort Worth is home to nearly 600 companies and has had an economic impact of $111.5 billion. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Perot-Jr-Ross-Hillwood.png | |||
| Living Legends | Living Legends | Trevor | Rees-Jones | Ress-Jones Holdings | CEO | After practicing law, Trevor Rees-Jones got into the oil and gas business in 1984 as an independent involved in exploration and production. Ten years later, he founded Chief Oil & Gas, an early operator in the development of the Barnett Shale. He says his most recent significant success is “selling Chief Oil & Gas for $3 billion.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rees-Jones-Trevor-ChiefOil.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Business and IP Litigation | Aimee | Fagan | Sidley Austin | Partner | In the spring of 2023, Aimee Fagan won a hard-fought trade secrets trial for a top-tier accounting firm. Fagan’s former law firm was on the other side of the trial. “It felt a bit personal,” she says. “They marshaled all resources to win and gave me the battle of my career. It was my hardest and most satisfying trial win.” She envisions a future where half of Sidley Austin’s parnership will be women. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Fagan-Aimee-SidleyAustin-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Marketing and Public Relations | Amy | Power | The Power Group | President and CEO | After 24 years of running a company while raising children, The Power Group’s Amy Power has learned that there’s no such thing as work-life balance. “I strive for work-life harmony instead,” she says. Power’s mission is to help young women become leaders. “I’m excited about the opportunities I can give 20- or 30-somethings that they won’t get somewhere else,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Power-Amy-PowerGroup-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Labor and Employment | Ann Marie | Painter | Perkins Coie | Partner and Firmwide Chair | Ann Marie Painter, who once dreamed of being an Olympic gymnast like Olga Korbut, is excited about Perkins Coie’s strategic plan to partner with companies facing AI disruption. She focuses on litigation, internal investigations, and employment counseling, and though the legal industry isn’t always nimble, the Tennessee native believes it “could stand to be a little more open to change.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Painter-AnnMarie-PerkinsandCole.png | |||
| Professional Services | Talents/Executive Search Firms | Beth | Garvey | BGSF | Chair, President, and CEO | BGSF went global in 2023 after acquiring Arroyo Consulting, giving the firm IT capabilities in Colombia and India. As far as how she’s advising her clients, Beth Garvey says, “Companies lose out on great candidates because they check the box with someone who has a college degree in that field. Forty-six percent of college grads aren’t working in their field of study.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Garvey-Beth-BGSF-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Insurance | Bill | Jackson | Texas Mutual Insurance Co. | Regional Vice President - Dallas and Lubbock | Bill Jackson leads Texas Mutual Insurance Co.’s Dallas and Lubbock operations, which generate an impressive $500 million in premiums. Beyond the robust portfolio, Jackson is most proud of Texas Mutual supporting the numerous Texas neighborhoods the company serves. “We invest millions of dollars in our local communities throughout the state,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jackson-Bill-TexasMutual.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Consultants | Brint | Ryan | Ryan | Chairman and CEO | In May 2022, Ares Management acquired a significant minority equity interest in Brint Ryan’s namesake tax firm, Ryan. The investment valued Ryan at $2.5 billion. “Ares’ investment in our business is a testament to our success and growth trajectory,” Ryan says. “We plan to continue our focus on innovation, client and team member experience, and global expansion.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ryan-Brint-Ryan-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Talents/Executive Search Firms | Cary | Grace | AMN Healthcare | President and CEO | 2023 was Cary Grace’s first full year as the president and CEO of healthcare staffing agency AMN Healthcare. Prior to AMN, she was the CEO of Aon’s global retirement, investment, and human capital arm, a $2 billion business. Prospecting what’s down the road, she says, “I am most excited about focusing on how we can tech-enable our health ecosystem to deliver better outcomes.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Grace-Cary-AMNHealthcare-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Talents/Executive Search Firms | Cheri | Garcia | Cornbread Hustle | Founder and CEO | Founded by Cheri Garcia, Cornbread Hustle is a second-chance staffing agency for ex-cons. In 2023, she launched a 12-week ‘starting over program’ that is available in prisons nationwide. “This program helps inmates go through a self-discovery course to process their feelings, learn about healthy coping skills, and find and keep meaningful employment,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Garcia-Cheri-CornbreadHustle-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Chris | Clark | Forvis | Partner | Chris Clark almost became an FBI agent but instead opted for accounting. He wants to dispel the myth that public accounting is too challenging for a long career. “There are a multitude of ways to find success in our industry while achieving personal goals as well,” he says. “My hope is that the industry can continue to demonstrate that.” In mid-2024, he is set to become managing partner. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clark-Chris-Forvis-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Chris | Pierce | RSM US | Managing Partner, North Texas | Chris Pierce leads the North Texas office of RSM US, an accounting and consulting firm with 16,600 partners, principals, and employees across 81 cities in the U.S. Focused on the middle market, RSM opened a second office in Fort Worth in 2023. Pierce, an Ohio native, would like to see changes to how accounting resources are deployed and believes in leading by example. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Pierce-Chris-RSM-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Tax | Chris | Speer | Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr | Shareholder | Chris Speer’s father ran his own CPA firm, which made him a great mentor for a tax lawyer. Speer—who admits he hates any food that is overly healthy—says he is excited about the next generation of lawyers’ ability to use technology but wants to change the way lawyers are paid. “Billing by the hour can incentivize inefficient behavior and is limiting as a business model,” Speer says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Speer-Chris-MunschHardt-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Business and IP Litigation | Christa | Brown-Sanford | Baker Botts | Co-Chair Firmwide IP Department and Partner | 2022 was one of Baker Botts’ best years of financial performance in history, with more than $752 million in revenue. Christa Brown-Sanford believes the industry is at an inflection point with more consolidation. “But our IP department has continued to show why it is one of the best in Texas and the nation with significant trial wins and client representations in high-profile matters,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sanford-Christa-BakerBotts.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Christopher | Trowbridge | Bell Nunnally | Managing Partner | Under Chris Trowbridge, in the past 12 months, Bell Nunnally represented a financial institution in a more than $40 million cross-border financing deal, worked with a semiconductor industry part supplier through its sale, and secured a defense verdict win in a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against a drinkware and tableware manufacturer client in a liability defense matter. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Trowbridge-Chris-BellNunnally-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Courtney | Marcus | Weil, Gotshal & Manges | Managing Partner | San Antonio native Courtney Marcus is managing partner of Weil’s Dallas Office, co-head of the banking and finance practice, and a member of the firm’s management committee. She says, “It’s been particularly exciting this last year to be involved in the growth and investment we’re making in new Weil talent to support the energy and infrastructure business sectors.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Marcus-Courtney-WeilGotshalManges.png | |||
| Professional Services | Marketing and Public Relations | Crayton | Webb | Sunwest Communications | Owner and CEO | A former journalist and longtime corporate communications executive with Mary Kay, Crayton Webb segued into PR when he acquired Sunwest Communications from founder Andy Stern. He values humility and listening as key leadership traits. “I told my former team that ‘hope and prayer’ weren’t strategies,” he says. “But when I bought a small business, I realized I was wrong.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Webb-Crayton-SunwestCommunications-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Dan | Berner | Deloitte | Managing Partner, North Texas | St. Louis native Dan Berner leads his firm’s North Texas operations. He’s looking forward to completion of an expansion of Westlake’s Deloitte University, where the company builds culture and competencies in a campus setting. When it comes to key strategies, Berner says he tries to encourage growth and development through “continuous learning, integrity, and leading by example.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Berner-Dan-Deloitte-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Mergers and Acquisitions | David | McLean | McGuire Woods | Partner | In high school, David McLean took the bus from Skyline High School to downtown Dallas to work after school for Dresser Industries, learning that he had to aggressively seek the job he wanted. Now a partner at McGuireWoods advising private equity funds and sponsors in their debt investing activities, his best advice is “that bold men make bold moves—even through self doubts.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/McLean-David-McGuireWoods-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Business and IP Litigation | Donald | Godwin | Godwin Bowman | Chairman and CEO | Along with overseeing the firm he founded in 1980, Donald Godwin is still an active litigator. His proudest moment over the past year, he says, is winning a jury trial for his client in a suit brought on by Boral Windows seeking more than $40 million plus attorney fees of several million dollars. Anticipating what’s ahead, Godwin is excited to see his firm’s young attorneys grow. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Godwin-Don-GodwinBowmanPC.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Doreen | Griffith | Grant Thornton | Market Managing Partner | Doreen Griffith leads by the adage, “Be here now,” and focuses on the task and people in front of her. “This concept applies in business and personally too,” she says. “I also value the concept of a leader’s ‘shadow.’ Everything we do or says has an impact. It’s difficult—perhaps even impossible—to inspire or empower your people without being cognizant of how your actions impact them.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Griffith-Doreen-GrantThornton-23.png | https://www.linkedin.com/in/doreengriffith/ | Grant Thornton’s Doreen Griffith Named One of the Dallas 500 | https://www.dmagazine.com/sponsored/2024/01/grant-thorntons-doreen-griffith-named-one-of-the-dallas-500/ |
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Elizabeth | Mack | Locke Lord | Office Managing Partner | Elizabeth Mack helped a client buy a significantly contaminated portion of the Wells G&H Superfund Site outside of Boston. Her client didn’t cause the contamination but is leading the cleanup and adding value to the region and the property. She has significant experience in brownfield redevelopment, environmental compliance, and environmental litigation. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mack-Elizabeth-LockeLord.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Consultants | Erin | George | Boston Consulting Group | Managing Director, Senior Partner, & Head of Southwest Region | In late 2022, BCG North America restructured its regional systems to account for its expanding presence in new cities and states. As a result, Erin George became the head of its Southwest System, overseeing Houston, Dallas, Austin, and the surrounding states. “This is a momentous time for BCG as we continue opening new offices in communities around the world,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/George-Erin-BostonConsultingGroup.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Business and IP Litigation | Erin Nealy | Cox | Kirkland & Ellis | Partner | After a stint as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Erin Nealy Cox is now practicing in Kirkland & Ellis’ litigation department on government, regulatory, and internal investigations. “Over the last 12 months, we’ve had quite a few big wins,” she says. “We’ve also increased our footprint and have done a great job at differentiating ourselves.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cox-Erin-Nealy-KirklandandEllis.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Insurance | Frank | Scardino | WTW | Dallas Market Leader | After an 18-year career with Lockton Cos., Frank Scardino was named Dallas market leader and North American strategic sales leader for broker WTW (Willis Towers Watson) in October 2023. He has experience in real estate, hospitality, and private equity, with expertise in new business production, strategic planning, and driving growth through client service, retention, and recruiting. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Scardino-Frank-LocktonCompanies.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Insurance | Frank | Swingle | Swingle Collins & Associates | CEO | Since founding Swingle, Collins & Associates in 1982, Frank Swingle has grown the agency to one of the largest insurance brokerages in Texas. He has given back both to the industry, serving as president of numerous trade organizations, and the community, with leadership roles at the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, Salvation Army, and other nonprofits. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Swingle-Frank-SwingleCollins-and-Associates-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Mergers and Acquisitions | Gemma | Descoteaux | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton | Partner | Gemma Descoteaux is proud of the way Sheppard Mullin transitioned firm leadership in 2023. She has wanted to be a lawyer since she was a child, and the Pittsburgh native puts Brené Brown’s maxims to good use in business: “Be willing to step up, put yourself out there, and lean into courage.” Anticipating the future, she’s excited about the firm’s recently hired group of real estate lawyers. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Descoteaux-Gemma-SheppardMullin.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Business and IP Litigation | Gene | Besen | Bradley Arant Boult Cummings | Managing Partner | Founded in 2019 with 11 attorneys, the Dallas office of Bradley now has more than 50 lawyers on its team. As managing partner, business and IP litigation specialist Gene Besen has led the office to become the firm’s third-largest. “Our growth is dynamic and sustainable,” he says. “Each of us wants to keep building the most profitable office of Bradley right here in Dallas.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Besen-Gene-Bradley-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Hilda | Galvan | Jones Day | Partner-in-Charge | Nationally recognized trial lawyer Hilda Galvan has represented technology companies in intellectual property litigation in courts across the country for more than 25 years. The Jones Day attorney’s proudest moment over the past year? “We were named Texas Litigation Department of the Year by the American Lawyer for the second year in a row,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Galvan-Hilda-JonesDay.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Mergers and Acquisitions | I. Bobby | Majumder | Frost Brown Todd | Partner | Frost Brown Todd Partner Bobby Majumder is excited about the firm’s expansion into California, giving Frost Brown Todd a national footprint. The company has big plans to change the way law firms operate. “I think law firms are underestimating the existential threat of consulting and accounting firms, as well as AI, to the traditional law firm business model,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Majumder-Bobby-FrostBrownTodd-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Jeff | Cody | Norton Rose Fulbright | US Managing Partner | Since taking over as managing partner in 2020, Norton Rose Fulbright’s Jeff Cody, a former college golfer, has spearheaded a Midwest expansion, launched various technology platforms, and instituted award-winning DEI efforts. In 2022, the firm’s female represenation on its management committee rose to 44 percent, while racial and ethnic diversity rose to 33 percent. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cody-Jeff-NortonRoseFulbright-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Jeff | Matthews | Winstead | Chairman and CEO | Real estate attorney Jeff Matthews joined Winstead in 2003 and was named chairman and CEO in April 2023. The amateur cook advocates for “getting away from the billable hour and going more towards a value-oriented discussion about what services should cost as opposed to just how many hours it takes to get a task done, regardless of the value delivered.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Matthew-Jeff-Winstead-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Jeremy | Fudge | BAL | CEO | BAL singularly focused on the immigration challenges of corporate clients worldwide. “My leadership strategy is rooted in servant leadership,” CEO Jeremy Fudge says. “Genuinely love your people and look for ways to serve them. Focus on gestures to build relationships and foster a sense of unity within a team, rather than relying on your title to lead.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Fudge-Jeremy-BerryAppleman-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Jill | Louis | Perkins Coie | Dallas Office Managing Partner | Perkins Coie has two offices, including Dallas, where a majority of the partners are women. “The firm has been recognized as the No. 1 law firm for women and diversity by Seramount, an organization working to advance DEI across the industry,” Jill Louis says. “We are one of eight firms that have received this recognition consistently since 2008.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Louis-Jill-PerkinsCoie.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Mergers and Acquisitions | Jonathan | Henderson | Polsinelli | Co-Lead, Healthcare M&A | Jonathan Henderson co-leads Polsinelli’s healthcare M&A group focusing on middle-market healthcare services deals and leads the firm’s corporate and transactional practice. As a 20-year veteran in law, with 14 spent in the healthcare niche, he values active listening. He would like to see more alignment in his industry between Dallas and Fort Worth. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Henderson-Jon-Polsinelli-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Consultants | Jorge | Corral | Accenture | Dallas Office Senior Managing Director | At the helm of Accenture’s Dallas office is Jorge Corral, who prides himself on leading a diverse team. “Accenture employs more than 700,000 people globally, and we focus on making sure that everyone gets a chance to thrive. We believe that diversity is the fuel for delivering the most innovative solutions and we embed this principle in all we do,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Corral-Jorge-Accenture-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Keith | Davidson | CLA | Managing Principal of Office, Dallas | Early in Keith Davidson’s career, a mentor advised him to not play it safe—to be willing to take chances, show initiative and grit, and embrace the opportunity to learn about his craft. “I take it a step further with my team,” Davidson says. “I tell them to take advantage of the fact that they’re getting paid to practice and learn, not to get every ‘test answer’ correct like they did in college.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Davidson-Keith.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Labor and Employment | Kim | Askew | DLA Piper | Partner | Kim Askew, who desired to be a lawyer from a young age, values building creative teams, being agile amid constant change, and balancing winning with professionalism and civility as her key strategies. What excites her about the future of her profession? Helping “clients address the issues they face through cutting-edge legal advice and insights into their industries and businesses.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Askew-Kim-K-and-LGatesLLP.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Kim | Kesler | KPMG | Dallas Office Managing Partner | When it comes to key strategies, Kim Kesler sticks to the basics. “Honesty and humility are what I value most in a leader, and what I try to emulate,” she says. The managing partner of KPMG’s Dallas office also keeps a focus on the future. “I love thinking about how the next generation will view our legacy—and if we made the right investments to set them up for success.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kesler-Kim-KPMG.png | |||
| Professional Services | Marketing and Public Relations | Kimber Westphall | Clonts | Westphall PR | President and Co-Founder | After earning a journalism degree, Kimber Westphall Clonts worked in media, as a nonprofit marketing and events director, and as a group fitness instructor before launching her own PR firm in 2016. A big recent win was working on PR for Reunion Tower’s new Crown Block restaurant. “We were thrilled to be part of such an iconic, historic moment for the city,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clonts-Kimber-Westphall-KimberWestphallPR-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Tax | Labry | Welty | Greenburg Traurig | Shareholder | Labry Welty’s father taught him to “Work hard, pay attention to details, and always do the right thing, even when it is unpopular.” This guidance served him well during the challenges that followed after he left a Big Four accounting firm 14 years into his career. Last year, his team at Greenberg Traurig doubled in size and led a client through a $5 billion acquisition. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Welty-Labry-GreenbergTraurig-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Larry | Autrey | Whitley Penn | CEO | Larry Autrey leads Dallas-based Whitley Penn, which has continued its double-digit growth despite challenging labor market conditions. “We’ve done it by focusing on the basics of labor management, career progression, care for the employee, appreciation, and honesty,” he says. “Our partner group averages 10 years younger than firms around the country of similar size.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Autrey-Larry-WhitleyPenn.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Consultants | Lisa | Ong | Wishing Out Loud | President and Founder | With Wishing Out Loud, former PwC exec Lisa Ong helps companies build diverse workplaces. In 2022, she launched a new Inclusion Connectors group for quarterly meetups to unite leaders who support DEI efforts at their organization or firm. Going forward, Ong says, “I’m excited to see increased demand for more inclusive leadership coaching focusing on psychological safety.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ong-Lisa-WishingOutLoud-24.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Consultants | Mandy | Price | Kanarys | Co-founder and CEO | No matter the political headwinds, the diversity, equity, and inclusion movement is here to stay, says Mandy Price, co-founder and CEO of the burgeoning consultancy Kanarys. “It has proven time and again to increase profitability,” she says. This past year, Kanarys closed a landmark $5 million Series A round, bringing the company’s total amount raised to $10.5 million. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Price-Mandy-Kanarys-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Tax | Mark | Melton | Holland & Knight | Partner | It took time for Mark Melton to get comfortable with public speaking, but his influence has grown since he formed the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center, a nonprofit law firm that represents tenants facing eviction. “I founded the organization in 2020 when Covid began,” he says. “Since then, we’ve represented more than 12,000 families and currently have a full-time staff of 12.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Melton-Mark-Holland-and-Knight.png | |||
| Professional Services | Talents/Executive Search Firms | Matrice | Ellis-Kirk | Ellis Kirk Group | CEO | In 2022, Matrice Ellis-Kirk was elected to sit on the board of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants. After expanding into new markets in 2023, Ellis-Kirk is still just as excited about the relationships as she is the transactions. “So many focus on the transaction and not the relationship,” she says. “The relationship is magical and leads to learning.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ellis-Kirk-Matrice-EllisKirkGroup-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Insurance | Matt | Stadler | Marsh McLennan Agency Southwest | CEO | In his executive role at Marsh McLennan, Houston native Matt Stadler says he values four leadership strategies: attitude, transparency, purpose, and empathy. “These four focuses help drive culture, attract talent, and achieve results,” says Stadler, who adds that in the past year, the company has grown significantly and more strategically organized its teams. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Stadler-Matt-Marsh-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Tax | Matthew | Hunsaker | BakerHostetler | Partner | Former college hockey player Matthew Hunsaker planned to start his career in his home state of Alaska after school but decided to get a couple of years of experience at a big firm in Dallas, and he says he is still on that detour. He is proud of the explosive growth of the BakerHostetler office since opening in 2020. His spirit animal? “The quirky and versatile platypus,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hunsaker-Matthew-BakerHostetler-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Mergers and Acquisitions | Michael | Boone | Haynes and Boone | Co-Founder and Senior Counsel | Michael Boone is the co-founder of Haynes and Boone and has more than 40 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, securities transactions, and board of director representations. The firm now has 700 lawyers in 19 offices. A career highlight, he says, includes representing the Perot family in Dell’s acquisition of Perot Systems. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Boone-Michael-HaynesandBoone.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Michael | Taten | Jackson Walker | Managing Partner, Dallas | Michael Taten is a corporate and securities partner and the managing partner of Jackson Walker’s Dallas office. He focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions, joint ventures, executive employment, and equity financing transactions. The leadership strategies he values most are “fairness, positivity, optimism, and gratitude.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Taten-Michael-JacksonWalker.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Michelle | Vopni | EY | Dallas Office Managing Partner | Michelle Vopni joined EY 32 years ago and now oversees its Dallas office. She says the company remains committed to its hybrid work approach, which provides flexibility while also ensuring that teams stay connected. Vopni is looking forward to incorporating emerging technology such as AI. “Although some people find the idea frightening, I find it very exciting,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Vopni-Michelle-EY.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Labor and Employment | Mike | Birrer | Carrington Coleman | Partner | Mike Birrer is a partner and member of the executive committee for Carrington Coleman, a DFW-based firm with three offices throughout Texas. An avid reader and arts patron, Birrer focuses on employment issues in the healthcare, real estate, construction, transportation, and infrastructure sectors but prides himself on avoiding the courthouse. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Birrer-Mike-CarringtonColeman-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Consultants | Neena | Newberry | Newberry Solutions | Founder and CEO | As one of the region’s most successful executive coaches, Neena Newberry has learned two leadership strategies that make the biggest difference. “The first is to pause and ask yourself how you want to show up,” she says. “The second is to identify the top three areas where you can have the biggest impact, given your role and strengths, and how much time you should spend on each.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Newberry-Neena-NewberrySolutions-24.png | |||
| Professional Services | Talents/Executive Search Firms | Nina | Vaca | Pinnacle Group | Chairman and CEO | Nina Vaca leads the Pinnacle Group, which, as the chairman and CEO says, “connects people with opportunity.” The firm celebrates its 28th year in business in 2024. “Our industry is expanding and changing, and by looking to the future, Pinnacle is adapting along with it,” she says. “As we continue our global expansion, we’re experiencing unprecedented growth.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Vaca-Nina-PinnacleGroup-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Omar | Alaniz | Reed Smith | Office Managing Partner, Dallas | In 2022, Omar Alaniz says he’s most proud of the 30-member team of Reed Smith attorneys who worked to improve the death penalty system in Oklahoma. Industry wide, he says, “I wish the legal profession was more inclusive of diverse talent, but lack of inclusion in sophisticated projects will stunt anyone’s growth, and diverse lawyers have historically suffered from lack of inclusion.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Alaniz-Omar-ReedSmith-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Marketing and Public Relations | Pedro | Lerma | LERMA/Agency | CEO | In 2021, Pedro Lerma split from The Richards Group to form an agency that focuses on multicultural endeavors. The company produced three Super Bowl commercials in 2023 and was named Small Agency of the Year by Ad Age. This past September, Lerma also aligned with Luis Miguel Messianu and Richard Edelman to form MEL, which focuses on the Latino market. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lerma-Pedro-Lerma-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Phil | Appenzeller | Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr | CEO | Phil Appenzeller, who was a traveling ventriloquist as a kid, is a member of Munsch Hardt’s board and the compensation, operations, and diversity committees. “We have a unique place in the market,” he says. “I call us Goldilocks. We’re not a mega-firm that has to charge high fees to survive. Yet, we’re big enough to provide all the commercial needs for our clients.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Appenzeller-Phil-MunschHardt-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Rob | Walters | Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher | Senior Partner | Rob Walters has achieved his childhood dream of “professional success and contribution to the community.” Along with his role at Gibson Dunn and his work as a trial and antitrust lawyer, he dedicates his time to several endeavors. These include Dallas Citizens Council, Klyde Warren Park, Communities Foundation of Texas, and Child Action Poverty Lab. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Walters-Rob-GibsonDunn.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Labor and Employment | Rogge | Dunn | Rogge Dunn Group | CEO | As a child, Dallas-native Rogge Dunn hoped to have a job where he could make a meaningful impact. He is proud of a $3.4 million arbitration award he won for a financial adviser this year but wishes those in his industry would work together before pursuing expensive litigation. His key strategy? “I never ask a teammate to do anything I have not done,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dunn-Rogge-RoggeDunnGroup.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Russell | Oshman | Vinson & Elkins | Dallas Office Managing Partner | Voted funniest in his high school graduating class, Russell Oshman was recently named Vinson & Elkins managing partner of its Dallas office. “We had a terrific year in 2022,” he says. “We were No. 1 among all large law firms headquartered in Texas in attorney headcount, revenues, and profits per partner. Maintaining those top positions is one of our primary goals for the years to come.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Oshman-Russell-Vinson-and-Elkins-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Insurance | Rusty | Reid | Higginbotham | Chairman and CEO | Higginbotham celebrated its 75th year in business in 2023. Since 1989, Rusty Reid has been at the helm of the company, which has 87 offices across 15 states. Looking ahead for the industry, Reid wants to see insurance companies adopt technology quicker. “I look forward to advances in insurance automation that reduce paper consumption and redundancies,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Reid-Rusty-Higgingbotham.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Mergers and Acquisitions | Scarlet | McNellie | Norton Rose Fulbright | US Head of Corporate, M&A and Securities | Scarlet McNellie’s parents arrived in the United States with just $200 to their name before she was born and went on to set her up for success that would take her to Ivy League and now Norton Rose Fulbright. The self-described “crazy, face-painting Eagles fan” would love to see more diversity in law and a commitment to recruiting, training, and retaining top talent. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/McNellie-Scarlet-NortonRoseFullbright-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Scott | Barnard | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | Partner in Charge of Dallas and Fort Worth | Akin represented Tug Hill with the sale of upstream and midstream assets to EQT for $5.2 billion in connection with Chesapeake Energy’s $2 billion acquisition of a company and associated interests held by Tug Hill affiliates. Scott Barnard, who—like many—desires to eliminte the billable hour, says, “These two deals were named among The Texas Lawbook’s Top 10 M&A deals of 2022.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Barnard-Scott-AkinGumpStrauss-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Scott | Moore | PwC | Dallas Office Managing Partner | Scott Moore never intended to have a careeer in accounting. “My interest in science and math pointed me toward engineering or medicine,” he says. “I took an accounting class as an elective and found my calling.” Moore says he is proud of the way PwC has re-engaged with clients over the last year. “Personal interactions and relationships are more valuable now than ever before,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Moore-Scott-PwC.png | |||
| Professional Services | Talents/Executive Search Firms | Shelley | Amason | RightStaff | CEO | Founded by Shelley Amason in 1998, RightStaff celebrated 25 years in business in 2023. With more than 150 employees, RightStaff services staffing in IT, accounting and finance, and administration. Moving forward, “We are super excited about AI, tech advancements, remote work opportunities, and enhanced candidate and client experiences,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Amason-Shelley-RightStaff-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Business Insurance | Shevawn | Barder | AM Specialty Insurance Co. | CEO | This past year was a landmark one for reinsurance executive Shevawn Barder, who co-founded AM Specialty Insurance Co., an excess and surplus lines insurance carrier. “The specialty insurance industry is at a crossroads,” she says. “Companies are being forced to retain more risk than ever before. As an underwriting-first carrier, we view this as an opportunity.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Barder-Shevawn-AMRESyndicate.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Labor and Employment | Sonja | McGill | Spencer Fane | Partner | A former board member for Fair Park First, Sonja McGill is proud of the work the organization is doing to get the park “back to its former glory and becoming a jewel for Dallas.” As a partner for the 23-office firm Spencer Fane, she is an accomplished litigator and trusted adviser. Her guiding principle? “Never present a problem without a solution.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/McGill-Sonja-SpencerFance.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Business and IP Litigation | Steve | Stodghill | Winston & Strawn | Partner | Over the last 12 months, Steve Stodghill served as lead trial counsel for Fox News in its defamation battle with Dominion and prevailed at trial for U.S. Well Services in its bellwether patent fight against competitor Halliburton. He’s excited about the region’s growth, as Dallas continues to attract corporate relocations. “The potential for future business is extraordinary in this region,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Stodghill-Steven-Winston-and-Strawn-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Marketing and Public Relations | Suzanne | Droese | Droese Public Relations | Founder and Principal | The past year has been one of big growth for Suzanne Droese’s PR firm, whose luxury lifestyle clients run the gamut from Bumble to Forty Five Ten. “Every CEO I’ve talked with has experienced the imbalance of slow growth versus fast growth,” she says. “I’m proud that we’ve been able to scale our growth in a way that is still true to our brand ethos of individual service and strategy.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Droese-Suzanne-DroesePublicRelations-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Taylor | Wilson | Haynes and Boone | Managing Partner | Joining Haynes and Boone in 1990, Taylor Wilson has spent his 33-year legal career at the firm and now is the fourth lawyer to lead it. The firm, which turned 50 in 2023, has more than 650 lawyers in 19 offices worldwide, with more than 40 major legal practices. The Dallas office relocated from its longtime Victory Park offices to the Harwood District in 2023. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wilson-Taylor-HaynesandBoone-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Thear | Suzuki | EY | Global Client Service Partner | Thear Suzuki is proud of how EY is diversifying leadership in 2023, with women making up more than a third of new partners globally, an increase from the prior year. She wants to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and heard. “Leadership is not about being in charge,” she says. “Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Suzuki-Thear-EY.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Thomas | Melsheimer | Winston & Strawn | Managing Partner | Thomas Melsheimer has been described in national legal publications as “one of the most sought-after trial lawyers in the country,” “a celebrated storyteller,” and “a game-changing ringer.” He has tried cases involving healthcare and bank fraud, public corruption, and kidnapping and co-authored On the Jury Trial, considered a “must-have” for trial lawyers. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Melsheimer-Thomas-Winston.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Labor and Employment | Todd | Shadle | Ferguson Braswell Fraser Kubasta | Shareholder | Todd Shadle persevered through a recent case that took three years, forcing him to rebuild his business after it ended. But he is excited about how FBFK has doubled the revenue in its Austin office, and opened a new office in Orange County, California. The firm also is seeing significant revenue growth and developed a strong internship program to fuel its expansion. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shadle-Todd-FBFK-2024.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Tom | Watson | Forvis | CEO | Industry stalwarts BKD and DHG merged in 2022 to create Forvis, a top 10 firm with 6,000 employees. CEO Tom Watson is proud of the way the two companies have come together. “Without question, the biggest factor in our success so far has been the culture we’ve created as one firm,” he says. “The new heights we’ve reached have exceeded my expectations.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Watson-Tom-Forvis-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Marketing and Public Relations | Tony | Fay | Tony Fay Public Relations | Founder and CEO | Tony Fay is the go-to expert on sports in DFW, having worked in the arena since 1987. This past year, Dallas was named the No. 1 sports business city in America and the region was selected as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “Planning these announcements on behalf of the Dallas Sports Commission was a great reminder of how far we’ve come the past 35 years,” Fay says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Fay-Tony-TonyFayPR.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Tax | Val | Albright | Foley & Lardner | Partner | History buff Val Albright guides clients through federal and state tax issues, including administrative resolution and litigation, handling nearly every aspect of complex tax disputes along the way and focusing on the oil and gas industry. He works and lives by these tenets: “Integrity, honesty, competitiveness, winning, but playing by the rules.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Albright-Val-Foley-and-Lardner-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Tax | William | Hornberger | Jackson Walker | Partner | Willie Hornberger has played a key role in the areas of tax law, real estate, oil and gas, bankruptcies, and more during his career at Jackson Walker. He would like to see every lawyer have an effective mentor to seek counsel when making big decisions. When it comes to leadership, he says, “In everything I do, I try to lead by serving others.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hornberger-Willie-JacksonWalker.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | William | Munck | Munck Wilson Mandala | Managing Partner | Raised by a New York police officer, Bill Munck’s roots and blue-collar upbringing give him a deep appreciation for hard work and authentic relationships. Known as an attorney who never gives up a fight, he’s referred to as a “go-to guy” for patent litigation, prep, and prosecution. The firm started with six attorneys in 1998 and today has almost 100 attorneys in nine offices. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Munck-Bill-MunckWilsonMandala-23-REDO.png | |||
| Professional Services | Accounting | Yvette | Garcia | Haynie & Company | Partner | Haynie & Co. has grown to be a top 100 accounting firm over the last three years, and Partner Yvette Garcia—the first female and first minority member to join the firm’s executive committee—expects momentum to continue. She embraces her role as a leader during challenges and enjoys being “a backstop to encourage moving forward and learning from experiences.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Garcia-Yvette-Haynie-and-Company-23.png | |||
| Professional Services | Law: Managing Partners | Yvette | Ostolaza | Sidley Austin | Managing Partner | Sidley Austin reached nearly $3 billion in revenue making it the 6th largest U.S.-based law firm and opened its 21st office in Miami. “Sidley is moving at light speed,” Managing Partner Yvette Ostolaza says. Over the past 10 months, the office has added more than 40 lawyers and served 500 clients in 1,000 matters. Ostolaza also serves as the firm’s chair of its management committee. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ostolaza-Yvette-SidleyAustin.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Amanda Moreno | Lake | Moreno Lake Redevelopment | CEO and Founder | She learned about business as a teenager and started her first company when she was 17 years old. Today, Amanda Moreno Lake plays “real-life Monopoly” as the CEO and founder of Moreno Lake Redevelopment. After reinventing the downtown square in Waxahachie, she’s currently focused on Oak Cliff Tower and redevelopment projects in Ennis and Cedar Hill. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lake-Amanda-MorenoLakeRedevelopment-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Construction & Engineering | Arcilia | Acosta | CARCON Industries and STL Engineers | President and CEO | Arcilia Acosta grew up in Midland, where her father built refineries. After initially working in banking, she realized how much she loved construction and relaunched her late father’s business on Jan. 1, 2000. Today, it’s a multimillion-dollar enterprise with several subsidiaries—and a brand-new headquarters. Acosta also serves as chair of the Dallas Citizens Council. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Acosta-Arcilia-Carcon-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Bill | Burton | Hillwood | Executive Vice President | Joining Hillwood in January of 1989, Bill Burton’s career growth has mirrored that of his employer. He has played a key role in developing the company’s 27,000-acre AllianceTexas, directing build-to-suit and leases totaling more than 55 million square feet. He has also managed $1 billion in portfolio sales transactions and 1,900 acres in land deals. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Burton-Bill-Hilwood.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Bill | Cawley | Cawley Partners | CEO | Already one of DFW’s most successful office developers, Bill Cawley recently added two new divisions at Cawley Partners. “We now have the expertise to invest in and develop office, industrial, and multifamily,” he says. In 2022, Cawley was inducted into NTCAR’s Hall of Fame. Going forward, he says he would like to foster more communication between competitors. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cawley-Bill-CawleyPartners-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Construction & Engineering | Bob | Pragada | Jacobs | CEO | In January 2023, 17 years after joining Jacobs, U.S. Navy veteran Bob Pragada became the company’s global CEO. “It was a major milestone for me personally,” he says. “I’m excited to build our legacy as we shape the future of the industry.” Jacobs has been expanding organically and through acquisitions and generates nearly $15 billion in annual revenue. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Pragada-Bob-Jacobs-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | Bob | Sulentic | CBRE | President and CEO | With a record $30.8 billion in annual revenue for 2022, CBRE is the world’s largest commercial real estate firm. At the helm is Bob Sulentic. “A key to our success is building a leadership team that is diverse across many dimensions—gender, ethnicity, age, background, and experience,” he says. “This ensures a well-rounded perspective when setting the company’s aspirations.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sulentic-Bob-CBRE.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Real Estate Executives | Bryan | Pacholski | Compass | Senior Managing Director, DFW | After serving in the U.S. Army as a military police officer for 22 years, Bryan Pacholski segued into residential real estate in Cabo and now runs the Dallas-Fort Worth market for Compass. He was encouraged to pursue his dreams from an early age. “My dad told me I could be anything I wanted in my life and to never limit myself to reach higher than I thought possible,” Pacholski says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Pacholski-Bryan-Compass-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | Bryan | Trubey | Overland Partners | Senior Principal | Bryan Trubey believes two of the firm’s most significant successes during the past year are being awarded a prestigious project in Tokyo after an international competition and opening an office in New York City. Trubey is also overseeing the redesign of the 277-acre Fair Park, which will bring comprehensive renovations to the Cotton Bowl, Community Park Complex, and Music Hall. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Trubey-Bryan-OverlandPartners-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Real Estate Executives | Carolyn | Rosson | Ebby Halliday Cos. | President and CEO | During her more than four decades with Ebby Halliday Cos., Carolyn Rosson has held a variety of leadership posts—starting with manager while still in her 20s. She reached a pinnacle in September 2023, when she was promoted from president to president and CEO of the company, as CEO Chris Kelly took on added responsibilities as executive VP of parent HomeServices of America. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rosson-Carolyn-EbbyHalliday-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Chad | Cook | Quadrant Investment Properties | Founder | When he travels, Chad Cook often tries to visit emerging submarkets around the country that have strong adaptive reuse and creative office segments—places like Playa Vista and Culver City in California, Fulton Market in Chicago, and Industry City in Brooklyn. “I always leave with a hundred new takeaways and fired up to try something new back in Dallas,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cook-Chad-QIP-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Capital Markets and Commercial Property Sales | Chad | Lavender | Newmark | President, North American Capital Markets | Former HFF exec Chad Lavender joined Newmark in 2019 as co-head and vice chairman of the company’s healthcare and alternative real estate assets platform. Today, he oversees all aspects of the firm’s fast-growing capital markets group for North America. “I’m most excited about the talent we’re attracting and the market share we’re gaining here and abroad,” Lavender says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lavender-Lavender-Newmark-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | Charles | Dannis | National Valuation Consultants | Senior Managing Director | Despite challenging real estate market conditions, National Valuation Consultants maintained positive margins and opened two new offices, says Chuck Dannis, who has taught real estate at SMU for 36 years. Current students, having survived the pandemic, are eager to be social and get educated, he says. “The business world will benefit from their engagement and views,” Dannis says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dannis-Charles-NationalValuationConsultants-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Chris | Kleinert | Hunt Realty Investments | CEO | Hunt Consolidated is involved with the Fields development near PGA of America’s headquarters, recently opened the new Crown Block in Reunion Tower, and, in October 2023, broke ground with Hillwood Urban on a new 800,000-square-foot campus for Goldman Sachs on Hunt’s NorthEnd site in Uptown. “It will serve as an anchor for many years to come,” Chris Kleinert says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kleinert-Chris-HuntConsolidated-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Chris | Teesdale | Colliers | Executive Vice President | He continues to be one of the region’s most active industrial brokers, but Chris Teesdale also is passionate about helping others achieve success. “I became certified as a coach in 2016 and help professionals who want to accelerate their careers,” he says. Looking ahead, he’s most excited about “how AI can better visualize potential solutions for our real estate clients.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Teesdale-Chris-Colliers-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | Christopher | Huckabee | MOREGroup | CEO | Led by Christopher Huckabee, MOREgroup was formed through the combination of Huckabee, Rachlin Partners, TSK Architects, Image Engineering Group, and E4H Environments for Health Architecture. It’s comprised of 700 employees in 21 offices nationwide. Huckabee also served as chairman of the board of Regents at Texas Tech University, his alma mater. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Huckabee-Chris-MOREGroup-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | Clay | Duvall | Lincoln Property Co. | Co-CEO | This past year has been transformative for Lincoln Property Co. as it brought in a private equity partner—Stone Point Capital—for the first time and named Clay Duvall and David Binswanger as co-CEOs. “We’re taking Lincoln, a company with a storied legacy, into the next era,” Duvall says. “I couldn’t be more grateful for where we are as a company, our team, and where we’re headed.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Duvall-Clay-LincolnPropertyCo-2024-1.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Real Estate Executives | Concho | Minick | Douglas Elliman | Executive Manager of Sales, DFW | Concho Minick’s early career was focused on environmental science, working at Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Arizona. He also spent seven years managing Billy Bob’s Texas, transforming the business. But after four years as CEO of Christie’s International Real Estate’s Ulterre, he joined the fast-growing Douglas Elliman to lead its North Texas operations. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Minick-Concho-DouglasElliman-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Dan | Harris | Stream Realty Partners | Managing Director | He was on one of the region’s most successful teams at Cushman & Wakefield when Dan Harris left in 2019 to build a tenant rep platform for Stream. Before long, he convinced his former partners, Randy Cooper and Craig Wilson, to make the shift, too. “Stream’s incredible culture fits perfectly with the entrepreneurial spirit of brokerage,” Harris says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Harris-Dan-StreamRealtyPartners-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | Dan | Noble | HKS | President and CEO | Under Dan Noble’s leadership, HKS has won numerous international design awards and was one of the first large interdisciplinary design firms to join the UN Global Compact. Noble, a photographer in his free time, says, “Over the last 12 months, HKS expanded into new markets and practices while improving research, innovation, and invention in design process and outcomes.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Noble-Dan-HKS.png | |||
| Real Estate | Hospitality | Daniel | Moon | Sam Moon Group | Vice President and General Counsel | Long known for its retailing prowess, Sam Moon Group segued into shopping center and golf course development then got into hospitality in 2017, a move spearheaded by Sam Moon’s son, Daniel. “My dad, brother, and I had to learn everything on our own as we grew our family business together,” he says. The company’s latest project, JW Marriott Dallas Arts District, opened in late 2023. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Moon-Daniel-SamMoonGroup-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | Daniel | Taylor | Colliers | Executive Managing Director | It has been four years since Daniel Taylor left his successful retail brokerage career at CBRE to become North Texas leader for Colliers—a position that has since expanded to a statewide post that includes Austin and Central Texas. In that time, Taylor says, he has learned to “trust employees and peers to do what they do best, give them the resources they need, and then get out of their way.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Taylor-Daniel-Colliers-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Construction & Engineering | Darren | James | KAI Enterprises | President | Darren James first knew he wanted to be an architect when he was 6. Today, he runs KAI Enterprises, one of the country’s largest minority-owned architecture, engineering, and construction companies. James says he has learned that leadership can manifest itself from any position in an organization. “True leadership is felt through communication and influence,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/James-Darren-KAI.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Darren | Woodson | Cresa | Managing Principal | Former Dallas Cowboys player and ESPN on-air personality Darren Woodson was getting his commercial real estate career going with ESRP, when it was acquired in 2022 by national tenant rep firm Cresa. “It has been an incredible success,” he says. “We’re positioned to drive growth and influence not only across Texas but across the entire Cresa organization.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Woodson-Darren-Cresa-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Capital Markets and Commercial Property Sales | David | Davidson | Davidson Bogel Real Estate | Founding Partner | For David Davidson Jr., it’s all about land. The president of the North Texas Land Council co-founded his firm in 2015 with Edward Bogel. He says he has five key mentors in his life: “I strive to be humble like Jack Matthews, have the work ethic of Scott Rohrman, play chess like Mehrdad Moayedi, be confident and composed like Ross Perot Jr., and love what I do as much as my dad.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Davidson-David-DavidsonBogelRealEstate-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | Deeg | Snyder | Gensler | Co-Managing Director, Principal | During his 23-year career at Gensler, Germany native Deeg Snyder has worked on projects at 12 Gensler offices, ranging from retail prototype and roll-out programs to large-scale commercial and mixed-use repositioning. He says, “The work since returning to the office has been much more enriching, and I believe better because of the collaborative work style.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Snyder-Deeg-Gensler-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Construction & Engineering | Dev | Rastogi | AECOM | Senior Vice President and Dallas Executive | AECOM racked up several national awards and won significant new business in the past year, including being named project manager for Fair Park First. Dallas Executive Dev Rastogi had a key win of her own: she was promoted to senior VP and put in charge of the company’s $100 million Gulf Coast transportation business, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rastogi-Dev-AECOM-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Development | Donald | Dykstra | Bloomfield Homes | Chairman | Don Dykstra was 17 years into his homebuilding career when he found himself out of a job after a CEO change at his company. That compelled him to launch Bloomfield Homes. “Twenty years from a garage startup to a $1 billion-plus business has been an invigorating challenge,” he says. “We’ve recently introduced new floorplans and completely updated our existing product line.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dykstra-Donald-BloomfieldHomes-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | Donald | Powell | BOKA Powell | Founding Partner | Growing up in a family of builders laid Donald Powell’s foundation, and by 13, he was working on commercial construction projects. He began his career in Indianapolis and launched what’s now known as BOKA Powell four decades ago. He says, “Post-pandemic recovery is in full bloom. Getting back to the office and collaboratively growing is a welcome relief.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Powell-Don-BOKAPowell.png | |||
| Real Estate | Hospitality | Dupree | Scovell | Woodbine Development Corp. | Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer | Dallas stalwart Woodbine Development Corp. marked its 50th year in business in 2023. “We are incredibly proud to have endured as long as we have,” says Managing Partner Dupree Scovell. “My brother King and I share a vision to carry Woodbine forward another 50 years by adhering to the same values that my father John has always been committed to.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Scovell-Dupree-Woodbine.png | |||
| Real Estate | Capital Markets and Commercial Property Sales | Elizabeth | Malone | Eastdil Secured | Managing Director | Elizabeth Malone joined Eastdil Secured in January 2021, after working in asset management for Crow Holdings and HFF. She also served as a career development counselor at SMU’s Folsom Institute for Real Estate. “We’ve had a lot of success recruiting quality talent in a challenging market,” Malone says. “We’re trying to take advantage of this opportunity to grow the team.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Malone-Elizabeth-Eastdil-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | Evan | Beattie | GFF | Chairman and CEO | Evan Beattie, who’s dream as a 7-year-old was to be an architect, has led GFF since 2020. After 23 years in the same building, the firm moved to new digs in Victory Plaza at the end of 2023. Looking ahead, he says, “Some big disruptions are coming to our industry (AI, VR on job sites and linked to geolocations), and we have an exciting opportunity to invest in technology and embrace change.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Beattie-Evan-GFF.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Development | Fred | Balda | Hillwood Communities | President | President of Hillwood Communities since 1992, Fred Balda has seen some big industry changes over the years. But the most recent innovations have been “eye-popping,” he says. “The 3D printing we’re involved in at our Georgetown community holds the promise of a real game-changer in homebuilding. And the AI field has us all abuzz with inspiration.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Balda-Fred-Hilltop.png | |||
| Real Estate | Construction & Engineering | Fred | Perpall | The Beck Group | CEO | At the helm of The Beck Group, Fred Perpall leads one of the nation’s most successful design-build companies. In 2023, he also became the first Black president of the U.S. Golf Association. “We’re excited about how we can be better for the game of golf,” Perpall says. “That means more inclusion, relatability, and transparency.” Perpall says Beck’s 2023 volume will come in around $1.4 billion. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Perpall-Fred-BeckGroup.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Gabriel | Barbier-Mueller | Harwood International | Founder and CEO | He helped pioneer Uptown with his 19-block, European-styled Harwood District. Forty years later, Gabriel Barbier-Mueller’s mixed-use neighborhood is on fire, with a new office tower and 16 restaurants and bars—and more on the way. He expanded into the hospitality sector in late 2023 with Hôtel Swexan, a 134-room hotel whose name is a nod to his Swiss and Texas roots. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/BarbierMueller-Gabriel-HarwoodInternational.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | Herb | Weitzman | Weitzman | Executive Chairman | Herb Weitzman cemented his legacy in 2018 with a $3 million gift to establish a real estate institute at UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management. “This new generation has never seen a period that did not have low interest rates and money available for deals,” he says. “They’re learning the importance of hard work and coming to understand real estate cycles.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Weitzman-Herb-WeitzmanGroup.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Jack | Matthews | Matthews Southwest | President | He’s best known for pioneering projects south of downtown Dallas, but Jack Matthews’ work takes him all over the world. “We’re doing a large convention center and hotel in Fort Lauderdale and a 20-acre oceanfront park in British Columbia,” he says. Closer to home, he recently won a competitive bid to lead development of the new and expanded Dallas Convention Center. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Matthews-Jack-MatthewsSouthwest.png | |||
| Real Estate | Capital Markets and Commercial Property Sales | Jack | Stone | Greysteel | Managing Director | Jack Stone was a real estate attorney before he switched over to doing deals himself. He leads the multifamily investment sales team at Greysteel—focusing on assets in Texas, Oklahoma, and Mexico—and co-chairs the firm’s student housing group. He says he strives to lead by example. “I also appreciate those who take their work seriously—but don’t take themselves too seriously,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Stone-Jack-Greysteel-23-1.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Jeff | Ellerman | CBRE | Vice Chairman | One of the highest-ranking executives at the world’s largest commercial real estate firms, office tenant rep expert Jeff Ellerman has had a profound impact on the region, negotiating more than 50 million square feet in deals valued at more than $30 billion. He also has been a driving force behind The Loop, a 50-mile chain of hike and bike trails around Dallas. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ellerman-Jeff-CBRE.png | |||
| Real Estate | Capital Markets and Commercial Property Sales | Jennifer | Pierson | STRIVE | Managing Partner | Jennifer Pierson co-founded Strive in February of 2017; today it has a team of 40 who specialize in selling office, industrial, retail, and multifamily properties. “Once a company reaches a critical mass of 40, growth from that point is easier,” she says. “The market knows you exist, it gets easier to attract good talent, and the income generated helps when weathering a downturn.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Pierson-Jennifer-Strive.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Jim | Dondero | NexPoint | Founder and Principal | Jim Dondero is set to make a big splash in the region. The multibillion-dollar alternative investment firm he founded, NexPoint, is working on a 200-acre, 4 million-square-foot med-tech project at the former Electronic Data Systems campus in Plano. “We’re embracing the life sciences industry and working to bring it to North Texas in a big way,” Dondero says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dondero-Jim-Nexpoint-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | John | Gates | JLL | CEO, Americas | After joining The Staubach Co. in 1990, John Gates became one of the firm’s top-performing brokers before shifting to management after the company was acquired by JLL. He now oversees the U.S., Canada, and Latin America operations. “Difficult environments always create opportunities,” Gates says. “We are making investments to gain share and prepare for growth.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gates-John-JLL.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | John | Goff | Crescent Real Estate | Chairman | In the early 1990s, former accountant John Goff saw an opportunity in commercial real estate—and bet his entire net worth on it. Today, the Crescent Real Estate chairman is one of the industry’s biggest players in DFW. His latest endeavor is The Crescent Fort Worth, a mixed-use development that will be the new home base for Crescent Real Estate, Goff Capital, and Canyon Ranch. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Goff-John-CrescentRealEstate.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | John Paul | Valverde | Coéval Studios | Creative Director and Principal | Architect John Paul Valverde specializes in hospitality, commercial, and retail environments. He has designed the look of Dallas hotspots like The Rustic, Happiest Hour, and Citizen. Valverde was once fired after asking for a small raise. “It really changed my perspective,” he says. “And it was my catapult to go out on my own and start my own company and change industry standards.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Valverde-JohnPaul-Coeval-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Johnny | Johnson | Cushman & Wakefield | Exceutive Managing Director | A 202,642-square-foot deal with Texas Capital Bank, named D CEO’s Best Urban Office Lease in 2023, was one of the most convoluted in Johnny Johnson’s 35-year career. He represents the top office property owners in the region, including new-to-the-game Vari. He has always strived to work hard and maintain humility. “A football coach gave me that advice, and it stuck,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Johnson-Johnny-Cushman-and-Wakefield-2024-5.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Jonas | Woods | Woods Capital Management | Founder and CEO | Jonas Woods is sparking a renaissance in downtown Dallas with residential conversions underway at Bryan Tower, Comerica Bank Tower, and Santander Tower. Named D CEO’s Pioneer Award winner for 2023, Woods most recently was tapped to co-develop with KDC a 500,000-square-foot tower for Bank of America on land adjacent to Klyde Warren Park owned by the Miyama family. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Woods-Jonas-WoodsCapital.png | |||
| Real Estate | Hospitality | Julie | Arrowsmith | G6 Hospitality | President and CEO | G6 Hospitality, the company behind Motel 6, transitioned to a fully franchised model in 2022 while expanding its footprint. “I’m also proud of the launch of Light Her Way,” says Julie Arrowsmith, G6’s president and interim CEO. “It helps put female entrepreneurs—a historically underrepresented group in hospitality—on the path to hotel ownership.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Arrowsmith-Julie-G6Hospitality-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Karla | Smith | SRS Real Estate Partners | Executive Vice President | Retail power broker Karla Smith overcame many obstacles when she got into real estate as a second career. “It’s a fast-paced business with deep relationships,” she says. “I was told by one firm that I wasn’t cut out to be a broker and that I wouldn’t succeed. My gut said otherwise, and I’m grateful I continued my pursuit.” Smith also oversees a women’s brokerage group at SRS. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Smith-Karla-SRSRealEstate-Partners-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | Kathy | Permenter | Younger Partners | Co-Owner | Kathy Permenter joined Moody Younger to launch their boutique firm, Younger Partners, in 2012. Today, the company has more than 100 employees and leases and manages more than 12 million square feet. She’d like the industry to help young professionals become financially self-sufficient sooner. “It would enable the industry to attract a broader range of talent,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Permenter-Kathy-YoungerPartners-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Multifamily | Katy | Slade | Mintwood Real Estate | Founder and Principal | After nearly a decade with Gables Residential, Katy Slade struck out on her own and launched Mintwood in 2018. This past year she began work on three “complex and transformative” projects: a downtown office-to-multifamily conversion, the first Public Facilities Corp. project for the City of Dallas, and a large mixed-use development with national retailers in Oklahoma City. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Slade-Katy-Mintwood.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Real Estate Executives | Keith | Conlon | Allie Beth Allman & Associates | President | DFW’s residential real estate market has experienced heady times in the three years since Keith Conlon stepped into his leadership role at Allie Beth Allman & Associates. The company has topped $3 billion in sales volume for two consecutive years. “I believe the Dallas real estate market will be one of the best in the country for many years to come,” Conlon says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Conlon-Keith-AllieBethAllman.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | Kellie | Sirna | Studio 11 Design | Owner and Principal | Kellie Sirna has designed some of the hospitality industry’s most inspiring spaces. She’s also launched two verticals: Brand Bottega, a brand identity and design component, and Lou Verne by Studio 11 Design, a team specializing in art curation, creation, and styling. “An expanded team and prospective international projects, open up exciting opportunities for us,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sirna-Kellie-Studio11Design-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Kim | Butler | HALL Group | Executive Vice President, Leasing | In her role overseeing leasing of HALL Group’s portfolio of North Texas office space, Kim Butler has relied on her ability to develop in-sync teams—even amidst rising interest rates on users of office space. “I’ve built large ones; I’ve built small ones,” she says. “The small ones are the most challenging because you must get the complementary skillsets and personalities just right.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Butler-Kim-HallGroup-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Hospitality | Kurt | Alexander | Omni Hotels & Resorts | President | After serving as the company’s CFO for five years, Kurt Alexander was named CEO of Omni Hotels & Resorts in May 2022. He has had an eventful first year; the company opened two new properties within a week of each other in 2023—Omni Tempe Hotel opened in April and the eagerly anticipated Omni PGA Frisco Resort at the PGA of America’s headquarters opened in May. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Alexander-Kurt-OmniHotels-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | Lindsay | Wilson | Corgan | President | Corgan’s Lindsay Wilson is particularly focused on the evolution of brand and culture and the need for the places where we live, learn, work, and play to constantly respond to the world around us. She’s led the workplace transformations of the Southwest Airlines headquarters, Fossil Group global headquarters, and Toyota’s North American headquarters. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wilson-Lindsay-Corgan-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Lucy | Billingsley | Billingsley Co. | Partner | The only daughter of real estate icon Trammell Crow, Lucy Billingsley founded her company with her husband, Henry Billingsley, in 1978. “The market has radically changed throughout our lives,” she says. “Office space was once a commodity—all people cared about was the price of the space and location. Today, office space is the brand of your company. It’s a different concept.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Billingsley-Lucy-BillingsleyCo.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Lynn | Dowdle | Dowdle Real Estate | Principal | In an industry that attracts a lot of “chest pounders,” Lynn Dowdle is an under-the-radar professional who is known for giving back and for becoming the region’s go-to broker when hospitality developers need new sites. “It has been great seeing hotels survive and thrive after the pandemic,” she says. “Developers are as active as ever. Let’s keep going!” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dowdle-Lynn-DowdleRealEstate-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Marijke Lantz | Flowers | Billingsley Co. | Senior VP, Investments and Build-to-Suits | Some North Texas developers have put the brakes on new projects in recent months, but Billingsley Co. seems to have discovered a magic formula that allows it to keep forging ahead. Overseeing build-to-suits for the company is Marijke Lantz Flowers. “We have great land sites for future master-planned developments,” she says. “It’s exciting to see everything going into new developments.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Flowers-Marijke-BillingsleyCo-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Development | Mark | Danuser | Tatum Brown Custom Homes | Owner and CEO | Custom homebuilder Mark Danuser went to theater school after college. “It took me a long time to return to what I’m passionate about—building,” he says. He’d like to see the industry embrace technological advances. “Some tech has crept into production building, but it still needs to catch up on the custom level,” he says. “We’re always looking for advances to find their way to the luxury space.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Danuser-Mark-TatumBrownCustomHomes-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Capital Markets and Commercial Property Sales | Mark | Gibson | JLL | CEO, Capital Markets Americas | He was a founding partner of HFF, which grew to become a national capital markets powerhouse before it was acquired by JLL in 2019. Over the last 12 months, the two entites completed their integration. Now, Mark Gibson serves as CEO of the firm’s capital markets operations across the United States, Canada, and Latin America. He also serves on JLL’s global capital markets board. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gibson-Mark-JLL.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Mark | Masinter | Newmark | Chairman of Global Retail | For decades, Mark Masinter has quietly represented some of the biggest brands in retail, including Apple, Restoration Hardware, and Warby Parker. He sold his longtime firm, Open Realty Advisors, to Newmark in the spring of 2022. “Our company continues to evolve, and we are well-positioned to lead and thrive in the future,” Masinter says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Masinter-Mark-OpenRealtyAdvisors.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Michael | Ablon | PegasusAblon | Founding Principal | Developer Mike Ablon has been a driving force behind many notable local projects, and he’s continuing his special brand of placemaking with Oak Lawn District, Lower Greenville District, and Harbor Village District. “Dallas is a relatively young city, compared to the 300-year-old cities on the coasts or 2,000-year-old cities in Europe,” he says. “Dallas is still very malleable.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ablon-Michael-PegasusAblon.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | Michael | Geisler | Venture Commercial Real Estate | Founding Partner | When Mike Geisler launched Venture Commercial in 2000, his goal was to create a customer-focused, values-driven firm. And in the 23 years since, he has continually lived his mission, working on some of the region’s most notable retail projects and deals and serving the community. He was honored in 2021 with NTCAR’s prestigious Stemmons Service Award. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Geisler-Michael-VentureCommercialRealEstate-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Michele | Wheeler | JacksonShaw | President and CEO | After joining JacksonShaw in 2005 and holding key positions in finance, development, and management, Michele Wheeler was promoted to president and CEO in 2022—the company’s 50th year in business. What has her most excited about the future? “The emerging leaders of our company,” Wheeler says. “We have a great team that is ready to grow.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wheeler-Michele-JacksonShaw.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | Milton | Anderson | Merriman Anderson Architects | President | After almost 24 years as director of design and partner, Milton Anderson became firm president of Merriman Anderson Architects in 2020. “Our greatest success has been our continued growth to over 72 people in our Dallas office,” he says. “The adaptive reuse market is strong and a new mixed-use project in Fort Worth will be a significant project for our client, our firm, and the city.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Anderson-Milton-MerrimanAndersonArchitects.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Development | Nelson | Mitchell | HistoryMaker Homes | CEO | Under the name Young American Homes, HistoryMaker sold its first home in 1949. Not even a decade later, it developed its first residential community. Fourth-generation leader Nelson Mitchell joined the family business in 1994 and took the reins in 2000. In just a few short years, he quadrupled the number of homes built each year. “I really can’t imagine doing anything else,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mitchell-Nelson-HistoryMakerHomes-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Development | Paul | Romanowski | D. R. Horton | President and CEO | After serving as co-COO and, prior to that, regional president, Paul Romanowski was promoted to the top operational job at the nation’s largest homebuilder in October 2023. He replaced longtime CEO David Auld, who shifted to an executive vice chair role. Auld went out on a high note; D.R. Horton closed its 1 millionth home in 2023 and celebrated its 45th year in business. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Romanowski-Paul-DRHorton-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Multifamily | Payton | Mayes | JPI | CEO | Growing up on a small ranch in Coleman, Texas, Payton Mayes experienced firsthand the fulfillment of a hard day’s work. The company he now leads, JPI, was recently named the eighth fastest-growing multifamily developer in America by the National Multifamily Housing Council. JPI was sold to Japanese housing giant Sumitomo Forestry Co. in October 2023. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mayes-Payton-JPI-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | Ran | Holman | Newmark | Executive Vice President and Texas Market Leader | Ran Holman took the reins of Newmark’s Texas operations in 2020, after working his management magic at firms ranging from Cushman & Wakefield and Cawley Partners to CBRE. He has recently been on a recruiting tear, luring over some of the region’s top performers, and overseeing the consolidation of four area offices into new digs at The Link at Uptown. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Holman-Ran-Cushman.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Ray | Washburne | Charter Holdings | Chairman | Ray Washburne is co-founder of the 46-venue M Crowd Restaurant Group, the company behind Taco Diner, Katy Trail Ice House, The Mercury, and Mi Cocina. He also co-owns Highland Park Village and is working on high-profile projects throughout the region, including Knox Street, the former Dallas Morning News campus, Founders Square, and Watters Creek. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Washburne-Ray-CharterHoldings-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | Rex | Glendenning | Rex Real Estate | CEO and Owner | This past year was a big one for Rex Glendenning, whose decades of under-the-radar success as one of the region’s most accomplished land specialists was recognized with the Legacy Award in D CEO’s Power Brokers program and his induction into NTCAR’s Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame. “I am humbled to have received two of our market’s most coveted industry awards,” Glendenning says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Glendenning-Rex-RexRealEstate-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Development | Robert | Elliott | Stillwater Capital Investments | Partner and Founder | Robert Elliott’s proudest moment in 2023 was seeing the PGA of America headquarters open in Frisco—a project he played a key role in bringing to fruition. In 2023, his Stillwater Capital and Robert Elliott Custom Homes also broke ground on The Link, a $70 million, 240-acre mixed-use development that connects to the new Omni PGA Frisco Resort. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Elliot-Robert-StillwaterCapital.png | |||
| Real Estate | Multifamily | Robert | Shaw | Columbus Realty Partners | President | Robert Shaw began his career as a first-round draft pick for the Dallas Cowboys, but he has gained more prominence as a walkability pioneer and for his many multifamily and mixed-use projects in urban and diverse neighborhoods. Much of that development has been in Uptown Dallas, downtown Plano, Addison Circle, Frisco, and Fort Worth’s Cultural District. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shaw-Robert-ColumbusRealty.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | Robert | Shibuya | Mohr Partners | Chairman and CEO | Bob Shibuya learned the business at global firms like CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield before leading a management buyout of Mohr Partners in 2017. The company was named Supplier of the Year for 2022 by the DFW Minority Suppplier Development Council. “This shows our excellence not just in commercial real estate but also as a minority business,” Shibuya says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shibuya-Robert-MohrPartners-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Real Estate Executives | Rogers | Healy | Rogers Healy and Associates Real Estate | Owner and CEO | His firm was again named the largest independent brokerage in Dallas, and he hired a game-changing director of operations, but another key milestone of the past year trumps them both, says Rogers Healy. “My wife Abby and I welcomed our first daughter into the world, and our lives have been changed forever,” he says. Healy is also an active investor, founding Morrison Seger Venture Capital. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Healy-Rogers-RogersHealy-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Residential Real Estate Executives | Russ | Anderson | Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty | President | Russ Anderson has expanded his firm’s executive team in the last 12 months, especially in agent recruiting and corporate finance. And more growth lies ahead, he says. “We are anticipating industry-wide consolidation in response to economic headwinds, and we believe it could provide multiple opportunities to grow and expand,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Anderson-Russell-BriggsFreemanSotheby-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Construction & Engineering | Scott | Clark | Burns & McDonnell | General Manager | Burns & McDonnell is built on the firm’s “powerful and unique” culture, says GM Scott Clark. “Built on the backbone of employee ownership, it drives our success, guides our business decisions, and is the engine of our growth,” he says. “With an entrepreneurial spirit and integrated design-build approach, everything we do relates back to our mission of improving the quality of life.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clark-Scott-BurnsMcDonnell-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Multifamily | Scott | Everett | S2 Capital | Founder and CEO | Scott Everett founded S2 Capital in 2012 to acquire value-added multifamily real estate. Under his leadership, S2 has transacted $10 billion of multifamily assets totaling 47,000 units with more than 600 employees across four operating companies. In 2022, he raised a record-setting $400 million Multifamily Fund I. “I’m still young and feel like we’re just getting started,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Everett-Scott-S2Capital-23.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | Sean | O'Brien | O'Brien Architects | CEO | Sean O’Brien, who dreamed of playing professional soccer in Europe, now leads O’Brien Architects. In 2023, the firm began work on its largest residential and hospitality project in its history—a 30-story tower north of Dallas—and kicked off its first phase of construction on Billingsley’s new 500-acre development, Sloan Corners, in Allen. “It’s the next version of Cypress Waters,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/OBrien-Sean-OBrienArchitects-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Seth | Kelly | CBRE | Vice Chairman | Today, CBRE’s Seth Kelly is one of the region’s top industrial brokers. At the start of his commercial real estate career, he had the privilege of being mentored by industry icon Trammell Crow. “He had a gift of embracing, trusting, and empowering those around him,” Kelly, an endurance dirt bike rider in his free time, says. “It made anyone who was lucky enough to work with him better.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kelly-Seth-CBRE-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Multifamily | Shakti | C'Ganti | Ashland Greene | Founder and CEO | Since 2017, Shakti C’Ganti has grown Ashland Greene’s portfolio from zero units to 6,100 with more than $1 billion in transaction value. The meaning behind the name Ashland Greene stems from his humble beginnings. The groundwork for a successful multifamily real estate business began at the corner of Ashland Place in a Brooklyn neighborhood called Fort Greene. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CGanti-Shakti-AshlandGreeneCapital-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Shawn | Todd | Todd Interests | CEO | Downtown Dallas was built by pioneers like Trammell Crow and Leo F. Corrigan. In the more recent era, Shawn Todd has played a pivotal role bringing new life to the city’s core by redeveloping languishing properties such as The National, 400 N. Ervay, and One Dallas Center. He also has created a new micro-market, East Quarter, which connects Deep Ellum and downtown Dallas. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Todd-Shawn-ToddInterests.png | |||
| Real Estate | Hospitality | Sloan | Dean | Remington Hospitality | CEO and President | With a portfolio of about 130 properties, Remington Hospitality continues to expand, opening new venues in the Caribbean and Central America. “We now have 15 hotels across the Dominican Republic, Grand Cayman, Mexico, and Panama,” says CEO Sloan Dean. “I am blessed to have a long runway ahead of me professionally.” 2022 was Remington’s most profitable year ever. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dean-Sloan-RemingtonHospitality-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Steve | Van Amburgh | KDC Real Estate Development | Chairman and CEO | At the helm of KDC, one of the region’s most prolific developers, Steve Van Amburgh has left his fingerprints all over North Texas. And he’s not done yet. “We currently have more than 2 million square feet in development for Wells Fargo, Volkswagen, Raytheon, and others,” Van Amburgh says. “We stayed focused and committed during the pandemic and are proud of pushing forward.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/VanAmburgh-Steve-KDC.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Steven | Lieberman | The Retail Connection | CEO | Retail real estate guru Steve Lieberman went out on his own to form The Retail Connection with partner Alan Shor in 2003. He continues to represent some of the country’s largest and most successful brands while also building a brokerage, advisory, investment, management, and development force. He says the best advice he has ever received is, “the best team wins.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lieberman-Steve-TheRetailConnection-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Multifamily | Susan | Ansel | Gables Residential | CEO | Gables Residential, which owns and manages more than 30,000 apartments across the U.S., posted one of its most successful years revenue-wise in 2022. The company put its customer service and sales efforts at the forefront of onsite operations, by moving back-office activities offsite. “I could not be happier about how our team implemented the changes,” CEO Susan Ansel says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ansel-Sue-GablesResidential.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Development and Investment | Terrence | Maiden | Russell Glen Co. | CEO | A standout linebacker at TCU, Terrence Maiden now makes big plays in real estate with the firm he founded, Russell Glen Co.—named after the Oak Cliff street on which he grew up. “We are launching a few new regional development projects that will drastically improve surrounding communities,” Maiden says. “We also have a new, exciting initiative our foundation is undertaking.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Maiden-Terrence-RussellGlenCo-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Brokers | Torrey | Littlejohn | JLL | Managing Director | A player-coach at JLL, where she co-leads the firm’s tenant representation team, St. Louis native Torrey Littlejohn is most proud of the record year her team posted in 2022. “It’s times like these when we add the most value for clients,” she says. “We are getting more creative in our real estate strategies and investing in the long-term success of our clients.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Littlejohn-Torrey-JLL.png | |||
| Real Estate | Hospitality | Vipin | Nambiar | HN Capital Partners | Founder and Managing Partner | After earning a degree in architecture, Vipin Nambiar got an MBA in finance and economics and focused on real estate, working for Hunt Realty before going out on his own in 2017. His $1 billion portfolio—a milestone he recently reached—includes local hotspots like the W Hotel, Virgin Hotel, and the Mansion on Turtle Creek, which he acquired in September 2022. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Nambiar-Vipin-HNCapitalParnters-2024.png | |||
| Real Estate | Commercial Real Estate Executives | William | Shaddock | Capital Title of Texas | Owner and CEO | A former attorney, Bill Shaddock has built a real estate services empire with Capital Title of Texas, Willow Bend Mortgage Co., First National Title Insurance Co., and Shaddock National Holdings. “We have continued to grow and expand our network and platform to become the largest independent title company in the United States,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shaddock-Bill-CapitalTitleofTexas.png | |||
| Real Estate | Architecture & Design | Yen | Ong | 5G Studio Collaborative | Partner and Co-Founder | Yen Ong says the past year was a period of aggressive growth for 5G Studio Collaborative. “Despite inflation and rising interest rates dampening real estate development, we expect 2023’s results to be stronger than the preceding year,” he says. “I’m excited about our adaptive reuse of the landmark Maple Terrace Apartments into a high-end boutique office.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ong-Yen-5GStudio-23.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Alex | Oshmyansky | Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. | CEO | Alex Oshmyansky is a trained radiologist and child prodigy who graduated college at 18. A cold email sent to Mark Cuban about disrupting the pharmaceutical industry led to his role as the CEO of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co., which is providing necessary medicines at discounted prices and manufacturing hard-to-find pharmaceutical products in its Deep Ellum factory. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Osmyansky-Alex-MarkCubanCost-Drugs-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Alexander | Holmes | MoneyGram International | Chairman and CEO | Under Alexander Holmes, MoneyGram—which reported $1.31 billion in revenue in 2022—recently completed its transaction with Madison Dearborn Partners to become a private company. He says, “MoneyGram is positioned to accelerate its growth strategy, expand its network to reach more consumers worldwide, and advance its position as the leader in cross-border payment technology.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Holmes-Alexander-MoneyGram-23.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Amber Venz | Box | LTK | Co-Founder and President | Blogger-turned-tech entrepreneur Amber Venz Box founded an affiliate marketing system that connects digital content creators with brands and retailers. LTK creators have earned more than $1 billion on the LTK platform in the past year. The company also launched a self-service platform (previously only available to enterprise businesses) for brands of all sizes and budgets. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Venz-Box-Amber-rewardStyle.png | |||
| Technology | Cybersecurity | Amit | Gandre | Inspira Enterprise | CEO, Americas | Inspira Enterprise, a global cybersecurity firm boasting more than 500 clients across more than 10 countries, expanded operations into the Americas in 2022, establishing its continental headquarters in North Texas. Led by former Deloitte executive Amit Gandre, in 2023 it opened a cybersecurity facility in Westlake designed to combat and respond to various cyber threats. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gandre-Amit-Inspira-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Ben | Lamm | Colossal Biosciences | Founder and CEO | Under Ben Lamm’s leadership, the list of extinct species the genetic engineering company wants to bring back to life is growing. The latest is the dodo. Colossal gave life to real-world visions of Jurassic Park with its mission of reviving the woolly mammoth. The company says it also plans to de-extinct the Tasmanian tiger. In 2023, the company earned a $1 billion valuation. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lamm-Ben-Colossal-23.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Bob | Pryor | NTT Data Services | CEO | NTT Corp. merged the business operations of NTT Data and NTT Ltd. in 2022. The entities now have more than a combined 140,000 employees and generate approximately $18 billion in annual revenue. “This combination simplifies our operating model and offers one of the world’s most comprehensive IT services portfolios with vast global reach,” says CEO Bob Pryor. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Pryor-Bob-NTTDataServices.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Brad | Hunstable | Linear Labs | Founder and CEO | With more than 95 patents issued or pending on Linear Lab’s technology, CEO Brad Hunstable wants to bring manufacturing back to the United States, seeing the electrification supply chain as a national security strategic imperative. “Electrification is happening everywhere, from cars to old industries like industrial systems and oil and gas,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hunstable-Brad-LinearLabs-23.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Chakri | Gottemukkala | o9 Solutions | CEO and Co-Founder | Under Chakri Gottemukkala, o9 Solutions has expanded rapidly from two founders to about 2,400 employees with global operations. Halfway through 2023, it was growing revenue by 55 percent year over year. The company’s cloud software platform is used by businesses to drive the digital transformation of analytics and planning capabilities. In 2023, o9 was valued at $3.7 billion. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gottemukkala-Chakri-o9Solutions-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Charmaine | Tang | Orca AG | President | Charmaine Tang became the president of Orca AG in 2022 after 25 years in investment and private banking. Founded in 2017, Tang has driven growth at the Zurich-based wealth and asset management software and services company. The U.S. is now Orca’s No. 1 market, surpassing Switzerland. The company is in the final stages of launching an integration with Addepar. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tang-Charmaine-JPMorganPrivate.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Chris | Crosby | Compass DataCenters | Founder and CEO | Chris Crosby knows a lot about storing and sharing applications and data. His firm designs and constructs data centers for some of the world’s largest hyperscalers and cloud providers on campuses across the globe. In the last 12 months, the firm has completed a $5.7 billion recapitalization while growing nearly four times year over year. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Crosby-Chris-Compass.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Dave | Copps | Worlds | CEO | Worlds’ platform brings AI-based automation directly into the ground-floor operations of large industrial companies—with IoT sensors, people, and processes coming together inside a live digital twin. “Companies can then reimagine their operations in previously impossible ways,” says CEO Dave Copps. Worlds completed a $21.2 million funding round in January 2023. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Copps-Dave-Worlds-23.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Dennis | Cail | Zirtue | CEO and Co-Founder | A Navy veteran, Dennis Cail had executive roles at IBM, PwC, Accenture, and Uptown Financial and before founding relationship-based lending startup Zirtue. He serves on the boards of the Dallas Regional Chamber, American National Bank of Texas, Goodwill, and the YMCA Foundation and is an emeritus member of the Southern Methodist University Alumni Board. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cail-Dennis-Zirtue-23.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Eddy | Badrina | Eden Green Technology | CEO | Eden Green Technology supplies produce to more than 400 retail stores from two vertical greenhouses. The company is embarking on a $40 million expansion that will boost its production to nearly six million pounds of leafy greens a year. In five years, Eddy Badrina hopes the company will become “the Amazon of lettuce,” bringing fresh greens from the farm to the fridge in 72 hours. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Badrina-Eddy-EdenGreenTech-23.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Eric | Schwartz | Cyrus One | President and CEO | Data center provider CyrusOne is nearly two years removed from being acquired by KKR and Global Infrastructure Partners for $15 billion. At the helm of the North Texas giant is Eric Schwartz, who is most proud of cultivating a workforce of engaged personnel. “On top of our commercial performance, our employee engagement levels have risen dramatically over the past year,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Schwartz-Eric-CyrusOne-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Frank | Castora | Eviden | CEO, Americas | Eviden is a spinoff from Atos that focuses on digital transformation, cybersecurity, and big data. “We have an amazing portfolio of technologies,” Frank Castora says. “I’m most excited about Vyze, which brings artifical intelligence to school safety. What we are launching here for our schools is a game-changer.” The $5 billion brand based in Plano has around 5,700 employees. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Castora-Frank-Eviden-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Gary | Wojtaszek | RecNation | Chief Camper and Founder | Gary Wojtaszek turned Dallas-based CyrusOne public and grew it into a leading global data center firm. It sold for $15 billion. Now, he aims to store America’s RVs, boats, and other “toys” with his startup, RecNation—where he has raised $800 million in capital in just three years. “We’re the market leader, blazing a trail in a new industry, as opposed to being a fast follower,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wojtaszek-Gary-RecNation-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Hesam | Hosseini | Match and Match Affinity | CEO | The CEO of Match and Match Affinity, Hesam Hosseini has taken on a newly created role as CEO of Evergreen and Emerging Brands. As such, he oversees Match, Meetic, Plenty of Fish, OkCupid, and emerging brands, including The League, BLK, and Chispa. Before Match, he held management roles at technology startups and was a consultant with McKinsey & Co. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hosseini-Hesam-Match.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Jack | Baum | Ziosk | CEO and Co-Founder | Jack Baum co-founded Ziosk to streamline the payment process in restaurants through tabletop tablets. What originated as a classroom idea at SMU has become a 100-employee operation. Microsoft is Ziosk’s tech partner; its largest clients include Chili’s, Olive Garden, Red Robin, and Outback Steakhouse. In 2024, Baum expects its tablets to be in more than 7,000 restaurants. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Baum-Jack-Ziosk-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Joe | Beard | CollateralEdge | CEO | Joe Beard’s diverse career across military, technology, investment banking, and venture capital certainly prepared him to be an entrepreneur. CollateralEdge is a fintech collateral coverage platform enabling community and regional banks to structure more competitive commercial loans and win deals without compromising credit quality. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Beard-Joe-CollateralEdge.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | John | Merris | Solo Brands | President and CEO | At Solo Brands, growing from $16 million in 2018 to $360 million in 2021 brought many challenges, including maintaining customer experience and meeting consumer demand. But his team was resilient, says John Merris, “by setting up a supply chain, building a warehousing and fulfillment operation, scaling our customer service department, and developing product innovations.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Merris-John-SoloStove-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | John | Olajide | Axxess | Founder and CEO | Founded in 2007 by John Olajide, Axxess began as a consulting firm specializing in home healthcare and developed expertise in all aspects of organization operations by working closely with clients to understand their needs deeply. In the last 12 months, Axxess has educated more than 36,000 people in the care at home industry through its training and certification program. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Olajide-John-AxxessHealthcare.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | John | Stankey | AT&T | CEO | John Stankey says AT&T has delivered big results for investors despite a challenging economic environment and the spinoff of WarnerMedia in 2022. The global enterprise has abandoned its previous strategy of transforming into a media powerhouse to refocus on its telecom roots. Stankey has 37 years of leadership spanning nearly every area of the company’s business. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Stankey-John-AT-and-T.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Jordan | Miller | Yendo | CEO and Co-Founder | The creator of the first vehicle-secured creidt card, Yendo, announced the closing of a $24 million financing in June. The raise was led by FPV Ventures, along with Human Capital and Autotech Ventures. The capital will help the company make key hires, enhance the product experience, and help more people by expanding into more states, says CEO Jordan Miller. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Miller-Jordan-Yendo-2024.png | https://www.linkedin.com/in/titusjmiller | D Magazine’s D CEO Names Yendo CEO, Jordan Miller Among Dallas 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders | https://www.dmagazine.com/sponsored/2024/02/d-magazines-d-ceo-names-yendo-ceo-jordan-miller-among-dallas-500-most-powerful-business-leaders/ |
| Technology | Innovators | Liliana Gil | Valletta | Culture+ Group | CEO and Co-Founder | Lili Gil Valletta left her family in Colombia and came to the United States at 17 without being able to speak English. After a successful corporate career, including a 10-year tenure at Johnson & Johnson where she pioneered various diversity strategies, Valletta, a collector of special edition Barbies, co-founded Culture+ Group, ranking No. 179 in its industry on the Inc. 5000 list. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Valletta-Lili-Cien-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Manish | Vyas | Tech Mahindra | Global President | Tech Mahindra boasts more than 160,000 professionals across 90 countries and nearly 1,300 global customers. With its Americas operations based in Plano, Manish Vyas serves as president of the company’s largest vertical—communications, media, and entertainment. Under Vyas’ leadership, the company has grown from a $150 million company to a global $7 billion firm. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Vyas-Manish-TechMahindra-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Melbourne | O'Banion | Bestow | CEO and Co-Founder | Melbourne O’Banion started spray painting house numbers on curbs at 12 to earn extra cash and aspired to be an MLB player. Now, he’s building one of the fastest-growing and innovative insurance companies in the country, Bestow, which was named by Forbes as the country’s best insurance company in 2023. “We’re going to either grow into an acquisition or go public,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/OBanion-Melbourne-Bestow-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Cybersecurity | Mike | Fey | Island | CEO and Co-Founder | After launching the world’s first enterprise browser, Island was valued at $1.3 billion. “Now, over a year in the market, we’ve had large-scale adoption in major, global, multi-faceted organizations that are using us at scale,” Co-Founder Mike Fey says. In May 2023, Island advanced its browser with self-protecting technology, defending itself against cyber threats. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Fey-Mike-Island-23.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Nirav | Tolia | NextDoor | Founder and Former CEO | A pioneer of several consumer internet companies including Nextdoor, Nirav Tolia is also executive chairman of technology investment firm Hedosophia. He and his wife Megha moved to Dallas in 2021 and were named co-founding directors of the newly minted William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at SMU’s Cox School of Business in September. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tolia-Nirav-Nextdoor-23.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Patrick | Brandt | Grata | CEO | Patrick Brandt’s entrepreneurship showed itself early. He started a mowing business at 11 and bought Nike stock with that money, which he sold to buy his first car. Many of his companies have been acquired by big players. His focus now, Grata, is backed by Capital Factory, Hall Group, and Perot Jain. Grata lets consumers review the performance of workers in customer-facing industries. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Brandt-Patrick-Grata-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Sang Hwan | Kweon | Hyosung Innovue - North America | CEO | Sang Hwan Kweon’s first job was in hardware development at Hyosung’s R&D lab. Now, with more than 32 years of experience in the ATM business, he is the CEO of Hyosung Innovue - North America. Since taking over in 2022, the company has introduced a new brand, Hyosung Innovue, and a new retail cash recycling ATM called Pivot, which solidified its position as a leader in the ATM industry. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sanghwan-Kweon-HyosungInnovue-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Cybersecurity | Ram | Dantu | University of North Texas | Professor and Director of Center for Information and Cybersecurity | Ram Dantu heads up the cybersecurity department at the University of North Texas. His proudest moment over the course of 2023: “Three of the projects in my cybersecurity lab won the Spirit of Innovation Competition in 2023,” he says. “We also won the best paper award at the Fourth International Conference on Blockchain Computing and Applications.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dantu-Ram-UNT.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Rex | Kurzius | Asset Panda | Founder and CEO | Asset Panda is a revolutionary system that automates and simplifies the job of tracking, managing, and supporting fixed assets. Founder and CEO Rex Kurzius says the company has been working to build and expand a new platform and capabilities in the last year, set for launch in 2024. “The new abilities will be game-changing for Asset Panda,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kurzius-Rex-AssetPanda.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Richard | Templeton | Texas Instruments | Chairman | Richard Templeton became chairman of TI in 2008 and was president and CEO from 2004 to 2023. He has served on the company’s board of directors since 2003 and shifted from a CEO to chairman role in April 2023. Templeton helped define and execute TI’s strategy to focus on semiconductors for signal processing, prioritizing growth in analog and embedded processing. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Templeton-Rich-TI.png | |||
| Technology | Cybersecurity | Robert | Anderson | Cyber Defense Labs | Chairman and CEO | Former FBI executive Robert Anderson led the investigation that indicted Edward Snowden and ousted the hacktivists who exposed Sony Pictures. He also served on the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, where he deployed to more than 20 countries, including war zones in Kosovo, Serbia, and Pakistan. Now, he leads Cyber Defense Labs advising global Fortune 100 companies. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Anderson-Robert-CyberDefenseLabs.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Scott | Harper | Dialexa | Co-Founder and CEO | Amid a rapid trajectory, Dialexa was acquired in September 2022 by IBM to scale its digital product engineering services for IBM consulting clients, a market expected to reach $700 billion by 2026. Co-founded in 2010 by Scott Harper, the company has a team of about 320 product managers, strategists, designers, engineers, and data scientists. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Harper-Scott-Dialexa.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Skip | Howard | Spacee | Founder and CEO | Spacee, a computer vision AI company, is one of the world’s top AI companies, but Founder and CEO Skip Howard says the emerging technology is not a silver bullet. “It feels like AI, specifically computer vision AI, is comparable to the internet in 1996. The sky is the limit to what can be solved, but it’s a tool not a solution to every problem.” In his free time, he created badaiadvice.com. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Howard-Skip-Spacee.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Sulagna | Bhattacharya | Nanoscope Therapeutics | CEO and Co-Founder | Sulagna Bhattacharya leads Nanoscope Therapeutics’ pursuit of curing blindness caused by macular degeneration. Always one to keep the big picture in mind, her father gave her this advice: “While we enter and exit this world with nothing tangible, the lasting legacy we leave is our impact and actions.” She has raised over $50 million and expanded her team from two to more than 20. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Bhattacharya-Sulagna-NanoscopeTherapeutics-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Taylor | Shead | STEMuli Studios | Founder and CEO | STEMuli Studios is a gaming company that combines AI, education, and workforce development. Taylor Shead is the 94th Black woman to raise more than $1 million in venture capital. One of her most significant milestones in the last year is that STEMuli is the first company accepted into SMU’s startup accelerator program. “STEMuli is my life’s greatest work,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shead-Taylor-STEMuli-23.png | |||
| Technology | Cybersecurity | Tiffany | Ricks | HacWare | Founder and CEO | Founded by Tiffany Ricks, HacWare grew by 92 percent in 2023, and its automated training platform is reducing malware outbreaks by 50 percent. The North Texas cybersecurity startup was one of the first cyber companies to build generative artificial intelligence solutions to automate cybersecurity training workflows for information security teams. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rick-Tiffany-HacWare-23.png | |||
| Technology | Technology and Telecommunications | Tim | Cahill | Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control | Executive Vice President | “Over the last year, the demand for 21st-century security products has been greater than ever to ensure the safety and security of the U.S. military and its allies,” says Tim Cahill, divisional leader for Lockheed Martin. The team recently developed the GridStar Flow battery, a long-duration energy storage system that can improve power grid resiliency and enable a cleaner energy future. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cahill-Tim-LockheedMartin-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Innovators | Tricia | D'Cruz | Catalyze Dallas | Co-Founder and Managing Director | Catalyze Dallas spins out technology from global corporations and creates and funds scalable businesses to take those technologies to broad commercial markets. Tricia D’Cruz’s accomplishments include the dramatic growth and successful IPO of a startup, the achievement of the No. 1 global market share in multiple product categories, and various successful M&A ventures. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DCruz-Tricia-CatalyzeDallas-2024.png | |||
| Technology | Cybersecurity | Valmiki | Mukherjee | Cybrize | CEO and Founder | Along with being the CEO of Cybrize, a training and support platform for cyber professionals, Valmiki Mukherjee is the founder and chairman of Cyber Future Foundation, which is working with multiple partners in the nonprofit ecosystem to successfully support the security of humanitarian missions in Ukraine during the war. “We help keep them safe throughout the war,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mukherjee-Valmiki-Cyberize-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Counsels | A. Shonn | Brown | Kimberly-Clark Corp. | Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Global ESG and Sustainability | Kimberly-Clark celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022. The $20 billion company provides health and consumer goods to billions of customers across the globe every day. A. Shonn Brown is focused on her new ESG and sustainability responsibilities at Kimberly-Clark. Her key leadershp strategy? “Authenticity, with a focus on empowering and growing your team.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Brown-Shonn-KimberlyClark-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | CIOs and CTOs | Andrew | Bender | Nokia | CTO and Head of Strategy, Fixed Networks Division | In 2023, Andrew Bender transitioned from his CTO post with DZS to a CTO role in Nokia’s fixed networks division. With more than 20 years of experience in technology, Bender manages new tech initiatives, engagement, strategy, and the division’s invention portfolio. “Success is dependent upon having the resolve to always be learning,” Bender says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Bender-Andrew-Nokia-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | CIOs and CTOs | Arjun | Dugal | Capital One Financial Services | CTO | Arjun Dugal moved to the U.S. from India after earning his undergrad degree. He stepped into a VP role with Macy’s in 2011 and six years later joined Capital One Financial Services. He also serves on the board of Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas. Regarding tech’s future, he is most excited about “the potential of the next wave of AI to unleash creativity and maximize human potential.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dugal-Arjun-CapitalOne.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Marketing Officers | Brad | Pritchett | Dallas Museum of Art | Chief Experience Officer | Brad Pritchett was promoted to chief experience officer at the Dallas Museum of Art in January 2023, and a big year for the museum followed. The DMA underwent a brand refresh, launched a new website, and refreshed its guest-facing staff. “We also launched a global architect search for the reimagination of our museum,” Pritchett says. “I’m thrilled to reimagine our space.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Pritchett-Brad-DallasMuseumofArt-23.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Diversity and People Officers | Cedric | Rockamore | American Airlines | Chief Diversity Officer | Cedric Rockamore always starts with the why in his DEI leadership role at publicly traded American Airlines. He was challenged by coaching teams through the transition of two recent airline mergers. His best advice is “To take risks in your career and be okay with being uncomfortable—you never know what avenues it could lead to if you don’t take the risk and try.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rockamore-Cedric-AmericanAirlines-2024-1.png | |||
| The C-Suite | CIOs and CTOs | Chris | Akeroyd | Children's Health | Senior Vice President of Information Services and CIO | As the CIO of Children’s Health, Chris Akeroyd oversees the hospital system’s critical IT and cybersecurity efforts. Prior to his role with Children’s, he held top tech roles with PlainsCapital McAfee Mortgage, InfoNXX, and UMC Health System. “It’s important we continue to focus on achieving health equality by addressing the social determinates of health,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Akeroyd-Chris-ChildrensHealth-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Diversity and People Officers | Dinaz | Jiwani | Samsung Electronics America | Senior Manager, DEI Programs and Strategy | The lack of representation of women in executive roles keeps Dinaz Jiwani, the first woman from her family to pursure higher education, up at night. “In the past decade, tech companies have made considerable progress,” she says. “However, there is a ton of potential to level up, create a pipeline of talent, and reimagine our workplaces—ensuring the sustainability of these efforts.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jiwani-Dinaz-Samsung-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Newcomers | Elizabeth | Blau | Blau and Associates | Founder and CEO | At 26, rated pickleball player Elizabeth Blau got a job offer to work for Steve and Elaine Wynn as the vice president of restaurant development for Mirage Resorts. After helping morph Las Vegas into a culinary destination, she opened Crown Block at Dallas’ Reunion Tower in 2023. “As a newcomer to North Texas, I’ve been warmly welcomed by fellow restaurateurs,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Blau-Elizabeth.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Diversity and People Officers | Gail | O'Bannon | Dallas Mavericks | Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer | Gail O’Bannon started her career with the Dallas Mavericks in the ticket sales and service department and now aims to set the standard for other NBA teams in leading the Mavericks’ DEI efforts. Under O’Bannon’s leadership, the NBA recognized the Mavs with the 2022 Inclusion Leadership Award, marking the second straight year the franchise won the honor. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/OBannon-Gail-DallasMavericks-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Gaurav | Shekhar | The University of Texas at Dallas | Assistant Dean of the Naveen Jindal School of Management | Gaurav Shekhar is the youngest dean in The University of Texas at Dallas’ 54-year history. In a matter of seven years, Shekhar rose from a student to a professor, to the director of the largest analytics program in the country and is now the assistant dean. Shekhar is also the youngest board member of the US-India Chamber of Commerce, where he leads the Young Entrepreneurs program. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shekar-Gaurav-UTDallas-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Counsels | Gavin | O'Connor | European Wax Center | Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel | Gavin O’Connor thought he would be the greatest trial lawyer ever, until he realized that he hated being a litigator. With the help of a mentor, he reinvented his career in house, overseeing the transition of European Wax Center from a family-owned company to a private equity- owned public company. His best advice? “Lead with listening and learning.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/OConnor-Gavin-EuropeanWaxCenter-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Operating Officers | Ginny | Kissling | Ryan | Global President and COO | Ginny Kissling leads 4,400 Ryan employees spanning the Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, and U.S. In 2022, Kissling says her proudest moment was helping Ryan launch Tax.com, which consolidates tech for the tax giant. “It provides the canvas we need to showcase Ryan’s software, data, and digital-first offerings to our clients,” she says. “It was a labor of love.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kissling-Ginny-Ryan-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Diversity and People Officers | James | Fripp | Yum! Brands | Chief Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Officer | James Fripp began his career with Yum! Brands at a Council Bluffs, Iowa, Taco Bell. Now, with recently elevated capabilities and new partnerships, he leads the company’s equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts. His best advice as a DEI executive? “It’s important to learn about others so that you can more easily find common ground and collaborate to achieve results,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Fripp-James-YumBrands-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Counsels | Jeanette | Teckman | Match Group | Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel of Litigation, IP, and Compliance | Working in the dating industry has unique rewards, says Jeanette Teckman. “I rarely go to a dinner party or event without someone telling me that they or someone they know met their significant other on one of our brands,” she says. Teckman says her spirit animal is a lioness “because I am quiet, observant, and listening— until I need to get fierce.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Teckman-Jeannette-MatchGroup-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Financial Officers | Jennifer | Mitzner | Baylor Scott & White Health | Executive Vice President and CFO | After more than 20 years as CFO of several hospitals in California, the daughter of a nurse Jennifer Mitzner came to Dallas in 2021 to guide all financials for Baylor Scott & White Health. She’s proud of how the company has addressed workforce challenges during a nurse shortage. “We have returned our nurse turnover rates to pre- Covid levels,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mitzner-Jennifer-BaylorScott-and-WhiteHealth-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Newcomers | Jim | Umpleby | Caterpillar | Chairman and CEO | Caterpillar moved its headquarters from Chicago to Irving in 2022. That same year, it generated $59.4 billion in revenue. It’s the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. The move to DFW, “supports CAT’s strategy for profitable growth,” Jim Umpleby says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Umpleby-Jim-Caterpillar-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Newcomers | John | Lee | PeopleFun | CEO | John Lee, who got his start in the gaming industry with Electronic Arts, was promoted to CEO of Richardson-based PeopleFun in 2023 after a year as the VP of product and data. “We’re proud to have released many significant updates to our flagship game Wordscapes, such as Wildlife and Mount Fortune,” he says. “Behind the scenes, we also have several new exciting games in the works.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lee-John-PeopleFun-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Financial Officers | John | Stone | JacksonShaw | CFO | John Stone joined JacksonShaw in 2013 after 30 years with Hillwood. In 2022, he led the execution of $280 million in real estate transactions— significant for a company that generates just $10 million in revenue. Stone, a song writer in his free time, also led a transformation of his company’s accounting and finance teams from “back office” to “front office” groups. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Stone-John-JacksonShaw-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Julian | Rodarte | Trinity Groves Restaurant Group | CEO | Julian Rodarte has led Trinity Groves Restaurant Group—which oversees the 15-acre West Dallas restaurant park boasting up to 16 concepts—to increase top-line revenue by nearly 100 percent in two years. “That has opened many positions and opportunities for growth,” he says. “I’m so proud of our team members who have been promoted from within.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rodarte-Julian-TrinityGrovesRestaurantGroup-2024-1-1.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Kelly Ann | Winget | Alternative Wealth Partners | CEO and Founder | Kelly Ann Winget launched Alternative Wealth Partners, a private equity fund, with no track record and without a traditional financial background. Its 25 investments are across five diverse sectors—manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, real estate, and private equity— and are pooled in three seperate funds. Winget is aiming to manage $1 billion someday. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Winget-KellyAnn-AlternativeWealthPartners-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Marketing Officers | Kellyn | Kenny | AT&T | Chief Marketing and Growth Officer | Kellyn Kenny says her key leadership strategy is to lead with equal parts head and heart. “Rigorous data collection meets intense listening and teamwork,” she says. Kenny was appointed to lead AT&T Communications in 2020, after leaving a role with Hilton. Her career also includes marketing work at Microsoft, Uber, American Express, and Accenture. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kenny-Kellyn-AT-and-T-23.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Diversity and People Officers | Maria | Dixon | Southern Methodist University | Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Adviser to the President | Maria Dixon, who says her childhood dream was to be a full-service gas station attendant, is focused on creating more sustainable connections between the university and Dallas communities. The university’s inaugural CDO embraces leadership development but is frustrated that professionals in her industry “are often subject to the whims of people who have no idea what we do.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dixon-Hall-Maria-SMU.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Marketing Officers | Marissa | Jarratt | 7-Eleven | Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing & Sustainability Officer | Marissa Jarratt has led marketing efforts for convenience store giant 7-Eleven, which has more than 13,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada, since 2019. In late 2022, the brand launched a retail media network, Gulp Media, establishing an advertising platform on its website. It also recently rebranded the Slurpee. “We want to always remain timeless, yet nostalgic for our customer,” she says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jarratt-Marissa-7-Eleven-23.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Marketing Officers | Marissa | Solis | National Football League | Senior Vice President, Global Brand and Consumer Marketing | As the global marketing leader for the NFL, Marissa Solis helps the company champion initiatives such as making flag football an Olympic sport. “The NFL featured flag football for the first time in a national commercial airing during the Super Bowl this year,” Solis says. Prior to her time at the NFL, she helped set up the first Hispanic Business Unit for PepsiCo. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Solis-Marissa-NFL-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Operating Officers | Megha | Tolia | Shondaland | President and COO | Megha Tolia, the president and COO of Shondaland, believes we’re in the golden age of television. Recently, the production company released three successive top-10 Netflix programs, including Inventing Anna, season two of Bridgerton, and Queen Charlotte. “I am excited to continue to see the creation of inspiring, entertaining, and meaningful content,” Tolia says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tolia-Megha-Shondaland-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Counsels | Meyling | Ortiz | Toyota Motor North America | Managing Counsel of Labor and Employment | Meyling Ortiz would like to see more collaboration between private corporations, local government, and other community partners. In addition to her role with Toyota, the former Cambodian refugee co-founded a nonprofit focused on amplifying the voice of Asian American women lawyers. Her best advice? “Be the person with multiple possible solutions.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ortiz-Meyling-ToyotaMotorNorthAmerica-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Operating Officers | Michele | Shibuya | Mohr Partners | COO | After she and her husband Bob bought tenant representation powerhouse Mohr Partners in 2017, Michele Shibuya took on various roles across multiple departments to gain a well-rounded understanding of the business. “It taught me the value of adaptability, teamwork, and embracing new challenges,” she says, and ultimately led to her being named COO in 2023. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shibuya-Michelle-MohrPartners-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Operating Officers | Mike | Tomon | Legends Hospitality | Co-President and COO | Legends manages food, beverage, merchandise, retail, and stadium operations for venues around the world. It was formed in 2008 as a concessions company by Jerry Jones and the New York Yankees’ George Steinbrenner. In 2021, P.E. firm Sixth Street acquired a majority stake in the enterprise. Mike Tomon joined Legends in 2014 and is responsible for global operations. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tomon-Mike-LegendsHospitality-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Mikial | Onu | Onu Ventures | Founder and CEO | After a prolific college football career, Mikial Onu started real estate development firm Onu Ventures. In the past year, he has gone from 0 acres owned or controlled to 70. In DFW, he is planning the development of a Southern Dallas mixed-use community that will feature 10,000 square feet of commercial space and 252 multifamily units. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Onu-Mikail-OnuVentures-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Financial Officers | Misty | Kawecki | DZS | CFO | As a company that provides fiber access and optical telecom networking and cloud software tech, Plano-based DZS is benefiting from “the perfect inflection of growing demand,” says CFO Misty Kawecki. “People continue to have more streaming and broadband requirements, with investment stimulus from governmental agencies around the world.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Kawecki-Misty-DZS-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Financial Officers | Moe | Haidar | Dialexa | CFO | Moe Haidar was one of digital product engineering firm Dialexa’s first employees, joining the company in 2012 after immigrating to the United States from Lebanon. In 2022, he led the company through an acquisition by IBM. “Identifying the perfect acquirer and the ideal timing is paramount, and it demands a difficult amount of due diligence and effort,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Haidar-Moe-Dialexa-2024.png | https://www.linkedin.com/in/moehaidar7/ | Moe Haidar Has Been Named a Dallas 500 Honoree | https://www.dmagazine.com/sponsored/2023/11/moe-haidar-has-been-named-a-dallas-500-honoree/ |
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Mohammed | Farshori | AT&T | Global Community Engagement Leader | On top of his global role guiding community engagement for AT&T, Mohammed Farshori is the-chairman-elect for the Asian Chamber of Texas. The advice that has impacted him the most, he says, is, “Your career is what you are paid for, but your purpose in life is what you are made for.” At AT&T, Farshori founded the interfaith employee resource group Faith@Work. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Farshori-Mohammed-AT-and-T-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | CIOs and CTOs | Nancy | Avila | McKesson Corp. | Executive Vice President, CIO, and CTO | Nancy Avila is at the forefront of innovation at McKesson, which generated more than $276 billion in revenue in the 12 months ending May 2023. Going forward, Avila says, “We’re exploring ways to transform cancer therapies through data insights and analytics. Our focus on data analysis, tech, and agility has enabled us to oversee the largest B2B e-commerce platform in the U.S.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Avila-Nancy-McKesson-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Newcomers | Nick | Jeffery | Frontier Communications | President and CEO | Nick Jeffery became president and CEO of $6 billion Frontier Communications in 2021, after 8 years at Vodafone UK. In 2023, he relocated the corporation’s headquarters from Connecticut to Dallas. “Our financials prove that our fiber is the best broadband technology to meet the growing demand for high-speed, reliable connectivity,” Jeffery, who oversees 15,000 employees, says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jeffery-Nick-FrontierCommunications-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Counsels | Ryan | Farha | ORIX Corp. USA | Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | Ryan Farha began his career as a financial adviser, working 100 percent on commission, and worked as a car valet at night to help pay the bills. The experience sent him to pursue law. He is proud of Orix’s strategic shift to further grow its asset management business, which keeps him busy as deputy general counsel when he isn’t pursuing his second black belt. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Farha-Ryan-OrixUSA-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Sam | Romano | Romano Enterprises | President | In 2024, Nick & Sam’s celebrates its 25th anniversary. Most recently, former college athlete Sam Romano, who oversees the restaurant, was active in captaining a partnership between Romano Enterprises and Goldenrod Cos., a development company based in Nebraska, which Romano says “will truly turn Trinity Groves into the Brooklyn of Dallas.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Romano-Sam-Nick-Sams-23.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Sana | Syed | Allyn Media | Vice President | Sana Syed, a former news reporter for Fox and CBS, is now helping lead Dallas-based Allyn Media. She says those in the media industry are facing major credibility issues, and she’s ready to jump in to change the tide. “Our firm likes to take chances,” Syed says. “I’m excited about the role film will play in how companies and organizations share their stories.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Syed-Sana-AllynMedia-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Marketing Officers | Sara | Terry | Pacific Elm Properties | CMO and Executive Vice President | Commercial real estate pro Sara Terry, who specializes in the urban market, joined Pacific Elm Properties in 2023. Led by Jonas Woods, the company is among the most active in Uptown and downtown Dallas. “We’re going through a phenomenal growth phase,” Terry says. “Our biggest success has been winning the development deal for Bank of America Tower at Parkside.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Terry-Sara-Colliers.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Marketing Officers | Siddharth | Taparia | JLL | Global CMO | When Siddharth Taparia joined commercial real estate company JLL in 2021, he was tasked with transforming marketing for a Fortune 200 company that didn’t have a modern marketing team. “It was an opportunity to build and change a global marketing organization at scale,” he says. Under Taparia, the marketing team’s contribution to JLL’s revenue has increased by 100 percent. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Taparia-Siddharth-JLL-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Newcomers | Stephen | Gillett | Verily | CEO | Decorated World of Warcraft player, Stephen Gillett leads precision health company Verily, backed by parent company Alphabet. Over the last 12 months, Gillett is most proud of working with Otsuka to accelerate research in Major Depressive Disorder and with L’Oreal on the launch of My Skin & Hair Journey, a study on skin and hair health in women. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gillett-Stephen-Verily-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Operating Officers | Stephen | Jones | Dallas Cowboys | COO, Executive Vice President, and Director of Player Personnel | Stephen Jones oversees operations for the richest sports franchise in the United States. Jones played a pivotal part in The Star—the Dallas Cowboys’ global headquarters—securing the Academy of Country Music Awards, which brought an estimated economic impact of $5 million to Frisco. The Star also scored TIAA’s new headquarters, bringing 2,000 jobs to Frisco. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jones-Stephen-DallasCowboys.png | |||
| The C-Suite | CIOs and CTOs | Tammy | Gilbert | Fidelity Investments | CIO | In 2023, Fidelity Investments realigned its enterprise, infrastructure, and operational strategies. As a result, Tammy Gilbert says, “We made tremendous progress with our resiliency journey. We’ve improved our observability, expanded our chaos testing, and revised our IT service management processes.” Looking ahead, she believes more women will soon enter tech. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gilbert-Tammy-Fidelity-23.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Counsels | Tasha | Grinnell | The Container Store | Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary | Tasha Grinnell joined The Container Store as general counsel in 2022 and created the organization’s first in-house legal department. She is proud of issuing the company’s second annual Sustainability Report and influencing how it minimizes its carbon footprint, grows its sustainable product offering, and champions workplace diversity. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Grinnell-Tasha-TheContainerStore-23-NEW.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Tatiana | Chamorro | Hite Digital | Shareholder and Board Member | Tatiana Chamorro has become a digital marketing force. She built the marketing agency Hite Creative and now co-owns its sister company, Hite Digital, a 200-employee branding agency named to the Inc. 5000 two years in a row. “We’re in a new stage of growth with a more mature business mindset,” she says. She also launched a corporate scholarship program for employees. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Chamorro-Tatiana-HiteDigital-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Financial Officers | Thomas | Walker | Dallas Cowboys | CFO | As CFO for the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Walker oversees the Jones family’s 160 legal entities and 500 employees. In 2022, New York-based TIAA announced plans for a 15-story office tower at the Cowboys’ home campus, The Star in Frisco, adding 2,000 jobs to the area. “We also opened the office tower at 17 Cowboys Way, anchored by Cain Watters and Comerica,” Walker says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Walker-Tom-DallasCowboys.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Financial Officers | Timo | Nentwich | Siemens Industry Software | Executive Vice President and CFO | Timo Nentwich became Siemens Industry Software’s financial head in 2020 and says his key leadership strategy is change management. “In a time of constant, fast-paced change, to encourage and empower people is key for maintaining success,” he says. Prior to the pandemic, he worked for more than 20 years in Siemens’ offices in Australia and Germany. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Nentwich-Timo-Seimens-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Travis | Goff | Goff Capital | President | As president of family office Goff Capital, Travis Goff most recently helped spearhead a $150 million investment with real estate investment trust VICI Properties for Goff Capital’s Canyon Ranch business. The capital commitment will go toward adding three brand new resort destinations by 2030 in Florida, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southeast Atlantic. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Goff-Travis-GoffCapital-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Corporate Diversity and People Officers | Trudy Sullivan | Stoudamire | Health Catalyst | Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer | Under Trudy Sullivan Stoudamire’s tutelage, Health Catalyst was named one of Newsweek’s 2023 Greatest American Companies for Diversity and earned eight other diversity-focused accolades. She is also the force behind artificial intelligence capability called the Heath Equity Assessment & Guidance Solution, used by healthcare systems to drive disparities out of care. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Stoudamire-Trudy-Sullivan-HealthCatalyst-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Vickie | Yakunin | Amazon | Head of Community Affairs, North Texas | Ukraine native Vickie Yakunin oversees Amazon’s philanthropic and community outreach efforts in North Texas. Her proudest moment over the last year, she says, was being able to “highlight local nonprofits in our highest visibility moments, including featuring the work of Café Momentum during the NFL’s Thursday Night Football broadcast on Prime Video.” | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yakunin-Vickie-Amazon-23.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Newcomers | Wayne | White | Communities Foundation of Texas | President and CEO | Wayne White was appointed to lead the Communities Foundation of Texas in 2023 after nearly six years in Chicago as an executive vice president of the American Cancer Society. The North Texas region’s top nonprofit event of the year, North Texas Giving Day delivered by CFT, brought in a record $63.9 million contributed to 3,249 nonprofits. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/White-Wayne-CommunitiesFoundationofTexas-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Will | Edwards | Firehawk Aerospace | CEO | Firehawk Aerospace designs and manufactures hybrid rocket engines for missile and defense systems powered by proprietary 3D-printed rocket fuel. Under Will Edwards’ leadership, the company moved from Florida to Addison in 2022 and has received eight figures in contracts in the past year. In 2022, it closed a $17.6 million funding round led by Goff Capital and Raytheon. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Edwards-Will-FirehawkAerospace-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Chief Operating Officers | Winjie Tang | Maio | Texas Health Resources | Senior Executive Vice President and COO | Since joining Texas Health Resources in 2000, Winjie Tang Miao has held a variety of successive leadership posts, including opening the system’s Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance as its inaugural president. Next came system-wide roles that have helped her earn a reputation as an innovator in the industry. Miao was named to her current post in March 2022. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Miao-WinjieTang-TexasHealthResources-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | Emerging Leaders | Zach | Shor | Goodsurf | Co-Founder and CEO | After college, Zach Shor began his career as a kindergarten teacher. Five years later, he was the COO of Topgolf, then the head of innovation for GameStop, followed by the head of TOCA Social US. And now, he has co-founded Goodsurf. The surfing eatertainment concept has raised $100 million in debt for a national rollout and will open its first venue DFW venue in March 2024. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shor-Zach-Topgolf-2024.png | |||
| The C-Suite | CIOs and CTOs | Zack | Hicks | Kimberly-Clark Corp. | Chief Digital and Technology Officer | Kimberly-Clark is rethinking its operating model, how it prioritizes tech investments, and how it leverages data and digital tools, says Zack Hicks, the company’s chief digital and technology officer. “I’m especially proud of the progress we’ve made organizing around ,and investing in, scalable platform tech and accelerating our shift to agile and product ways of working,” he says. | https://assets.dmagstatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Hicks-Zack-KimberlyClark-2024.png |
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