Virginia Business
Listed below are emerging movers and shakers who are making a difference in a wide range of fields in Virginia.
* Indicates new names on the list
*Shaza Andersen
President and CEO, WashingtonFirst Bank, Reston
Andersen told the Washington Business Journal she has an ambitious plan to grow her Reston-based bank to $5 billion in assets through acquisitions and expansion of its bank branches.
*Toni Ardabell
CEO, Bon Secours Virginia, Richmond
Ardabell became head of Bon Secours’ $2.1 billion Virginia health network in May, succeeding Peter Bernard. Bon Secours has eight acute-care hospitals in Richmond, Hampton Roads and the Northern Neck. Ardabell remains CEO of Bon Secours Richmond.
Carolyn Berkowitz
Parner, Mission Partners, Bethesda, Md.
After stepping down last year from overseeing Capital One Foundation’s $450 million charitable plan, Berkowitz teamed up with a partner to start Mission Partners, a consulting practice that helps nonprofits pitch to corporations.
*Mark Bishof
CEO, Clarabridge, Reston
Bishof is charged with growing the company’s revenues to $100 million. Clarabridge analyzes customer engagement through analysis of social media, surveys and call center data for major companies around the world.
*Bob Blue
President and CEO, Dominion Virginia Power, Richmond
Blue continues his rise at Dominion Resources Inc. On Jan. 1, he assumed his new title, reporting to CEO Tom Farrell. Previously, he served in a dual role as senior vice president, law regulation and policy and as president of the Dominion Virginia Power business unit.
*Michael Bor
Founder, CEO, CarLotz Inc., Richmond
Bor has redefined the business of selling used cars with CarLotz, a consignment store for vehicles. The company began with one location in 2011 and since has expanded outside of the Richmond area to Charlotte and Greensboro, N.C. Bor and his partners also are using the consignment concept to sell motorcycles.
*Kimberly Christner
President and CEO, Cornerstone Hospitality, Williamsburg
Christner is making her mark by building boutique hotels across Virginia. One of Cornerstone’s first projects is the Craddock Terry Hotel in Lynchburg, a former shoe factory. It has won many awards and is credited with helping to jumpstart new development in downtown Lynchburg.
*Mark Claud
Founder, CEO, Commonwealth Commercial, Henrico County
Claud’s commercial real estate brokerage has become a powerhouse. Started in 1996, the company has expanded to include several business units with offices in Richmond and Hampton Roads in Virginia; Jacksonville and Tampa, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; Greensboro, Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C.; and Greenville, S.C.
Mat Dellorso and Bill Robbins
Wealthforge Holdings Inc., Richmond
Dellorso is co-founder and chief strategy officer for Wealthforge. Robbins was named CEO in June, taking over the top leadership spot from the company’s other co-founder, Fred Bryant. Bryant and Dellorso founded the company nearly eight years ago while they were students at the University of Richmond. It has turned into one of the region’s fastest-growing private enterprises, linking entrepreneurs with investors.
*Eva Doss
President and CEO, The Launch Place, Danville
Doss’ organization seeks to stimulate the economy in Southern Virginia, a region hard hit by loss of tobacco, textile, furniture and manufacturing jobs. The Launch Place provides funding to startups that agree to invest and create jobs in Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C.
*Frank “Buddy” Gadams
Owner, Marathon Development Group, Norfolk
Marathon is behind many building revitalization projects in Norfolk. Two of the company’s biggest projects involve converting the 24-story former Bank of America building into a 21-story apartment building called the Icon at CityWalk and renovating the adjacent nine-story office building, the Norfolk home of ADP, into 286,000 square feet of Class A office space.
*Krissy Gathright
COO, Apple Hospitality REIT Inc., Richmond
As chief operating officer of one of the country’s largest upscale lodging real estate investment trusts, Gathright keeps up with the numbers and the latest trends in the hospitality business.
*Rex Geveden
President and CEO, BWX Technologies Inc., Lynchburg
Geveden succeeded former CEO Peyton S. “Sandy” Baker, who is serving as a special adviser until his retirement on May 31. Geveden joined BWXT as chief operating officer in 2015. Previously, he was executive vice president at Teledyne Technologies and COO at NASA.
Lou Haddad
President and CEO, Armada Hoffler Properties Inc., Virginia Beach
Under Haddad’s leadership, this real estate investment trust continues to build its portfolio with new projects at Virginia Beach Town Center and out of state.
Jonathan Hagmaier
Founder and CEO, Common Wealth Growth Group, Roanoke
Hagmaier last year sold Interactive Achievement, his Roanoke-based technology firm, and founded Common Wealth, an investment firm primarily focused on startups in Southwest Virginia.
*Peter Harrison
CEO, Snagajob, Arlington
In February 2016, Snagajob announced a funding round of $100 million, which it will use to expand product offerings and to finance acquisitions. Snagajob’s website features openings for hourly jobs across the nation, ranging from full-time to seasonal positions. Begun in 2000, the company has grown to 75 million registered users and 300 customer locations.
*Brian Holland
Founder and CEO, Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group, Virginia Beach
Holland just celebrated his company’s 20th anniversary. The private national mortgage lender has grown to nearly 1,000 employees with more than 120 locations in nine states.
George Holm
President and CEO, Performance Food Group, Goochland County
The third-largest food distribution company in the U.S. continues to grow. The company signed a $500 million distribution deal with Red Lobster last year and purchased assets of Bar Harbor Seafood, a seafood distributor in Florida.
Rebecca Hough
CEO and co-founder, Evatran, Richmond
Hough’s company makes wireless charging systems for electric cars. Evatran announced last spring it was consolidating its headquarters and manufacturing operations in 20,700 square feet inside an 87,000-square-foot building in Scott’s Addition, a former industrial district in Richmond that has become a hotspot for startups and craft breweries.
*Deborah Johnston
Founder, Care Advantage Inc., Chesterfield County
Johnston started her firm in 1988 and developed it into one of Virginia’s largest privately held home-health-care companies with 12 locations and 3,000 employees. BelHealth Investment Partners LLC, a New York-based private equity firm, recently acquired Care Advantage. Johnston will continue to help shape the company in her new role as vice chairwoman.
Marc Katz
Chairman, co-founder and CEO, CustomInk, Fairfax
Katz’s online design T-shirt company continues to grow at a strong pace, logging more than $300 million in revenue last year. The company has acquired Represent, a Los Angeles-based startup that helps celebrities sell custom merchandise.
Howard Kern
President and CEO, Sentara Healthcare, Norfolk
Kern is finishing his first year as CEO after taking over from longtime leader David Bernd. Kern, Sentara’s former COO, has made driving a clinical performance improvement initiative a high priority in the health system that includes 12 hospitals, 3,800 doctors and 28,000 employees.
*Robert Kulp and Mike Whiteside
Co-owners, Black Dog Salvage, Roanoke
These reclamation experts can be seen on the HGTV and DIY television networkstalking about their adventures in salvaging architectural gems. Their shop in Roanoke has become a popular tourist stop. They were named Junior Achievement 2016 Entrepreneurs of the Year.
Diane Leopold
President and CEO, Dominion Energy, Richmond
Leopold was promoted to CEO of Dominion Energy on Jan. 1. She’s responsible for all of Dominion’s natural-gas business. Before the promotion, she was the president of Dominion Energy.
*J. Ryan Lingerfelt
President, chief investment officer, Lingerfelt CommonWealth Partners, Henrico County
The real estate investment management firm continues to grow its portfolio with acquisitions in Richmond, South Carolina and Florida. Lingerfelt is the guy behind the investment and deal-structuring activities.
*Timothy J. Naughton
Chairman and CEO, AvalonBay Communities, Arlington
Naughton heads the nation’s second-largest multifamily REIT, which owns 84,000 units. He’s also the new chairman of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts for 2017.
*Dr. John Niederhuber
CEO, Inova Translational Medicine Institute (ITMI), Falls Church
Niederhuber, a renowned surgeon and researcher, leads ITMI, Inova’s not-for-profit research institute. It is focused on promising research connecting genomic information with personalized diagnosis and treatment. He is a former director of the National Cancer Institute.
*Lawrence Prior
President and CEO, CSRA, Falls Church
CSRA is a $5 billion IT government contractor. The company was created a year ago when it was spun off from CSC and merged with SRA International. The company recently opened a tech center in Louisiana that will house 800 employees.
Dr. Marsha Rappley
VCU vice president for health sciences and CEO of VCU Health System, Richmond
Rappley has been elected chair of the board of directors of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). She also serves on the Research Advisory Panel of the AAMC, advocating for support of National Institutes of Health and academic institutions.
*Buddy Rizer
Executive director, Loudoun County Economic Development
The county’s economic development efforts have set records. The Bureau of Labor Statistics named Loudoun third in the nation in job growth, at 6.2 percent. New York-based fintech company Smart Asset identified Loudoun as top in business investment in Virginia for two years in a row, with data center development driving much of the growth.
Horacio Rozanski
President and CEO, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean
The $5 billion company provides management and technology consulting and engineering services to Fortune 500 corporations, government organizations and nonprofit organizations. The company recently acquired government solutions firm Aquilent for $250 million.
*John G. Stallings
President and CEO, Virginia Division of SunTrust , Richmond
Stallings leads commercial banking in the Central Virginia, Hampton Roads and Western Virginia markets. He’s also chairman of the Virginia Bankers Association.
Todd Stottlemyer
CEO, Inova Center for Personalized Health, Fairfax
Since he became CEO of the center, Inova bought the former ExxonMobil headquarters in Fairfax and began construction on the new Inova Schar Cancer Institute. The center also launched its first clinical genomic test, announced research partnerships with the University of Virginia and George Mason University, and established the Inova Strategic Investments Initiative and the Inova Personalized Health Accelerator.
*Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen
Founders, Axios, Arlington
After launching Politico, the go-to news site for Washington insiders, VandeHei and Allen have started a new media company, Axios, which has received $10 million in financing. Axios promises to deliver the news that matters in business, technology, health care and politics.