2026 Virginia C-Suite Awards: NICOLE STUART

Stuart dreamed of becoming an attorney but instead followed in the footsteps of her father, who owned a security business in Hampton for two decades. Stuart has no regrets; she’s got plenty to be proud of with her business successes.

After earning a degree in political science and a master’s in public administration from Old Dominion University, Stuart, along with her husband, Chris, opened Top Guard Security in 1996. In the beginning, the couple handled all managerial work themselves, from payroll to marketing to client relations. Stuart credits the business’s success with learning every aspect of the industry in those early days.

Today, Top Guard Security has more than 1,000 employees and offices in Hampton, Norfolk, Winchester and Chesterfield County. The company serves commercial, municipal, state and federal clients across the commonwealth. In 2015, Stuart launched the Coastal Virginia Training Academy to provide security officer training that exceeds state requirements.

Top Guard Security is a founding participant in the Virginia Values Veterans program, which helps employers understand, design and implement best practices in recruiting, hiring and training military veteran employees.

Click here to return to Virginia C-Suite Awards categories page