Finance/Insurance: JAMES SCHENCK

Schenck learned to fly as a teen, flew Black Hawk helicopters in the Army and remains an avid pilot today.

“All the normal decisions I have to make on a daily basis, they’re in the background,” Schenck says of flying in a video for PenFed, where he’s worked since 2001.

Whether it’s taking time to recharge in the air or some other strategy for success, Schenck has shepherded PenFed into a growth era since becoming its president and CEO in 2014. During that time, the nation’s second-largest federal credit union has seen its assets climb from
$17.6 billion to $32.5 billion in 2021. PenFed also doubled in members under Schenck’s leadership to 2.6 million.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy and Harvard Business School, Schenck received in October the Association of the United States Army’s John W. Dixon Award, which recognizes individuals with “distinguished service in the industrial community resulting in outstanding contributions to national defense.”

Schenck is also CEO of the PenFed Foundation, which has provided more than $40 million in financial support to veterans, service members and caregivers since its 2001 founding.