Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2025: NASH, WILLIAM D. ‘BILL’
Nash began at CarMax in 1997 as an auction manager, working his way up to president and CEO in 2016. Founded in 1993 in Richmond as a subsidiary of electronics retailer Circuit City, Fortune 500 company CarMax is the country’s largest retailer of used cars, employing almost 30,000 people, including 3,300 in Virginia. It reported […]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2025: PARKER, DREW
Carter Machinery has deep roots in Virginia, tracing back to 1928, when Robert Hill Carter founded Virginia Tractor in Richmond. The company was the state’s first Caterpillar dealership, and it is still going today as an independent dealer with more than 30 locations. It has more than 2,300 employees in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware […]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2025: MURRELL, JERRY
As a young student in Michigan, Murrell’s academic struggles prompted a warning from a nun at his Catholic school: He would end up flipping burgers. It took a few years, during which he earned an economics degree from the University of Michigan, worked in life insurance, got married twice and had five sons. But eventually […]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2025: MURPHY, KEVIN
Murphy got his start in the plumbing industry working summers at his father’s business, Midwest Pipe and Supply, which was purchased by Ferguson in 1999. A plumbing and heating products distributor with about 35,000 employees, Ferguson reported $29.6 billion in net sales in 2024. The company made its Fortune 500 debut this year at No. […]
TELECOMMUNICATIONS 2025: KEEGAN, MICHAEL
As CEO of TNS since 2013, Keegan is responsible for setting global strategy for the privately held networking, integrated data and voice services provider. TNS was acquired by a Koch Industries subsidiary in 2021, and in 2022, TNS acquired Agnity Global, a provider of intelligent business communication applications and infrastructure to organizations in the telecommunications […]
TELECOMMUNICATIONS 2025: HALLBACH, MAGGIE
With more than two decades at Verizon, Hallbach served in a number of senior executive positions before being promoted to her current position in 2022. Verizon Public Sector is the telecommunication company’s government contracting arm and is responsible for Verizon Frontline, a 5G communications service for first responders. In January, the U.S. Air Force selected […]
TELECOMMUNICATIONS 2025: ANDERSON, WES
After 26 years of working for Microsoft, Anderson began a new venture at AT&T in December 2024. He transitioned in February to his current role as president of public sector and corporate officer, where he leads a team of 3,200 employees who deliver advanced communications and technologies including 5G, fiber and professional services to government […]
TELECOMMUNICATIONS 2025: MERRITT, JEFF
Merritt is responsible for leading more than 1,000 employees in Hampton Roads, Cox’s largest market in Virginia, representing more than 60% of the home and business telecommunications and cable TV provider’s customer base in the state. Nationwide, Cox Communications, a division of Cox Enterprises, sees annual revenues of more than $13 billion. In the role, […]
Transportation 2025: WOODHOUR, WILLIAM
A University of Delaware alumnus, Woodhour has devoted 33 years to Maersk Line, rising to president and CEO in 2016. Headquartered in Virginia with offices in Norfolk and Dulles, Maersk is the U.S. arm of Danish shipping giant A.P. Møller-Mærsk and has the largest U.S. flag fleet in commercial service. Founded in 1983 to support the […]
Transportation 2025: YOCHAI, NISSIM
Yochai was tapped as Zim American’s president in 2022. The U.S. company, a subsidiary of Israeli cargo shipping company Zim Integrated Shipping Services, moved to the Hampton Roads region in 2001. Last year, Zim American relocated and expanded its U.S. headquarters, moving from Norfolk to Virginia Beach. In 2011, Yochai joined Zim’s parent company, which has operations […]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2025: WOODFIN, JACK
Woodfin’s parents, John and Anne, started Woodfin Heating in 1977 to sell heating oil, growing it into one of the largest privately held HVAC-related businesses in Virginia. A Virginia Military Institute and University of Virginia Darden School of Business alum, Jack Woodfin began working with his parents in 1995 as a retail manager. He took […]
TELECOMMUNICATIONS 2025: DESCH, MATTHEW J.
Desch joined Iridium as CEO in 2006, took the company public in 2009 and subsequently replaced its first-generation network with new satellites that are expected to last into the mid to late 2030s. Last year, after the global satellite communications company acquired Reston-based Satelles, Iridium unveiled the Iridium Satellite Time and Location service, which is […]