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Banking | Finance 2024: RICHARD FAIRBANK
After earning an economics degree and an MBA from Stanford University over a decade, Fairbank landed at Virginia’s Signet Bank, where he co-created the business that became Capital One, the Fortune Global 500 credit card giant. Fairbank became CEO in 1994 during Capital One’s initial public offering. In 2023, the bank report[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: BRUCE L. CASWELL
Caswell joined government contractor Maximus in 2004 and has served as president since 2014; he became CEO in 2018. He started his career at what’s now PricewaterhouseCoopers before moving on to IBM, where he served as vice president of state and local government and education, as well as director of federal business developme[...]
Living Legends 2024: MARY McDUFFIE
A Wellesley College alumna, McDuffie served as Navy Federal Credit Union CEO from 2019 until her retirement, announced in September 2023. Dietrich Kuhlmann, formerly the credit union’s chief operating officer, succeeded McDuffie on March 1. Before joining the credit union in 1999, McDuffie was senior vice president of marketin[...]
Hospitality | Tourism 2024: CHRISTOPHER J. NASSETTA
Nassetta is the longtime president and CEO of one of the world’s largest hospitality companies. Hilton has a portfolio of 7,600 properties and 24 brands in 126 countries and territories, ranging from luxury brands like Waldorf Astoria to suite hotels such as Embassy Suites by Hilton. Nassetta joined Hilton in 2007 after invest[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: BILL MONET
Monet leads Akima, an Alaska Native corporation that handles federal contracts for the for-profit NANA Regional business owned by Indigenous Iñupiat shareholders. Akima has more than 10,000 employees across the world. With more than 30 years of experience in modernizing processes for federal, state, local and commercial clients[...]
Real Estate 2024: GEORGE B. CLARKE IV
In 1982, Clarke didn’t just graduate from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering; he also founded MEB General Contractors, a full-service construction firm and master builder. Launched with a handful of employees as a small federal govern-ment contractor serving military installations across the Hampton [...]
Real Estate 2024: DONNA MacMILLAN-WHITAKER
MacMillan-Whitaker has a history of working on major projects. As the development partner to Virginia Beach-raised music and fashion superstar Pharrell Williams, she’s been in the news most recently for the Atlantic Park project near the Oceanfront, the largest public-private partnership in Virginia Beach’s history. The $350[...]
Manufacturing 2024: TOM HAYES
Hayes began working for the tobacco products manufacturer in 2006, serving as chief financial officer and senior vice president before becoming president of Swedish Match in 2020. Swedish Match manufactures and distributes chew bags, moist snuff, cigars, tobacco-free nicotine pouches, matches and lighters. Among its notable bran[...]
Insurance 2024: FRANK LUCIA
Since 2017, Lucia has led Delta Dental of Virginia, one of the state’s largest dental benefits providers, and its holding company, Corvesta. Delta has about 250 employees in Virginia and posted $780 million in 2023 revenue. Previously, Lucia was president and CEO of Dean Health Plan in Madison, Wisconsin, and worked in finan[...]
2024 Virginia 500: Law
FARHAD AGHDAMI MANAGING PARTNER, RICHMOND OFFICE, WILLIAMS MULLEN, RICHMOND JEFFREY A. BREIT PARTNER, BREIT BINIAZAN, VIRGINIA BEACH ROBERT P. BEAMAN III VIRGINIA BEACH OFFICE MANAGING PARTNER, TROUTMAN PEPPER HAMILTON SANDERS, VIRGINIA BEACH DAVID C. BURTON REGIONAL MANAGING PARTNER FOR HAMPTON ROADS, WILLIAMS MULLEN, VIRGINIA BEACH VICTOR […][...]
Education 2024: MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH
A scan of Abdullah’s accomplishments since joining the public, historically Black university in 2016 makes clear why his résumé includes so many accolades, prestigious board appointments and spots on top 10 and “best of” lists — not to mention a multimillion-dollar contract to stay on as president through 2029. Under h[...]
Manufacturing 2024: PRABHAT JAIN
Jain has been CEO of Virginia Transformer, the continent’s largest U.S.-owned power transformer manufacturer, since 1982 — 14 years after he arrived from India, mechanical engineering degree in hand. Over 42 years, he has grown the company from 35 employees to more than 2,700 across six plants. Jain started as a machine sh[...]
