Hospitality/Tourism: JAMES CARROLL

Carroll first went to work for Crestline in 2004, working as treasurer, chief financial officer and chief operating officer for the independent hospitality management company before taking over as president and CEO in 2010.

Presently, Carroll oversees more than 5,000 employees as well as the company’s portfolio of 126 managed properties in 29 states and the District of Columbia, including 15 hotels in Virginia. Crestline manages brand-name hotels like Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt, as well as independent, private-label properties. 

Prior to joining Crestline, Carroll worked at Dell Inc. as a marketing manager. He also spent nearly a decade as a naval aviator and lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who earned his MBA from Harvard University, Carroll sits on the boards of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the real estate investment trust Armada Hoffler Properties Inc. Additionally, he’s a board member of ServiceSource Inc., a nonprofit supporting people with disabilities.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s how to be a great listener. We don’t learn by talking, we learn by listening.