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2026 Forty Under 40: ELIZABETH S. CHAPMAN

A University of Richmond school graduate, Chapman is a partner at , where she focuses on , particularly affordable housing projects involving low-income housing tax credit transactions. She is past of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Coastal Virginia, supporting professional development and mentorship initiatives, and serves as general counsel for the board of the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic Foundation, which raises funds to support youth education in . She has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America for real estate law.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT: My most significant professional accomplishment has been my work in the affordable housing industry, where I have represented developers in dozens of affordable housing and community development transactions.

SOMETHING SURPRISING ABOUT ME: People may be surprised to know that I love spending my free time with my three dogs, hitting the golf course with enthusiasm (if not accuracy) and celebrating every small victory with champagne.

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2026 Forty Under 40: LEON BURNS

A Hampton University graduate, Burns joined his father’s Open Technology Group in 2012 and now serves as and CEO of the Herndon-based IT serving federal agencies. He has funded STEM programs reaching more than 850 minority students and helped raise more than $250,000 for the LUNGevity Foundation, supporting lung cancer research in memory of his father, Leon Burns Jr. He has also personally invested more than $100,000 in scholarships for underserved students pursuing business and STEM fields and has become an advocate for mental health, especially for Black men in leadership.

KEY TO MY SUCCESS: Keeping my eye on the prize and refusing to lose sight of the larger mission. My philosophy is simple — climb higher so I can open doors for others.

WHERE I SEE MYSELF IN 10 YEARS: I see myself in academia, helping shape the next generation of tech leaders.

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2026 Forty Under 40: KATIE BUCKLER

After joining as a clinical nurse in 2020, Buckler was promoted to patient care director of the emergency department, which has 65,000 annual visits, in 2023. Under her leadership, the staff vacancy rate fell from greater than 40% to 10%, and employee engagement rose from the third to the 58th percentile between 2024 and 2025. She also helped develop the Human Connections Committee, which collects and distributes gently used clothing items to patients in need and nearby shelters.

HOW I STAND OUT: I stand out from my peers because I push boundaries both personally and professionally and am really comfortable with being uncomfortable.

SOMETHING SURPRISING ABOUT ME: I am an avid Broadway enthusiast and have been to over 50 shows. This love of theater has inspired me to challenge myself by starting piano lessons last year.

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Colonial Williamsburg CEO retires, is replaced by Fiorina

SUMMARY: 

President and CEO Cliff Fleet has retired, and former presidential candidate and longtime foundation board chair Carly Fiorina has succeeded him, effective immediately.

Fleet has led the living history museum for the past six years and is departing during a significant time for as it celebrates its 100th anniversary and the United States’ 250th birthday this year. Before joining the foundation, Fleet was CEO and president of 22nd Century Group and president and CEO of Richmond tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris USA.

Fiorina, a business executive who led Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005, ran for the U.S. Senate in California and as a Republican presidential candidate in 2016. She also was U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s running mate later that year during his own unsuccessful bid for the White House. She has served on the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Board of Trustees since 2017 and has been its chair since 2020. Fiorina also is the national honorary chair of VA250, the state’s organization for the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.

Carly Fiorina speaks at Virginia Military Institute on Sept. 3, 2025. Photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin. Photo courtesy VMI

“Leading the foundation has been the honor of a lifetime,” Fleet said in a statement Monday. “We have made enormous progress over the past few years thanks to the dedication of an extremely gifted leadership team, talented staff, devoted board of trustees and the heartwarming generosity of donors. I have decided to retire for personal reasons and know the foundation’s positive momentum will continue as it approaches its centennial celebration later this year and into its second century.”

The foundation credits Fleet with several achievements, including restoration of the foundation’s A+ credit rating from S&P Global and raising over $560 million for the foundation’s Power of Place campaign. Leading the foundation during the pandemic, Fleet invested in a digital educational infrastructure that reaches more than 25 million people annually.

“The board is grateful for Cliff’s tireless service to the foundation,” Fiorina said in a statement. “He has made a profound impact on the long-term trajectory of the institution which will benefit future generations. The board and I look forward to continuing the foundation’s important and consequential work, particularly as we prepare for both the July 4 and centennial celebrations.”

In 2024, Fleet was fined $500 for striking and severely injuring a William & Mary student with his car in October 2023. In 2025, the student sued Fleet in Richmond Circuit Court, and a jury trial is scheduled in late July.

He holds four degrees from William & Mary: a degree, an MBA, a master’s degree in history and a bachelor’s in history and religion. He also earned a master’s in education in 2025 from the University of Virginia.

Colonial Williamsburg will hold several events to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation, including live concerts and public readings of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th weekend.

2026 Forty Under 40: LEE BRINKMAN

Brinkman has more than a decade of experience in in the Northern Virginia market. As vice of ‘s Northern Virginia agency leasing team, she leads landlord representation for more than 20 million square feet of office assets. In 2022, she was recognized as one of the area’s biggest dealmakers as a CoStar Power Broker Award winner. Brinkman also is a board member of the Friends of Lombardi, a network of young professionals who raise funds for the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

WHERE I SEE MYSELF IN 10 YEARS: I envision being in an advanced role at JLL, recognized as a trusted leader and subject matter expert. I aim to take on greater responsibility, help shape strategy and mentor the next generation of professionals helping drive JLL’s long-term success.

SOMETHING SURPRISING ABOUT ME: I have been cage diving with great white sharks in South Africa — an experience few dare to try!

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2026 Forty Under 40: PETER BILZERIAN

As the U.S. managing director of an international data engineering company, Bilzerian was key in establishing the Armenian company’s U.S. headquarters in the Richmond area. Previously, Bilzerian worked in data engineering at Bank of America, and he is the founder of L&O Ventures, a real estate investment company. As a teen, he built a gaming tournament platform for PlayStation gamers across North America.

KEY TO MY SUCCESS: I’m a two-time childhood cancer survivor who faced stage 4 neuroblastoma at 6 years old and was given less than a 30% chance of survival. The treatments left me with partial hearing loss, but the lessons of overcoming adversity stick with me to this day. Limitations only define you if you accept them. My philosophy is simple: Every single day is an opportunity to explore the world, build something that’ll improve the lives of people and live in the moment.

SOMETHING SURPRISING ABOUT ME: I’m a huge foodie!

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OpenAI falls short of revenue and user targets as it races toward IPO, WSJ reports

April 27 (Reuters) – has fallen short of its goals for new users and in recent months, sparking concern among some company leaders over whether it can support its extensive , the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Here are a few details:

• has expressed concerns to other company leaders that the creator might not be able to pay for future if revenue doesn’t grow fast enough, according to the report.

• OpenAI missed multiple monthly revenue targets earlier this year after losing ground to in coding and enterprise markets, the report said.

• “This is ridiculous. We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day,” CEO and co-founder and Friar said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

• ChatGPT’s growth slowed toward the end of last year, the WSJ report said, adding that OpenAI fell short of an internal target to reach 1 billion weekly active users for the artificial intelligence chatbot by year-end.

• The company has also grappled with subscriber defections, the report added.

 

(Reporting by Disha Mishra in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

 

UAE leaves OPEC and OPEC+ in major blow to global oil producers’ group

Summary:

DUBAI, April 28 (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it was quitting OPEC and , dealing a heavy blow to the oil exporting groups and their de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, at a time when the Iran war has caused a historic energy shock and unsettled the global economy.

The loss of the UAE, a longstanding OPEC member, could create disarray and weaken the group, which has usually sought to show a united front despite internal disagreements over a range of issues from geopolitics to production quotas.

UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei told Reuters the decision was taken after a careful look at the regional power’s energy strategies.

Asked whether the UAE consulted with Saudi Arabia, he said the UAE did not raise the issue with any other country.

“This is a policy decision, it has been done after a careful look at current and future policies related to level of production,” said the energy minister.

OPEC Gulf producers have already been struggling to ship exports through the , a chokepoint between Iran and Oman through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes, because of Iranian threats and attacks against vessels.

Mazrouei said the move would not have a huge impact on the market because of the situation in the strait.

But the UAE exit from OPEC represents a win for U.S. , who has accused the organisation of “ripping off the rest of the world” by inflating oil prices.

Trump has also linked U.S. military support for the Gulf with oil prices, saying that while the U.S. defends OPEC members they “exploit this by imposing high oil prices”.

The move came after the UAE, a regional business hub and one of Washington’s most important allies, criticised fellow Arab states for not doing enough to protect it from numerous Iranian attacks during the war.

, the diplomatic adviser for the UAE president, criticised the Arab and Gulf response to the Iranian attacks in a session at the Gulf Influencers Forum on Monday.

“The Gulf Cooperation Council countries supported each other logistically, but politically and militarily, I think their position has been the weakest historically,” Gargash said.

“I expect this weak stance from the Arab League and I am not surprised by it, but I haven’t expected it from the (Gulf) Cooperation Council and I am surprised by it,” he said.

(Additional reporting by Nayera Abdallah; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Aidan Lewis)

 

Oil prices hit $110 and stocks fall on Iran impasse and AI

Summary:

LONDON/SINGAPORE, April 28 (Reuters) – Stocks fell and oil rose on Tuesday as investors assessed the stalemate in the and worried the AI boom was losing momentum, while the dollar climbed.

The U.S. was reviewing Tehran’s latest proposal to resolve the war. A U.S. official said Donald Trump was unhappy with the plan as it did not address ‘s nuclear programme.

The two-month-long conflict is at an impasse and energy and other supplies are still failing to cross through the critical , pushing above $110 a barrel on Tuesday.

Brent crude oil rose 3% to $111.40 a barrel, a three-week high, while U.S. oil was up 3.8% at $100.

EARNINGS SEASON AND AI IN FOCUS

Oil prices have steadily climbed in recent days as hopes have ebbed for an imminent peace deal, pushing up bond yields around the world.

Futures for the U.S. benchmark S&P 500 stock index fell 0.7% on Tuesday, while those for tech-focused Nasdaq dropped 1.3%.

“Earnings season has helped markets look through the disruption, but the longer key oil flows remain constrained, the greater the risk that higher energy costs begin to bite,” said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.

Tech stocks related to , such as Oracle and CoreWeave, fell in pre-market trading after the Wall Street Journal reported the company has missed its goals for new users and revenue in recent months.

Europe’s STOXX 600 index dropped 0.5%, with the tech sector down 1.7% as investors focused on concerns about the boom in AI spending.

The U.S. S&P 500 hit another record on Monday after rising for four weeks on optimism over a possible peace deal and ongoing excitement around AI.

But investors are focusing this week on earnings from U.S. tech giants Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Apple that will test the AI-driven rally.

Elsewhere, the dollar index climbed 0.4% as the pound fell 0.5% and the euro dipped 0.35%.

The dollar has been one of the few safe-haven assets during the Iran conflict, although it has given up many of its March gains in the last few weeks.

“The twists and turns of U.S.-Iran peace negotiations continue to buffet markets,” Nick Rees, head of macro research at Monex Europe, said, adding doubts over the progress of peace talks had pushed the dollar higher.

BANK OF JAPAN SPLIT ON RATES

The BOJ left short-term rates unchanged on Tuesday at 0.75%, in the first of several central bank meetings this week that could provide evidence of the conflict’s economic impact.

“The 6–3 vote split and the stronger language on future policy adjustment suggest the bar for another hike may be falling,” said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo.

The yen initially strengthened but was last around 0.2% lower at 159.68 per dollar, putting it near 160. A breach beyond that threshold has markets worried Tokyo might step in to support the currency.

Japan’s Nikkei stock index fell 1% from a record high hit on Monday.

Global monetary policy is in focus this week, with the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and the European Central Bank due to announce decisions after the BOJ.

All are expected to keep rates unchanged but market attention will be on comments from policymakers on pricing pressure.

(Reporting by Harry Robertson in London and Ankur Banerjee in Singapore; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Barbara Lewis)

 

Booz Allen hires former Boeing exec as CFO

McLean-based Hamilton has appointed aerospace veteran Troy Lahr to be its new effective May 4.

Lahr, who was previously Boeing’s defense division and was most recently Sierra Space’s chief financial officer and senior vice , will succeed former Booz Allen CFO Matt Calderone, who left the company in February to become CFO of S&P Global’s mobility business.

Kristine Martin Anderson has been acting CFO since then. On May 1, she will assume the position of president, in addition to COO.

Lahr has more than 25 years of financial and business leadership experience in the commercial technology and defense sectors. As CFO, he will report to Chairman and CEO Horacio Rozanski.

“Troy’s deep and differentiated experience helps position Booz Allen for accelerated growth and bold transformation,” Rozanski said in a statement. “His success driving performance across large portfolios and leading through change will be a powerful asset as we work together to advance our next chapter.”

Lahr most recently served as CFO of Colorado-based aerospace company Sierra Space, and at Boeing, he was head of investor relations, controller and senior manager of mergers and acquisitions. He began his career in investment banking, spending more than a decade as an aerospace and defense equity analyst at Stifel.

Anderson worked at Booz Allen for 20 years and became COO in 2022. She previously led the company’s civil sector business.

“Kristine is the driving force in executing Booz Allen’s growth strategy and leading operations as we accelerate our technology transformation,” Rozanski said in a statement. “This position reflects her success as COO and her leadership across our entire business.”

Also on May 1, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Shannon Fitzgerald will be promoted to president of Booz Allen’s civil sector, succeeding Richard Crowe, who has been appointed the company’s chief growth officer.

Booz Allen has more than 80 locations and about 31,600 employees worldwide. It plans to relocate its headquarters from to Reston in 2027.