
2026 Va. Leadership on the move: Nicole Newsome
In October 2025, Newsome stepped into the CEO role at Qantm Creative, succeeding owner Jean Matacunas, who moved into an advisory role. Newsome was most recently Qantm’s chief strategy and growth officer, where she served as the primary liaison between the agency’s directors and its CEO and president. Additionally, she was point person for many of the company’s largest accounts.
Virginia’s Top 10 sectors and Rankings

2026 Virginia Power 50 List: ANDRÉS GLUSKI
Originally from Venezuela, Gluski joined AES in 2000 and became its president and CEO in 2011. The Fortune 500 global electric utility generates and distributes power in 15 countries.
In 2024, AES reported $12.3 billion in revenue, with $47 billion in assets. In February, reports of BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners and Swedish investment firm EQT AB bidding to acquire AES caused the company’s stock to surge.
In early 2025, the company reduced its workforce by 10%, and Gluski said in an interview with Semafor last fall that the global stock market has turned against renewable energy, into which AES has heavily invested.
Gluski earned a master’s degree in economics and a doctorate in economics and international finance from the University of Virginia. He serves as chairman of the Council of the Americas and is on the board of Waste Management.
Return to 2026 Virginia Power 50 list
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Top 15 projects by employement

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2026 Va. Leadership on the move: Max Ochoa
Ochoa joined the aviation startup as chief financial officer in April 2025. In this role, he leads Electra.aero’s finance and legal departments and focus on company growth. Ochoa has more than
20 years of experience in finance, legal and operations roles at hardware and software technology companies. He was most recently CFO and general counsel at Satelles, where he helped drive the acquisition by Iridium Satellite Communications.
Top 15 projects by investment

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