Chris Turner is steering Piedmont Service Group through its most pivotal leadership transition in four decades where he will step into the CEO role as the long-standing CEO retires. He first joined the commercial HVAC firm in 2003 and has since risen the ranks from sales consultant to COO, helping guide the company past $100M with 10% annual growth. By partnering with private equity, he’s helped fuel growth through acquisitions.

Inspired by his father’s career at The Cary Company, a midsize industrial distributor, TJ Tyrrell began there as an intern, quickly identifying growth opportunities. Early on, he redeveloped the company's website into a platform that now drives a significant portion of their transactions. As CEO, TJ creates a culture of curiosity and optimism. He’s completed four acquisitions since 2018, growing from 65 to over 250 employees and from one to eight distribution centers nationwide. He also launched a one-year rotational program, enabling employees to discover their strengths.

At JK Executive Strategies, each day begins with a wagging tail and a warm welcome from a four-legged colleague, where Jill Knittel is building a culture of belonging and connection. After years as a minority partner in search firms, Jill founded JK Executive Strategies to create a company defined by empowerment and community impact. Now with 11 employees, the firm logged over 220 volunteer hours last year, earned the Athena Organization Award for community engagement and supporting women and landed on RBJ’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies.

In 2011, Kelly transitioned from her industrial tool supply business to the family’s third-generation commercial construction contracting business. Her collaborative leadership style, exemplified by the “Fab 5” nonfamilial executive leadership team, has strengthened cross-department communication. Kelly has also driven measurable improvements through implementing a KPI dashboard and electronic filing system. During her time as President and CEO, revenue has soared from $30-40M to $59M, achieving 30-40% more production with two-thirds of the staff. Focused on professional development, Kelly empowers her staff by offering a certification program to enhance their skills.

Joya has elevated her family’s airport concessionaire into a thriving enterprise. Founded in 1989 by her parents, she has expanded operations to over 25 joint venture locations while ensuring 100% industry compliance. Following her mother’s diagnosis with FTD, she embraced her leadership role with resilience, tripling sales in Phoenix and achieving 5-8% annual growth. Under her guidance, the proud woman- and minority-owned business has become a beacon of inclusivity, cultivating a culture where all team members feel valued and empowered.

In just five years, Ben Hanna transformed a struggling rose farm into a thriving e-commerce business. He expanded the field team from 20 to 120 employees and added nine acres of greenhouse space, positioning the company as a leader in both horticulture and e-commerce. By combining strategic vision with operational excellence, he built a world-class customer experience and a scalable business model. His people-first approach empowered employees, encouraged innovation and fostered sustainable growth across every part of the company.

Just 6 years after joining FMP, a management consultant firm, Erin Pitera faced a pivotal moment: Allow the company to be sold to a buyer that would change the culture she helped build, or make a pitch to buy it with her partners. Driven by a deep investment in the company’s future, Erin became co-owner in 2011 and CEO in 2014, leading the company to double in size by the end of 2024. Her focus on authentic leadership has helped earn FMP a spot on the Inc. 5000 list and 13 consecutive CARE awards for their innovative, inclusive and family-friendly policies.

Known as the first surgeon to perform Balloon Sinuplasty in Wisconsin and for pioneering The Breathing Triangle® approach, Dr. Madan Kandula is not your typical entrepreneur. In 2004, he transitioned from ENT surgeon to CEO when he and his wife founded ADVENT — a medical practice focused on office-based solutions for nose and throat issues. What began as a two-person operation has since grown to 33 clinics across six states with a team of 345 employees. In 2020, Dr. Kandula brought on a financial partner to accelerate ADVENT’s growth trajectory, resulting in double-digit annual growth by 2024.

Originally joining Atrium Campus as CFO, Tammy Johnson’s vision for growth led her to the CEO role. Under her leadership, the cloud-based campus card management solutions company has seen its revenue grow fivefold since 2019, with its workforce expanding from 13 to nearly 60 employees. Tammy’s commitment to growth is evident in her adept navigation of challenges. In 2024, when two major competitors merged, she positioned Atrium as a reliable alternative, boosting new business. Leading an executive team of nine company owners, she skillfully manages relationships to drive results.

When the 2008 financial crisis derailed Jim Watkins' entrepreneurial venture, he turned adversity into a catalyst for growth, ultimately preparing him for his journey at Triversity Construction. Joining as COO in 2012, Jim quickly rose to President and CEO, turning Triversity into a regional leader. Guided by a people-first mindset, he built a leadership team united by a shared vision, purpose and values. Under Jim, Triversity has seen tremendous growth and succeeded in its strategic goal of expanding outside the region, preparing to open a second office outside Cincinnati. The company’s craft force division, which self-performs drywall and carpentry work, enhances their ability to serve customers with a well-rounded approach.

At Lerch Bates, Eric Rupe exemplifies forward-thinking leadership by challenging norms and taking risks. Guided by the values of responsibility, service and performance, he led the integration of the company’s largest acquisition, which shaped four more acquisitions in the past decade, scaling Lerch Bates’s global footprint to deliver Total Building Performance, a concept he championed that will define his legacy at the company. He also drove a digital transformation, integrating new technology into engineering and consulting to reshape internal work flows.

Sitting around the dinner table growing up, Justin Rattner listened to his dad talk about the family business, unknowingly preparing him for his turn at the helm. When his father passed in 2020, Justin was well-equipped to step up as president, determined to make Dover a leader in their industry. Today, Justin is halfway to his goal of becoming the nation’s first $100M specialty tubing distributor. A strategic leader, he isn’t afraid of taking risks, such as stockpiling inventory during COVID while competitors pulled back — fueling a record year.