Key Executives is pleased to announce The Top 25 CEOs of Jacksonville for 2024. As one of the nation's busiest ports, Jacksonville is a vital hub for shipping and logistics. However, in recent years, the city has also emerged as a prominent financial center with a growing tech scene. The CEOs on this year’s list have contributed to Jacksonville’s thriving business scene, offering experience and expertise in software development, retail, insurance, and more.
Among this year's awardees is David Nunes, Chief Executive Officer of the world’s second-largest timberland real estate investment trust, Rayonier. There is also Susan Ponder-Stansel who, in her position as President and Chief Executive Officer of Alivia Care, Inc., serves nearly 8,000 hospice patients and 9,000 palliative care patients annually. Lastly, we have Julie Marchant-Houle, Chief Executive Officer of the personal care product manufacturer Estyle.
The leaders featured this year have emerged as trailblazers within their respective fields, leveraging their strategic acumen to build stronger organizations. Please join us in recognizing the accomplishments of The Top 25 CEOs of Jacksonville for 2024.
1. Frank Lonegro
President and Chief Executive Officer, Landstar
Frank Lonegro is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Landstar. Landstar System, Inc. is a transportation services company specializing in logistics. The company’s services include truck transportation, rail intermodal, air cargo, ocean cargo, expedited ground and air delivery, and more.
Lonegro joined Landstar in 2024. Previously, he was the executive vice president of Beacon Building Products, a Fortune 500 building products distribution company. Prior to Beacon, Lonegro spent nearly 20 years at CSX Corporation. During his tenure at CSX, he filled various leadership roles, including executive vice president, chief financial officer, vice president of service design, and vice president of mechanical. Earlier in his career, Lonegro practiced law privately and as in-house counsel. Lonegro holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Duke University and both a master’s degree in business administration and a law degree from the University of Florida.
2. Sharon Rowlands
Chief Executive Officer, Newfold Digital
Sharon Rowlands is the Chief Executive Officer of Newfold Digital, a web and commerce technology company. Established in 2021 through the combination of web services providers Endurance Web Presence and Web.com Group, Newfold Digital serves brands such as Bluehost, CrazyDomains, HostGator, Network Solutions, Register.com, Yoast, YITH, and many others.
Prior to joining Newfold Digital (formerly Web.com Group) in January 2019, Rowlands was the chief executive officer of ReachLocal, a public digital marketing company. Rowlands also served as president of the USA TODAY NETWORK Marketing Solutions. Prior CEO positions include Penton Media, Altegrity, and Thomson Financial.
Rowlands currently serves on the board of directors for Pegasystems, a global software company; Everbridge, an enterprise safety applications company; the Glimpse Group, a virtual reality and augmented reality platform company; Sonihull, a marine ultrasonic antifouling solutions company; Constant Contact, a digital marketing company; and Loch Lomond Golf Club. Rowlands received her postgraduate certificate in education from the University of London and her bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Newcastle.
3. James O’Leary
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President, The Haskell Company
James O’Leary serves as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of The Haskell Company, an architecture, engineering, construction, and consulting firm headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. O’Leary joined Haskell in 1989 and has held several key positions, including field engineer, project manager, senior project manager, director, vice president, senior vice president, and executive vice president/chief operating officer.
In his time at Haskell, O’Leary has worked on more than 150 projects with Frito-Lay. O’Leary has also worked with Nestlé, Gatorade, Kraft, ConAgra, Procter and Gamble, Nike, General Dynamics, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Starbucks, Ascension Health, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Coast Guard. He is currently responsible for major offices in America as well as international operations throughout South America, the Caribbean, and Asia. O’Leary is a University of Florida graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in building construction. Additionally, he completed executive studies at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also a certified general contractor.
4. David Sweeney
President and Chief Executive Officer, RS&H
David Sweeney is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Reynolds, Smith and Hills (RS&H). RS&H is an architecture, engineering, and consulting firm that serves clients in the aerospace, aviation, corporate, federal, health and science, and transportation industries. Sweeney joined RS&H in 1998 and has held several leadership positions, including leader of the National Bridge Service Group, transportation-infrastructure practice director, chief operating officer, and board member.
Before working at RS&H, Sweeney was a project manager at Bergmann Associates, an architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, and surveying firm. He received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1986. He is a licensed professional engineer in six states. He is also a member of the Florida Council of 100, the Florida Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the Construction Industry Roundtable board of directors.
5. Nick Clements
Chief Executive Officer, Brightway Insurance
Nick Clements is the Chief Executive Officer of Brightway Insurance, a privately owned property and casualty insurance distribution company. Established in 2008, Brightway has 300 franchises in 32 states and more than $980 million in annual premiums. Clements came to the company in 2024.
Prior to joining Brightway, Clements served as president of credit cards for OneMain Financial from 2020 to 2024. Before that, Clements was the co-founder and chief executive officer of MagnifyMoney, which was sold to LendingTree in 2017. He has also worked at other financial institutions such as Citi and Swiss Re Capital Partners. Clements graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and history.
6. De Lyle Bloomquist
President and Chief Executive Officer, Ryam
De Lyle Bloomquist is President and Chief Executive Officer of RYAM, a chemical company that specializes in cellulose-based products. The company also manufactures products for paper and packaging markets. Bloomquist assumed his current position in 2022. He is also a partner for Windrunner Management Advisors, a management advisory services business, and two real estate development firms.
In 2015, Bloomquist retired as president of global chemical business at Tata Chemicals Limited, an international inorganic chemical and fertilizer manufacturing company. Previously, Bloomquist served as president and chief executive officer of General Chemical Industrial Products Inc. Prior to that, Bloomquist worked at General Chemical Group, Crystal Peak Minerals, Scientia Vascular LLC.
Bloomquist is a graduate of Brigham Young University and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Carnegie Mellon University. He currently serves on the board of directors of Sisecam Wyoming LLC and Evoq Nano, Inc. He also serves on the board of business advisors for the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University and on the board of advisors for Sonoran Capital.
7. David Nunes
Chief Executive Officer, Rayonier
David Nunes is the Chief Executive Officer of Rayonier, a timberland real estate investment trust (REIT). Founded in 1926, Rayonier has expanded to become the second-largest timber REIT with approximately 2.7 million acres in the United States and New Zealand. Nunes joined the company in June 2014.
Prior to joining Rayonier, Nunes served as president and chief executive officer of Pope Resources/Olympic Resource Management. He joined Pope Resources in 1997 as director of portfolio management, working with third-party investors and timberland owners to develop and manage timberland investment portfolios. Previously, Nunes spent nine years with the Weyerhaeuser Company. He began his career in the forest products industry in 1979 with the Seattle-Snohomish Mill Company, where he worked in sawmill operations and lumber sales.
Nunes serves as a trustee on the Pomona College board of trustees. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Pomona College and a master’s degree in business administration from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.
8. Laura Bollier
Chief Executive Officer, VENUS Fashion
Laura Bollier is the Chief Executive Officer of VENUS Fashion. Founded in Florida in 1982, VENUS Fashion is a women’s clothing and swimsuit retailer. Bollier assumed her role at the company in 2021, becoming its first female CEO.
Before joining Venus Fashion, Bollier was the vice president of global merchandising and the senior director of merchandising at Spanx, an underwear and shapewear retailer. Prior to that experience, she served as director of merchandising and planning at Kipling, VF Corporation. She has worked at other retailers such as Macy’s, Coach, and Nautica. Bollier graduated from the University of Central Florida College of Business Administration.
9. Doug Leeby
Chief Executive Officer, Beeline
Doug Leeby is the Chief Executive Officer of Beeline, a provider of solutions for managing all categories of non-fulltime talent, including temporary staff, professional contractors, service workers, consultants, project-based workers, and independent contractors. Since its founding in 1999, Beeline has been used by clients to manage more than 30 million workers. Leeby assumed the CEO role in 2016.
Leeby first got his start in 1997 as a trade marketing manager at Conagra Frozen Foods. He then served as the vice president of sales at Scientific Staffing before being hired as a product manager at Beeline in 2002. Leeby attended Vanderbilt University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in history and his master's of education in human resource development.
10. Brian Matthews
Chief Executive Officer, itel
Brian Matthews joined itel in 2022, currently serving as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. The company is a data business that partners with property and casualty insurance companies in the U.S. and Canada to make the claims process more efficient. It works with contractors, mills, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to source material data on over twenty thousand products.
Previously, Matthews held leadership positions at Appriss Insights, an information technology company; eOriginal, an electronic signature software company; and Verint, a software and analytics company. Earlier in his career, he worked at Chase Manhattan Bank as vice president of innovation and strategic partnerships. Matthews earned a master’s degree in business administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business and an undergraduate degree in accounting from Ohio University.
11. John Fenton
President and Chief Executive Officer, Patriot Rail Company
John Fenton is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Patriot Rail Company, a holding company for shortline railroads across the United States. Patriot Rail operates more than 30 regional shortline freight railroads; two scenic rail excursion trains; and rail-related services such as freight and railcar storage, transloading, warehousing, and track access. Fenton joined the company in 2012.
Prior to his current role, Fenton served as chief executive officer of Metrolink, the nation’s third-largest heavy rail commuter agency. Fenton’s other leadership roles include president and chief executive officer of OmniTRAX, a private railroad and transportation company, and various senior-level positions for the international trucking company Waste Management Inc.
Earlier in his career, Fenton worked for several Class I railroads, including the Canadian National Railway; the Kansas City Southern Railway; and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway (now BNSF). He started his railroad career in 1982 as a management trainee with Missouri Pacific Railroad and later moved to Union Pacific Railroad. Fenton holds a master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in business administration/transportation management from Indiana University.
12. Rich Gagliano
Chief Executive Officer, Dark Matter Technologies
Rich Gagliano joined Dark Matter Technologies in 2023, and is the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Dark Matter Technologies is a software company that provides AI technology solutions to banks, credit unions, and independent mortgage lenders, and employs more than 1,300 team members.
Previously, Gagliano was president of Black Knight, an enterprise that provides software, data, and analytics tools to the real estate and home financing industries. Gagliano has also held leadership positions at Aurora Loan Services. Earlier in his career, he worked with Mercantile Bank as a mortgage banking officer and underwriter. Gagliano graduated from Saint Louis University with a master’s in business administration and from Southeast Missouri State University with an undergraduate degree in business, finance, and economics.
13. Rick Kahlbaugh
President and Chief Executive Officer, Fortegra
Richard Kahlbaugh is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Fortegra, a multinational specialty insurer that provides surplus insurance products and warranty solutions. The company underwrites a variety of insurance and insurance-related products on an admitted and non-admitted basis in the United States and around the world. Kahlbaugh joined Fortegra in 2003.
Before becoming president and chief executive officer, Kahlbaugh served as Fortegra’s chief operating officer. Prior to that, Kahlbaugh was the president and chief executive officer of Volvo’s Global Insurance Group. He also served as the first general counsel of the Walshire Assurance Group, a publicly traded insurance company, and practiced law with McNees, Wallace, and Nurick. Kahlbaugh holds a doctor of law from The Delaware Law School of Widener University and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Delaware.
14. Mike Sabin
Chief Executive Officer, Revalize
Mike Sabin joined Revalize in 2023, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Revalize, a software development company that offers AD, PLM, and CPQ solutions to clients in the manufacturing industry. Clients range from Stanley Black and Decker, a manufacturer of industrial tools and household hardware, to The Rosenbauer Group, a manufacturer of fire-service vehicles and firefighting equipment.
Sabin joined the U.S. Army in 1996. From there, he worked as a product manager at the wireless service operator NEXTEL before eventually rising to executive vice president and general manager of global business solutions at Dun and Bradstreet, a commercial data, analytics, and insights enterprise. Most recently, he served as chief executive officer of SNH Automotive Group. Sabin graduated from The Wharton School with a master’s degree in business administration and from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in government.
15. Mitch Luciano
Chief Executive Officer, Trailer Bridge
Mitch Luciano is the Chief Executive Officer of Trailer Bridge, a freight service provider. The company partners with J.B. Hunt and Anderson Trucking Services to deliver a single-source freight management solution between the U.S. and the Caribbean. Luciano joined Trailer Bridge in 2012.
Previously, Luciano was president and chief operating officer of Magellan Transport Logistics, president and chief operating officer of 4 Elements, Inc., and vice president of reverse logistics at NYK Logistics. Earlier in his career, he worked with C.H. Robinson in logistics sales and operations. Luciano graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia with a bachelor’s degree in English and business administration.
16. Erich Schlegel
President and Chief Executive Officer, TrueNet Communications
Erich Schlegel is President and Chief Executive Officer of TrueNet Communications, a national infrastructure engineering and specialty contractor serving the broadband, telecommunications, wireless, and enterprise markets. TrueNet plans, engineers, designs, builds, and supports communications infrastructure across North America and the Caribbean. Schlegel joined the company in 2016.
After serving as an officer in the United States Air Force, Schlegel joined Fujitsu Network Communications in December 2000. He filled many roles at the company, including manager of operations, director of operations, senior director of manufacturing, vice president of business management, and vice president of network delivery. Schlegel earned his bachelor's degree in physics at the United States Air Force Academy and his master’s in business administration from Cameron University.
17. Susan Ponder-Stansel
President and Chief Executive Officer, Alivia Care, Inc.
Susan Ponder-Stansel is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Alivia Care, Inc., a 501c3 chartered to support patients living with advanced or chronic illnesses. Established in 2020, Alivia serves nearly 8,000 hospice patients and 9,000 palliative care patients annually. The nonprofit also collaborates with providers and payers to develop care solutions. Ponder-Stansel was appointed to her position at Alivia in June 2020.
In 1985, Ponder-Stansel began her career as a social worker by volunteering at Hospice of Northeast Florida. In 1988, she became the president and chief executive officer of Community Hospice and Palliative Care, an organization that provides hospice care and palliative care as well as grief, support, and loss programs. In her role at Community Hospice and Palliative Care, Ponder-Stansel expanded the organization to become one of the nation’s largest non-profit hospice providers.
Ponder-Stansel speaks and teaches throughout the U.S. on hospice, palliative care, and improved care for those with advanced illnesses. She earned a master's degree in social work from Florida State University.
18. Jeffery Kendall
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, NYMBUS
Jeffery Kendall is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NYMBUS, a software company that provides banking technology solutions for financial institutions. The venture has partnered with banks across the country, including PeoplesBank in Massachusetts and Inspire Federal Credit Union. Kendall joined the company in 2020.
Previously, Kendall was the executive vice president of North American sales at Temenos, a company specializing in enterprise software for banks and financial services. He has also held leadership positions at Kony, Inc., a cloud-based digital application solutions company, and worked as an eBusiness software engineering manager at Community Health Network. Kendall studied philosophy at Indiana University Indianapolis and Thomas Aquinas College.
19. Derek Dewan
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, GEE Group Inc.
Derek Dewan is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of GEE Group, a provider of specialized staffing solutions in the information technology, engineering, finance, and accounting industries. Through its Scribe Solutions brand, GEE Group also staffs medical scribes who assist physicians in emergency departments of hospitals and medical practices. Dewan joined the company in 2015.
Prior to this, Dewan served as chief executive officer and chairman of MPS Group, Inc., a publicly traded staffing company. Before his tenure at MPS Group, Dewan was a certified public accountant, managing partner, and tax partner at the international accounting firm Coopers and Lybrand, now PwC. Additionally, Dewan has served on boards and advisory committees at the University of South Florida, where he received a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
20. Yurii Kravchenko
Chief Executive Officer, Axon
Yurii Kravchenko is the Chief Executive Officer of Axon, a software engineering company that specializes in building software solutions for government agencies and private companies. Axon's development centers are located in Georgia, Poland, and Ukraine. Kravchenko joined the company in 2013. He also currently serves as the CEO of Axterior, an applicant tracking system software for hiring teams in small and medium companies.
Previously, Kravchenko was a project manager at the software company EngagePoint, Inc. Earlier in his career, he worked as a project manager at A4, Innoware, and Web-Tuning. Kravchenko earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
21. David Parker
Chief Executive Officer, LoanLogics
David Parker joined Loanlogics in 2019 as the company’s chief product officer before assuming his current role of Chief Executive Officer in 2022. Founded in 2005, LoanLogics is a provider of mortgage audit software, income calculation and verification technology, and document processing automation. The company’s services help residential mortgage lenders, servicers, insurers, and investors validate compliance, improve profitability, and manage risk during the manufacture, sale, and servicing of loan assets.
Prior to joining LoanLogics, Parker was the general manager of DXC Technology, a multinational information technology services and consulting company. He has also worked as a senior director at the financial services technology company Fiserv and a senior director at the financial services enterprise CoreLogic. He started his career in 1987 as a cost reduction associate at Austin Lawler and Associates. Parker graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance.
22. Laura Taylor
Chief Executive Officer, Brown Enterprises
Laura Taylor is the Chief Executive Officer of Brown Enterprises. Founded more than 50 years ago, Brown Enterprises is the leading architectural sign company in Northeast Florida. The company fabricates commercial exterior and interior signage, branded environments, and wayfinding, handling the process from design to installation.
Taylor started her career at Brown Enterprises in 2004 as a project manager and designer. She remained in that role for 11 years before assuming her current leadership position in 2015. Taylor graduated from Flagler College in Florida with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. She is a member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Jacksonville.
23. Christopher Andriola
President and Chief Executive Officer, NetLook
Christopher Andriola is the President and Chief Executive Officer of NetLook, a privately-held automotive technology company that specializes in the acquisition, syndication, marketing, and distribution of data. The company uses its proprietary software, the NetLook Inventory Listing Manager, to make real-time inventory updates. Andriola assumed his current position at the company in 2021.
Andriola joined NetLook in 2000 as a market manager and field service representative. He worked his way up to director of training and new product development in 2008 but left the company in 2014 to work as a correspondence manager at Enhanced Recovery Company, LLC. He returned to NetLook in 2018 as the director of training and a product manager.
24. Joshua Scott
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, BCR
Joshua Scott is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BCR, a U.S.-based clean technology company focused on providing solutions that convert biosolids and organic wastes into safe, valuable, and marketable products. BCR’s patented solutions include CleanB®, Neutralizer®, and Bio-Scru Dryer®. Scott assumed his current role at the company in 2018.
Previously, Scott served as the president, chief executive officer, and chief operating officer of Therma-Flite, a manufacturer of engineered industrial products. Before that experience, Scott worked as a product line leader at General Electric. He started his career in 1995 as an aircraft metals technologist instructor in the U.S. Air Force. Scott has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Baltimore and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering technology from Southern Illinois University.
25. Julie Marchant-Houle
Chief Executive Officer, Estyle
Julie Marchant-Houle is the Chief Executive Officer of Estyle, a personal care product manufacturer founded in 1983. Newly headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, the company produces multicultural and natural hair care products for distribution both nationally and internationally. Marchant-Houle came to the company in 2022.
Marchant-Houle started her career in 2001 as a business unit director at the consumer goods corporation Procter and Gamble. From there, she assumed the position of vice president of marketing and global portfolio leader at the personal care product company Revlon. Her most recent position was U.S. chief executive officer of Marley Spoon, a meal delivery service enterprise.
Marchant-Houle graduated from the Schulich School of Business at York University with a master's degree in business administration. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy and administration from York University.