Key Executives is pleased to announce The Top 25 Executives of Arizona for 2024. The Grand Canyon State supports various industries, with small businesses and micro-enterprises making up the vast majority (99.4%) of all Arizona workplaces. Home to a surplus of manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare companies, the state offers executives ample opportunities for success — with a recent report ranking it sixth in the nation for entrepreneurs looking to start a business.
The executives below play a critical role in contributing to Arizona’s economic growth and advancement. Among them is Michael Vicari, Chief Commercial Officer of Nucleix, a liquid biopsy company revolutionizing cancer treatment with earlier disease detection at a time when intervention can bring the greatest impact for patients. There’s also Katrina Heineking who, as the Executive Vice President of Operations at Beep, leads the company in building the next generation of autonomous, electric, shared mobility networks through its AI-enabled AutonomOS™ software platform and mobility-as-a-service offerings. And, at PAC Worldwide Corporation, COO Matthew Konyn oversees the development and manufacturing of customized packaging and contract packaging solutions that global companies have relied on for more than 40 years.
These recipients and those among them were chosen following a careful evaluation of each nominee's professional accomplishments and impact on the industry. Please join us in celebrating the achievements of The Top 25 Executives of Arizona for 2024.
1. Jeff Jackson
Chief Operating Officer, Centauri Health Solutions
Jeff Jackson is the Chief Operating Officer of Centauri Health Solutions, which offers services to payors and providers across all healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial, and Exchange. Centauri’s healthcare reimbursement-focused solutions lead to higher and more appropriate payment rates for its clients, as well as a reduction in uncompensated care.
With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare operations, business integration, and customer relationship management, Jackson successfully leads Centauri Health Solutions’ business operations to ensure adequate support and greater well-being for its patients and members.
Prior to joining Centauri, Jackson held executive leadership positions at CVS Health, AdvancePCS, PCS Health Systems, and IBM. He holds a BS in chemical engineering from Stanford University.
2. Brian McCarson
CTO, CISO, and Executive Vice President, Packsize
Brian McCarson is currently the EVP, CTO, and CISO at Packsize International — an award-winning supply chain and sustainable packaging industry leader in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The introducer of On Demand Packaging® in 2002, Packsize is now a multinational manufacturer of advanced packaging systems and automated packaging machine technology.
With expertise in AI, cyber security and industrial automation, business management, and enterprise scaling, McCarson has over 170 approved and pending patent claims in these fields. He has contributed to establishing cybersecurity standards across numerous International Standards Bodies, including in the US.
In addition to his current role, he has worked on edge-to-cloud computing architectures across hardware, software, networking, and robotics in partnership with Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Alibaba, Intel, Tencent, Audi, John Deere, ASUS, et al. Previously, McCarson was VP and General Manager of Intel's Next Unit of Compute Group, as well as the former CTO of IoT at Intel. He graduated from North Carolina State University with an MS in material science and electrical engineering.
3. Matthew Konyn
Chief Operating Officer, PAC Worldwide
Matthew Konyn is the Chief Operating Officer of PAC Worldwide. Founded in 1975, PAC Worldwide Corporation has been a leader and innovator in the development and manufacturing of customized packaging and contract packaging solutions for more than 40 years. The privately-owned company employs more than 2,000 team members through operations in the U.S., UK, Mexico, and Malaysia.
Konyn has two decades of experience in senior-level business operations and Supply Chain Management positions in the automotive industry. As PAC’s COO, he focuses on the total integration of the company’s global supply chain, including its manufacturing operations, in addition to leveraging its operational excellence in PAC plants to continue providing customers with products and services customized for their needs.
Before joining PAC Worldwide, Konyn was a VP of Logistics at Yazaki North America. He graduated from Wayne State University with an MBA in finance and from Northern Arizona University-The W. A. Franke College of Business with a BA in finance.
4. Rick Hutchinson
Chief Technology Officer, VikingCloud
Rick Hutchinson is the Chief Technology Officer of VikingCloud, the leading Predict-to-Prevent cybersecurity and compliance company, offering businesses a single, integrated solution to make more informed, predictive, and cost-effective risk mitigation decisions. Powered by the Asgard Platform™, the industry’s largest repository of anonymized cybersecurity and compliance event data, they continuously monitor and analyze over six billion online events every day.
Hutchinson leads VikingCloud as an accomplished executive, strategic planner, and visionary leader with 17+ years of domestic and international business experience with a strong background in technology, operations, and financial oversight.
Before his current role, Hutchinson had a proven track record in various executive positions, including but not limited to CTO at Advanced Discovery; Managing Director at LOKI Systems; Co-Founder and COO at Modus eDiscovery; and VP of Legal Services at Anacomp.
5. John Rattay
Chief Commercial Officer, Redwood Logistics
John Rattay is the Chief Commercial Officer of Redwood Logistics, a leading logistics platform company with a diverse portfolio spanning digital freight brokerage, flexible freight management, and logistics consulting, all wrapped into a revolutionary logistics and technology delivery model. For more than 20 years, the company has provided solutions for moving and managing freight.
Rattay has direct experience in developing sales, account management, customer success, and professional services teams to deliver sales and operations results for customers managed in every region of the world. His background includes an expatriate assignment in Scotland that increased both new and current customer revenue, the successful hiring and training of new management, and the implementation of standard processes.
Rattay was previously a Marketing Associate at Stryker, as well as VP of Sales and Account Management at Trax Technologies. Earlier, he fulfilled the same role at project44. He has a BA from the University of Arizona - Eller College of Management.
6. Kristen Oelschlager
Chief Operating Officer, Castle Biosciences
Kristen Oelschlager is the Chief Operating Officer at Castle Biosciences, a leading diagnostics company improving health through innovative tests that guide patient care. Under her leadership, Oelschlager supports the company in its mission to transform disease management by putting patients, clinicians, employees, and investors first.
She first joined the company as Executive Director of Operations in 2008 – one of three initial employees. She advanced to VP of Clinical Operations, and then to SVP before taking on her current role. Throughout her tenure, she has successfully overseen the growth and development of Castle’s laboratory and clinical research functions from early start-up to full commercial operations.
Before joining Castle Biosciences, Oelschlager was a Director of Clinical Research at Arizona Pulmonary Specialists. Earlier in her career, she worked with St. Luke's Hospital as a Staff Nurse. She graduated from Arizona State University with a BS in biological sciences.
7. Russ Ernst
Chief Technology Officer, Blancco Technology Group
Russ Ernst is the Chief Technology Officer at Blancco Technology Group, a carbon-neutral company that provides data erasure and mobile solutions to organizations. Blancco’s products help organizations comply with data protection and privacy requirements, protect data at the end of its life, and transition to a circular economy.
In his role as CTO, Ernst is responsible for defining, driving, and executing product strategy across the entire Blancco data erasure, device diagnostics, and mobile lifecycle solutions suite. A regular speaker at IT and data security industry conferences, he offers guidance on data lifecycle management, end-of-life IT management, sustainability goals, and data sanitization best practices.
With over 20 years of experience, he was previously a Director of Product Management at Lumension; Senior Product Manager at GoVideo; and Senior Product Manager at AdobeAir. Ernst earned an MBA from W. P. Carey School of Business – Arizona State University and a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.
8. Eddie Edgeworth
Chief Technology Officer, Koantek
Eddie Edgeworth is the Chief Technology Officer of Koantek, a global provider of technology services and solutions specializing in AI and Machine Learning. Focusing on delivering customized solutions, Koantek empowers businesses to harness the transformative power of data to drive growth.
As a seasoned technology leader with over 20 years of experience in software engineering and data solutions, Edgeworth’s expertise lies in creating effective, repeatable solutions across various areas such as cloud computing, data management, and analytics. He has consistently focused on leveraging Databricks and Cloud technologies to drive innovation at Koantek — and was one of the original Databricks Partner Champions.
Previously, Edgeworth was a Principal Architect in modern data platforms at Valorem Reply; a Principal Software Engineer at Vantiv; and a Project Lead at Sensys Medical. He earned an MBA in technology management from the University of Phoenix and a BA in computer information systems from Arizona State University.
9. Jason Kirk
Chief Technology Officer, DaySmart
Jason Kirk is the CTO of DaySmart, where he supports management solutions for thousands of businesspeople who rely on the platform to start their days. Since 1998, DaySmart has provided critical business management software to new small businesses. Today, two million global customers and their clients interact with the software daily, across dozens of countries.
With more than 20 years of experience in product development and strategy for high-growth companies, Kirk has established himself as a leader in the fintech space. Before DaySmart, he served as CTO for REPAY, a payment processing company, where he focused on scaling the product and technology organization to support a rapidly growing market. His leadership and innovation to create a customer-centric solution played a pivotal role in REPAY’s growth and transition to a publicly traded company in 2019.
Prior to that, Kirk was Vice President of Product Development at CCBill, a leading global payment processor and e-commerce provider. He graduated from Park University with a BS in management and computer information systems.
10. Jeff Somar
Chief Commercial Officer, CirrusMD
Jeff Somar is the Chief Commercial Officer of CirrusMD, a company providing scalable care delivery solutions enabling immediate, affordable, high-quality virtual care to plan sponsors — health plans and employers — who want to improve health and reduce costs for their entire population.
Somar has 25 years of experience scaling innovative, high-growth healthcare companies. Before taking on his current role at CirrusMD, he served as Executive Vice President of Sales for the health and care experience company, Transcarent. Previously, he was also a Chief Revenue Officer at BridgeHealth, as well as an Analyst in health services at Motorola.
Somar earned a BS in business economics from W. P. Carey School of Business – Arizona State University.
11. Michael Vicari
Chief Commercial Officer, Nucleix
Michael Vicari is the Chief Commercial Officer of Nucleix, a liquid biopsy company revolutionizing cancer treatment with earlier disease detection at a time when intervention can have the greatest impact on patients. Leveraging NGS-based and PCR-based technology to identify methylation changes, the company’s pioneering testing approach uses methylation-based identification for early-stage and recurring cancer detection.
With over 30 years of healthcare experience, Vicari started his career in pharmaceuticals and quickly moved into senior leadership roles with such companies as Genentech, Monogram Biosciences, Inivata, Sequenom, and Grail. Most recently as SVP of Sales at Grail, Vicari built the commercial team that introduced the world’s first Multi-Cancer Early Detection screening test, which reached $67 million in revenue in the first 18 months following launch.
Vicari holds a BS in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco.
12. Scott Perkins
Executive Vice President of Sales, Kinective
Scott Perkins is the Executive Vice President of Sales of Kinective Company — the most open and connected platform for scaling innovation in the banking industry. Making connections between fintechs and banking cores, Kenective has established itself as a force multiplier for scaling transformation.
In his role as EVP, Perkins is responsible for building a disruptive and solution-oriented business development program to support banks and credit unions as they adopt more innovative technology. With 17 years of experience, he served as Chief Revenue Officer at Propertybase, as well as a President at BoldLeads. Earlier in his career, he started out as a Senior Associate at Dinan & Company.
Perkins graduated from W. P. Carey School of Business – Arizona State University with a BA in business administration.
13. Danielle Dolloff
Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Liventus
Danielle Dolloff is the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Liventus. More than just a custom software development company, Liventus is a trusted partner in leveraging technology to drive business success.
Under Dollof’s leadership, the company has honed its expertise in crafting tailored tech solutions that meet the unique needs of businesses across various sectors including but not limited to fintech, insurance, healthcare, equipment finance, and more. With over 25 years of experience in leading teams, driving growth, and constructing efficient processes, Dollof has a proven track record of delivering operational excellence and business expansion to maximize revenues and profit margins.
Before joining Liventus, she was EVP of Sales and Marketing for L.A. Gem and Jewelry Design. She has also held leadership roles at Speedo, Sport Chalet, and Sears. Dollof received her MBA from Northern Illinois University and a BA in English from St. Cloud State University.
14. Katrina Heineking
Executive Vice President of Operations, Beep
Katrina Heineking is the EVP of Operations at Beep, Inc., helping to deliver the next generation of autonomous, electric, shared mobility networks through an AI-enabled AutonomOS™ software platform and mobility-as-a-service offerings. With over three decades of experience in the transit industry, Heineking supports Beep with a unique blend of perspectives and skills, having worked in both the public and private sectors.
Before joining Beep, Heineking’s most recent role was with Transdev where she was responsible for helping to create and then head the autonomous vehicle division. She also served as a Southwest Region VP and as General Manager for several large transit systems, including Phoenix Transit and Sun Tran (Tucson).
Since 2008, she has been a board member of the Arizona Public Transit Association (AZTA) and served as its President. She is also a board member of the Southwest Transit Association (SWTA) and of the Friends of Transit Board of Phoenix. She graduated from Northwood University with a BA in business administration and management.
15. Nicole Juntunen
Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Footprint Tech
Nicole Juntunen is the SVP of Sales & Marketing of Footprint Tech, a global materials science and technology company with a clear vision to create a healthier planet and healthier people. Their mission is to provide solutions to eliminate single-use plastics in the food chain by using plant-based fiber technology to design, develop, and manufacture bio-based products.
Juntunen empowers Footprint’s mission as a seasoned professional with 20+ years of experience in sales and marketing and a track record across the sustainable food and CPG packaging industry — where she has spearheaded development initiatives focused on reducing the use of single-use plastics.
Before joining Footprint, she served as VP of Sales and Customer Support at S. Martinelli & Company and has worked with notable organizations such as PepsiCo, L’Oreal, General Mills, Wrigley, Mars Inc., and Be Green Packaging. Juntunen holds a BA in marketing and government from the University of Notre Dame.
16. Sarah Poe
Senior Vice President of Sales, Mission Healthcare
Sarah Poe serves as the Senior Vice President of Home Health Sales at Mission Healthcare. With over 15 years of experience in the home health and hospice industry and 20 years of sales and leadership experience, Poe has been instrumental in driving significant growth and innovation. Poe's journey in home health and hospice began with a passion for improving patient outcomes and making quality care accessible to all. She has consistently demonstrated an ability to anticipate market trends and adapt strategies to meet the evolving needs of patients and healthcare providers. Her strategic vision and leadership have empowered her team to achieve outstanding results, ensuring high quality care and patient satisfaction.
Poe is dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional development. She believes that the strength of Mission lies in its people, and she is committed to providing her team with opportunities for advanced trainings and career advancements. By investing in her team’s growth, Poe ensures that each member can achieve their highest potential and contribute to Mission's overarching goals. Poe currently oversees a team of 50+ and in the past has overseen sales teams of 140+. Poe has helped drive an increase in Mission’s Home Health footprint by greater than 35% in less than one year and has helped her team hit record-breaking months.
Beyond her professional achievements, Poe is known for her mentorship and community involvement. She participates in industry conferences and panels, sharing her insights and experiences to inspire the next generation of healthcare leaders. Poe holds a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management.
17. Korbi Johnston
Vice President of Sales, PlanITROI
Korbi, a seasoned Arizona resident with over 15 years of experience in the technology industry, is a dynamic sales executive renowned for her ability to drive substantial revenue growth. She has an exceptional track record in building and leading high-performing sales teams that consistently surpass targets. Korbi’s expertise spans Sales, Marketing, Client Success, and Strategic Alliances, with a particular focus on scaling functions in high-growth environments and established enterprise companies.
Currently, as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at PlanITROI, Korbi spearheads strategic initiatives aimed at achieving ambitious growth targets. She has developed a comprehensive strategy that integrates market analysis, competitive positioning, and innovative sales tactics to expand the company's market share. Under her leadership, PlanITROI’s sales and marketing teams are not only exceeding aggressive growth goals but also setting new benchmarks for success in the industry. Korbi’s approach combines meticulous planning with a keen understanding of market dynamics, ensuring sustained growth and client satisfaction.
18. Kevin Looney
Vice President of Sales, Gorman Roofing Services
Kevin Looney is the Vice President of Sales of Gorman Roofing Services, a national company with seven branches in the western US and licensed to practice all over the country. Since 1998, Gorman has strived to exceed clients’ expectations and to do whatever is necessary to ensure complete satisfaction when it comes to their homes and businesses.
Working with all major roofing systems, Gorman offers a wide range of services to ensure tailored solutions that meet client needs and budget constraints. Today, they have completed jobs in 40 states plus Puerto Rico.
In his role as VP of Sales, Looney leads the sales team and shares his knowledge and expertise to help provide quality roofing services to Gorman’s many customers. He started with Gorman Roofing nearly 18 years ago, first as a National Account Manager for the company before advancing to his current role.
19. Thomas Grosskopf
Vice President Commercial Operations, Americas, Glaukos
Thomas Grosskopf is the Vice President of Commercial Operations in the Americas at Glaukos — an ophthalmic pharmaceutical and medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapies for the treatment of glaucoma, corneal disorders, and retinal diseases.
Glaukos first developed Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) as an alternative to the traditional glaucoma treatment paradigm, launching its first MIGS device commercially in 2012. Under Grosskopf’s leadership, Glaukos continues to develop a portfolio of technologically distinct and leverageable platforms to support ongoing pharmaceutical and medical device innovations.
With 34 years of experience, Grosskopf was previously a Global Head of Commercial Services at Abbott Medical Optics and, before that, a VP of Commercial Operations in the Americas at Advanced Medical Optics. Earlier in his career, he worked with Allergan as a Territory Manager. Grosskopf graduated from the University of Arizona with a BA in marketing.
20. Lisa McCann
Vice President of Business Development, TekSynap
Lisa McCann is the Vice President of Business Development of TekSynap, a globally-focused, full-spectrum systems integrator. Under McCann’s leadership, TekSynap deploys industry-leading technical solutions to provide effective computing, cloud, and secure operational environments.
Beginning her career in 1997, McCann is an accomplished and results-driven IT professional with 24 years of experience in all aspects of information technology management support, business development, marketing and sales, program management, and solution development. She started as a Senior Systems Engineer at US Army NETCOM.
From there, she went on to Smartronix, Inc., before eventually rising to VP of Business Development at Empower AI, her most recent position before joining TekSynap. McCann graduated from Western Governors University with a BS in information technology.
21. Brandon Reeser
Vice President of Business Development, Elevate Patient Financial Solutions
Brandon Reeser is the Vice President of Business Development at Elevate Patient Financial Solutions ®, a proven partner that delivers superior RCM solutions to hospitals, health systems, and healthcare providers nationwide. For more than four decades, ElevatePFS has been developing and continually refining best-in-class services and innovative, specialized technology to address the most complex challenges of the revenue cycle.
With nearly 20 years of experience, Reeser began his career in 2005. Before joining Elevate as VP, he was a Director of Sales in the Pacific Northwest at nThrive and, prior to that, a Senior Account Executive at O'Reilly Media. Earlier in his career, he worked with San Diego Chocolate Guy as a Director of Marketing.
Reeser graduated from W. P. Carey School of Business – Arizona State University with an MBA in international business, and from Point Loma Nazarene University with a BA in business administration.
22. Andrew Seminari
Vice President, Business Development, Data Services, Constellation
Andrew Seminari is the Vice President of Business Development in Data Services at Constellation Software, an international provider of market-leading software and services to a select number of industries, both in the public and private sectors.
In his role, Seminari contributes to Constellation’s mission to acquire, manage, and build market-leading software businesses that develop specialized, mission-critical software solutions to address the specific needs of their particular industries.
Seminari got his start in 2011 as an Analyst at Emphasys Software, before eventually rising to Director of Business Development at Vela Software, his most recent position before joining Constellation. He graduated from Nova Southeastern University with an MBA and from Simon Fraser University with a BA in business and corporate communications.
23. Andrea Gwaltney
Vice President of Business Development, Lakeview Health
Andrea Gwaltney is the Vice President of Business Development at Lakeview Health, an organization that serves individuals with addiction and co-occurring disorders. Lakeview’s individualized approach addresses the medical, psychological, and physical aspects of recovery, and offers gender-responsive and gender-separate inpatient residential treatment services.
Starting as a residential manager at an addiction center 14 years ago, Gwaltney has held various marketing and development roles in the industry since. She originally began working with the Lakeview Health team as a Client Services Consultant for the Southeast. During that tenure, she also served as National Accounts Manager and assisted with training new business development team members. Before advancing to her current role as VP, she served as the Associate Director of National Accounts.
Gwaltney graduated from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) with a BS in psychology.
24. Jaye Williams
Vice President of Commercial Operations, evolvedMD
Jaye Williams is the Vice President of Commercial Operations at evolvedMD, an organization leading the integration of behavioral health services in modern primary care. evolvedMD’s distinctive model places behavioral health specialists onsite within a practice, while offering economically viable ways to integrate behavioral health that ultimately improves patient outcomes.
In her current role, Williams oversees the daily activities and initiatives to set a framework for success including operations, finance, IT, and project management. Her over 12 years of experience has highlighted collaboration as a means of transformation and innovation, with a diverse background that has demanded data-driven decision-making to propel a commitment to continuous learning, process improvement, and business innovation.
Her former roles include Chief Administrative Officer of Open Hearts Family Wellness and various successful stints at top organizations including the Phoenix Art Museum. Williams has an MBA from Kaplan University and a BS in accounting from Arizona State University.
25. Juliet Fattaleh
Vice President, US Business Development, Aptitude Health
Juliet Fattaleh is the Vice President of US Business Development at Aptitude Health, the global market leader in evidence-based solutions for life science companies seeking to identify, develop, and commercialize oncology and hematology innovations.
Fattaleh is an accomplished leader in the commercialization of products and services within the genomic medicine marketplace. With extensive experience in the oncology and molecular diagnostics spaces, she has forged strong relationships with key accounts, thought leaders, and the larger community. Her specialties include oncology sales, surgical sales, pathology sales, reimbursement, contracting, training, sales model development, product commercialization, and business development.
Before joining Aptitude Health, Fattaleh served as Head of Oncology Strategy and Business Development at Invitae, and as Director of Strategic Partnerships and Collaboration in the US at Tempus Inc. She graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in French with an emphasis in international business.