Profiles

A directory of Profiles for Northwest Arkansas Business Journal Awards

Forty Under 40: Warren Wheat

Warren Wheat started his own construction company less than three years ago, and his vision is firmly in place. “I plan to one day compete with the big guys,” said…

Forty Under 40: Eric A. Wood

Eric Wood has worked at the UA since 2009, and was promoted to his current role in 2011, tasked primarily with overseeing the Office of Student-Athlete Success, whose main responsibility…

The C Suite: Raymond Burns

Achievements: Served as president and CEO of the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce since 1987; is one of 275 certified chamber executives; serves on the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce…

The C Suite: Matt Crafton

Achievements: Led engineering and surveying firm through the Great Recession; oversaw growth from a regional to a national firm with six offices in two states. What would most people be…

Achievements: Board member of Arkansas Land Title Association; unified branding of multiple companies under the WACO banner; member of Fayetteville Rotary International, certified public accountant in Colorado and Arkansas. Where…

The C Suite: Jeffrey Geurian

Achievements: Became president and CEO at age 30 in 1996; under his leadership, CEI went from working primarily with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to boasting a clientele of 211 in multiple…

The C Suite: Mike Gilbert

Achievements: Oversaw the $8 million conversion of a former hospital to the Center for Nonprofits at St. Mary’s in Rogers; managed $3 million mechanical renovation of The Jones Center; active…

The C Suite: Chuck Hyde

Achievements: Under his leadership, the company was named Best Place to Work in Arkansas in 2013, and in 2014 was named a Top 20 Leadership Training Company to Watch by…

The C Suite: Kay Lewis

Achievements: During her 18 years as head IT executive for J.B. Hunt, she has pioneered the development of award-winning systems that changed the face of the transportation industry. To what…

The C Suite: Mary McKinney

Achievements: Serves as CEO of largest hospice organization in Northwest Arkansas; managed significant growth of the organization since she joined the team in 2008; maintained a positive culture focused on…

The C Suite: Jeremy Wilson

Achievements: Manages one of the largest private equity firms in Arkansas and the surrounding region; co-founded 10 successful companies in last two years; previously helped guide Rockfish through substantial revenue…

The C Suite: Craig Young

Achievements: Oversees a bank holding company with $147.1 million in combined total assets of insured subsidiaries; oversees a home construction company with offices in five states; fills various executive roles…

Fast 15: John Whitman

John Whitman’s path to a successful technology career was fostered as a child, and kicked into high-gear when he was just 16 years old. While most teens were still in…

Fast 15: Jamie Claire Kiser

Jamie Claire Kiser knew at age 18 what she wanted to do professionally. While some students wander unmethodically into their undergraduate studies, Kiser had already created a road map for…

Fast 15: James Michael Smith

James Smith talks fast, but his company is growing even faster. Smith’s speech pattern quickens when he talks about furniture, a subject he knew practically nothing about less than three…

Fast 15: Krista Cupp

Krista Cupp once helped shape the conversation for one of the oldest and most powerful lobbies in the country. She’s still focused on crafting the right dialogue, only now it…

Fast 15: Maggie Owens

Maggie Owens hooked a U-Haul to her Volvo and drove 27 hours from the mountains of Utah to Northwest Arkansas — and didn’t even know if she’d gotten the job….

Fast 15: William Pannell

As a commodity buyer for Tyson Foods Inc., it’s beneficial if William Pannell keeps track of at least one little thing — the planet. His job is to buy cooking…

Fast 15: Ben Hundley

Sometimes, the key to achievement is knowing when to quit. Ben Hundley tried several career paths before he went on to design software that is making a splash on the…

Fast 15: Ashlie Junot Hilbun

It’s all about making connections that count. It’s about matching passion and purpose and making all of it work for the greater good. In a nutshell, that’s what Ashlie Junot…