Leadership Podcasts : Recent Episodes
Chad Roberts
Steve Clifford is the Head Coach of the Charlotte Hornets. On June 24, 2022, Clifford returned to the Charlotte Hornets for his second stint as Head Coach and as the 12th Head Coach* in Hornets history.
As a Head Coach in the NBA (Charlotte & Orlando) Clifford as led his teams to four playoff appearances. In Coach Steve Clifford’s first season as a Head Coach with the Orlando Magic, he led to the team to a 43-39 season and the team’s first playoff appearance in five years. Coach Clifford was also an Assistant Coach for the Los Angeles Lakers (2012-2013), Orlando Magic (2007-2012), Houston Rockets (2003-2007), and New York Knicks (2001-2003).
Steve Clifford was born on September 17, 1961, in Island Falls, Maine. Clifford attended North Country Union High School and played for and graduated from the University of Maine- Farmington, where he received his degree in special education. After graduating from college, Clifford became a teacher at Woodland High School in Maine. Coach Clifford also held an 86-36 overall record as a collegiate Head Coach (Adelphi University).
Mr. Topalian was named Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer effective September 15, 2022. He previously served as President and Chief Executive officer beginning January 1, 2020 and as President and Chief Operating Officer from September 2019 through December 2019. Mr. Topalian began his career with Nucor as a project engineer at Nucor Steel-Berkeley in 1996 and was promoted to Cold Mill Production Supervisor in 1998. He has held various leadership positions throughout his Nucor career in Australia, at Nucor Steel South Carolina, Nucor Steel Kankakee, and Nucor-Yamato Steel Company. He served as Executive Vice President of Beam and Plate Products from 2017 to 2019.
Gary S. Michel is chair, president and chief executive officer of JELD-WEN, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of building products, with nearly 25,000 employees in North America, Europe and Australasia.
Gary has more than 35 years of strategy, business transformation, operations and lean manufacturing leadership experience. He has a proven track record for accelerating business growth and delivering strong financial results by creating premier performing, values-based organizations. He joined JELD-WEN in June 2018 from Honeywell International, Inc., where he served as the president and chief executive officer of the Home and Building Technologies strategic business group. Prior to Honeywell, he spent 32 years at Ingersoll Rand, serving as a member of the company’s leadership team as senior vice president and president of its residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning business. He began his career as an application engineer and held various product, sales and business management roles before moving into a series of leadership positions across various geographic and market segments. Gary holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He served as a member of the board of directors of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company from 2015 - 2021, until it was acquired by Goodyear.
Gary is an active member of the community in Charlotte - home of JELD-WEN’s global headquarters - and he inspires his employees to be engaged with the communities in which they live and work. He was named 2022 Chair of the 64th Annual Greater Charlotte Heart Ball and Heart of Charlotte campaign and has guided the company’s
philanthropic efforts including supporting St. Jude Dream Homes, Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute and the local arts community in Charlotte through the Foundation for the Carolinas.
Jesse Cureton is the Chief Consumer Officer and Executive Vice President of Novant Health. A visionary leader, among Jesse’s first projects was unifying the system through the organization’s rebranding initiative, which launched four months after his start with Novant Health. He currently manages business functions including payor contracting, marketing, public relations, community engagement, foundations and outreach, and corporate health, always with the brand values of a culture of wellness and consumer engagement at the forefront. He is a former Presbyterian Healthcare and Novant Health board trustee.
Jesse joined Novant Health after retiring from a laudable tenure with the Charlotte-headquartered industry giant Bank of America. Developing a keen skill for leadership in complex and multi-dimensional industries, Jesse was able to become a specialist in a number of disciplines during his twenty-five-year financial industry career. He successfully led the local merger efforts in North Carolina for US Trust and Bank of America, developed training for 2000+ wealth management advisors in Premier Banking and Investments, and implemented tactics that greatly improved staff satisfaction, retention and productivity.
Jesse is lead by the core beliefs that lives can be changed through art, education, and financial literacy and that making a positive difference, particularly in the lives of young people, is exceptionally rewarding. A nationally recognized leader and highly sought-after board member, he currently serves on the board Foundation for the Carolinas, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte Center City Partners, the University of Chapel Hill Board of Visitors, and as chairman of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. He also serves on the Charlotte Leading on Opportunity Council, an initiative bringing partners together to address some of our community’s most critical challenges: investing in neighborhoods in need and removing barriers to education, employment, and healthcare.
Jesse holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and a Master in Business Administration, and Financial Planning Certificate from Queens University of Charlotte. He is also an executive program graduate from Harvard Business School and The Wharton School. He and his wife, Angela, who has been actively involved with the local Junior League and Jack and Jill of America organizations, have three daughters.
A panel discussion led by leaders from Bank of America and Novant A COVID Update - Where Do We Go From Here?
Dena Diorio has been a leader in public administration since 1988. After graduate school, Dena started what would be a 10-year stint with the City of New York, eight of which were in the Mayor’s Office. Serving under three different mayors, Dena started as a financial analyst in the Departments of Sanitation and General Services where she provided financial support to various operating divisions. In 1990, she was appointed a supervising analyst at the Mayor’s Office of Operations where she rose to the level of deputy director in only five years. In 1995, she was appointed the director of City Legislative Affairs and served as the mayor’s lobbyist to the City Council. In that role she is credited with facilitating the passage of over 100 local laws included in the mayor’s legislative agenda.
In 1998, Dena was appointed the inaugural director of the Office of Policy and Management for the City of Stamford, Conn. She established a strong budget and auditing department that improved efficiency and accountability. In 2002, Dena moved to the City of Danbury, Conn. where she served as the director of Finance and Human Resources.
Dena joined Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in 2007 as director of the Department of Financial Services. She is recognized for guiding the County through the fiscal crisis and implementing policies that significantly improved the financial position of the County. In 2013, she was promoted to assistant County manager, and in 2014, was selected as the first woman to serve as County manager for Mecklenburg County.
In her role as County manager, Dena serves on a variety of boards, including Charlotte Center City Partners, the Charlotte Sports Foundation, the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Blumenthal Performing Arts and United Way of Central Carolinas.
Dena has been recognized for her leadership by many organizations. In 2015, she was named Public Policy Leader of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners, and in 2016, she received the Leadership in Action award by Career Mastered. In 2018, she was named one of the 50 Most Influential Women by the Mecklenburg Times, and in 2019 a Most Admired CEO by the Charlotte Business Journal. In 2020, Dena was chosen as the Businesswoman of the Year by Queens University, the first woman from the public sector to receive the honor. In 2021, she was awarded the Excellence in Leadership Award from the Centralina Regional Council, received a Woman in American History Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Pegasus Award from the Public Relations Society of America, which honors someone from outside the public relations profession for embracing the strategic use of communications.
Dena earned her bachelor’s degree in social services from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.
Dena lives in Charlotte, NC.
A panel discussion led by leaders from Ally, Queens, and Novant on the business imperative for social justice
John D. Williams has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Domtar since January 2009.
Mr. Williams has more than 40 years of experience in both consumer products and packaging. He began his career in consumer product sales in 1976, gaining insight into key market dynamics in the U.K. and the U.S. Since joining Domtar in 2009, Mr. Williams has led Domtar’s transformation from a strictly paper manufacturing enterprise to a significant player in the absorbent hygiene market. At the same time, he cut costs and invested in new and innovative technologies to help grow their pulp production to the third largest producer in the world.
Mr. Williams is a member of the Board of Directors of Owens Corning (NYSE: OC); and Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Form Technologies, Inc., a privately held leading global group of precision component manufacturers based in Charlotte, N.C. He is also President of the Board of Directors of the British American Business Council, Charlotte, N.C. that supports bilateral trade and investment between the U.S. and the U.K.; a board member for nonprofit Camp Blue Skies Foundation, which is dedicated to enhancing the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities; Chairman of Trustees for the Palisades Episcopal School, a private school in Mecklenburg county; and a member of the Board of Directors of the Charlotte Symphony.
Stephen De May is president of Duke Energy's utility operations in North Carolina, which serves approximately 3.7 million electric retail customers and 786,000 natural gas customers. He is responsible for the financial performance of Duke Energy's regulated utilities in North Carolina and managing state and local regulatory and government relations, and community affairs. He also has responsibility for advancing the company's rate and regulatory initiatives.
Before assuming his current position in November 2018, De May served as treasurer and senior vice president of tax for Duke Energy. As treasurer, he was responsible for financing and capital markets activities, liability management, liquidity and cash management, long-term investments and managing Duke Energy's relationships with the major credit rating agencies. As head of tax, he was responsible for federal, state, local and international tax compliance, research, structuring and tax planning, audits and income tax accounting. During his 11 years as treasurer, he also led at different times the corporate risk management and investor relations functions.
De May joined Duke Energy in 1990 as a director of the company's former real estate development business, Crescent Resources, where he had responsibility for managing the finance and accounting functions. In 1994, he joined Duke Energy's corporate finance group and managed that function after the Duke Energy-PanEnergy merger until stepping into the leadership role of the business unit finance group. During this time, De May financed the growth of Duke Energy's many lines of gas and electric businesses across an international footprint that included North and South America, Australia and Europe. During 2004 and 2005, he served as vice president of energy and environmental policy, the company's primary public policy role, where he led position development and advocacy for the leading energy issues of that time. He was named assistant treasurer after the Duke Energy/Cinergy merger in 2006 and treasurer in 2007.
Prior to joining Duke Energy, De May worked in the tax practices of Deloitte & Touche and Price Waterhouse in Raleigh and Charlotte.
De May graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a Master of Business Administration from the McColl Graduate School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte. He is a certified public accountant in North Carolina. In 2010, he completed the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
De May serves as a trustee of the University of North Carolina Asheville and as a director on the boards of the NC Chamber, the National Advisory Board for NCSU’s Institute for Emerging Issues, and the NC FIRST Commission with the N.C. Department of Transportation. A native of Long Island, N.Y., De May and his wife, Linda, have three children.
Carol A. Lovin, MHSA, MN, is enterprise executive vice president, chief integration officer and system chief of staff for Atrium Health, one of the largest non-profit and leading academic health systems in the United States. As a member of the executive leadership team, she leads both external and internal integration, working to accelerate and strengthen enterprise-wide connections and alignment and driving value through growth and efficiency synergies as Atrium Health forms new partnerships. Lovin also co-leads business development with the chief financial officer, with responsibilities for new partnership opportunity assessment through deal closure. As system chief of staff, she integrates the work of the leadership team and the Atrium Health enterprise governance network to achieve Atrium Health’s vision and strategy. With more than 30 years of experience advancing healthcare strategy and business development, communications, marketing and operational execution, Lovin joined Atrium Health in 2007 when NorthEast Medical Center became part of Atrium Health. Before her current role, she served as Atrium Health’s executive vice president and chief strategy officer, overseeing strategy, business development, innovation, corporate communications, marketing and community engagement. During that time, she led the launch of both Atrium’s innovation group and advanced analytics team. Additional leadership positions held throughout her career include serving as president of the Carolinas HealthCare System Management Company and leading strategic planning, marketing and business development at NorthEast Medical Center. Deeply invested in the community, Lovin was one of 10 Charlotte business leaders who led the combination of the Charlotte Chamber and Charlotte Regional Partnership to form the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. She currently serves as the Charlotte Alliance’s immediate past chair and also serves on the boards of Charlotte Center City Partners and the Charlotte Sports Foundation. Additionally, Lovin is vice chair of the board of MedCost, a benefits solutions company of Atrium Health. Lovin is decorated with many honors, including receiving Charlotte Business Journal’s Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2018, she was named Charlotte Businesswoman of the Year by Queens University. Among others, recent recognitions also include being named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s “Women Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know” and “Hospital and Health System Chief Strategy Officers to Know.” Lovin holds a Bachelor of Science and a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Washington, as well as a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of Michigan.
Dwayne Black serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Shutterfly. Dwayne Black and the Shutterfly executive team are rated a C by 48 employees.
Jonathan S. Halkyard occupies the position of Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer of MGM Resorts International. He is also on the board of 7 other companies. In the past Mr. Halkyard was President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at Extended Stay America, Inc. and President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at ESH Hospitality, Inc. (a subsidiary of Extended Stay America, Inc.), Director at Sid R. Bass Associates, Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President of Caesars License Co. LLC, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer & Senior VP for Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc., Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President at Nevada Power Co., Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President of NV Energy, Inc., Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President at Sierra Pacific Power Co., CFO, Treasurer & Executive Vice President at Caesars Holdings, Inc. and Corporate Finance Associate-Media Banking Group at The Chase Manhattan Bank NA. He received an undergraduate degree from Colgate University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Diane Morais joined Ally in 2008, and is responsible for driving the growth, profitability, and digital evolution of Ally’s consumer and commercial banking division. She has oversight of the Deposits, Ally Invest, Mortgage, Ally Lending, Ally credit cards, and Corporate Finance businesses, as well as customer care and operations. She also oversees Ally’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) program.
Morais was instrumental in the creation and launch of the Ally brand in 2009. Under Morais’ leadership, Ally Bank has achieved double-digit retail deposit growth each year, and now has more than 2.5 million customers and over $135 billion in retail deposits. Ally has received numerous third-party accolades, including being named “Best Online Bank” in America by Money® Magazine, as well as “Best Internet Bank” and “Best for Millennials” by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.
Prior to holding key leadership positions of increasing responsibility at Ally, Morais achieved a number of significant professional accomplishments in the financial services sector. During a career spanning twelve years at Bank of America, she served in senior roles in deposit and debit products, national customer experience, card services marketing and consumer mortgage vendor management. Morais also spent nine years at Citibank’s credit card division in a variety of marketing, risk and finance roles.
A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Morais holds a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University. She is a member of the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, and Charlotte Center City Partners. Morais has been named to American Banker Magazine’s ‘25 Most Powerful Women in Banking’ list for six consecutive years. She was also named one of the top 25 outstanding business women in the Charlotte Business Journal’s 2018 Women in Business Awards. She is active in the Charlotte community, serving as an Executive in Residence for Queens University and volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, Dress for Success and the Salvation Army.
A leadership panel that includes Fred Whitfield, Pete Guelli, and Muggsy Bogues of the Charlotte Hornets.
Currently serving on the Board of Directors of Sonoco Products Company (NYSE: SON) and The Cato Corporation (NYSE: CATO), both global New York Stock Exchange companies headquartered in the Carolinas.
Retired from Deloitte in 2019 after a 40-year career with the firm, lastly serving as the Managing Partner for the Carolinas practice, where she oversaw nearly 2,000 professionals and was responsible for the strategy and direction of Deloitte’s efforts and activities in North and South Carolina. Before relocating to Charlotte in 2011, she was the Managing Partner of Deloitte’s San Diego practice for 10 years and previously served as the Partner-in-Charge of Audit Services in Phoenix.
Throughout 40 years with Deloitte, providing auditing and consulting services, she served both large global companies as well as mid-market growth companies. She was the Lead Client Service Partner and Advisory Partner for several attest and non-attest clients, primarily in the consumer business, retail, manufacturing and distribution industries.
In 1991, She was admitted to the Deloitte partnership at a time when women represented fewer than 4% of partners at the largest accounting firms. During my career, she has led numerous initiatives on behalf of women. She helped develop a culture that encourages leaders to provide clearly defined paths to help professionals identify the right work/life fit, explore formal mentorship opportunities, and to strengthen benefits such as eldercare, childcare and a vast array of workplace flexibility initiatives. She remains focused on the advancement of women in the business community.
Investing locally has always been a personal interest. She is an involved and active member in the Charlotte community, serving as the immediate Past Chair of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte. She also participates in the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council, International Women’s Forum, Women Executives, AICPA, and NCACPA.
Brian Savoy serves as executive vice president and chief strategy and commercial officer for Duke Energy. He is responsible for enterprise strategy as well as strategies to transform the company's generation and transmission assets to achieve its net-zero carbon emissions goals. In addition, he has responsibility for commercial renewables, the natural gas business unit, business ventures and development, and relationship management and sales for large customer accounts.
Before assuming his current position in May 2021, Savoy served as senior vice president and chief transformation and administrative officer for Duke Energy. He led the company's business transformation through digital innovation, new ways of working and process redesign. He had responsibility for the enterprise business services and technology team, including the information and technology, administrative services, supply chain and human resources organizations. He was also responsible for Customer Connect, a new customer information and engagement system.
Prior to that, Savoy served as Duke Energy's chief accounting officer and controller, where his responsibilities included the accounting, financial reporting and internal controls for the corporation. He joined the company in 2001 as a manager in Duke Energy's energy trading unit, Duke Energy North America, and he was named director of trading and risk services later in that year. Savoy led derivative accounting and trading control functions for energy trading and marketing activities and was instrumental in the successful wind-down and disposition of Duke Energy North America in 2005.
In 2006, he was appointed vice president and controller of the commercial power business. In 2009, Savoy was named director of financial forecasting and planning, where he played a significant role in addressing challenging business and strategic issues, including leading financial due diligence for the Duke Energy/Progress Energy merger in 2012.
Before joining Duke Energy, Savoy was a manager with the international accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, where he served large energy clients. Savoy earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and completed the Advanced Management Program at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in Durham, N.C. He is a certified public accountant in both Texas and Ohio.
Savoy serves as a member of the board of trustees for Queens University of Charlotte. He and his wife, Sabrina, along with their son and daughter, live in Charlotte, N.C.
Ralph is a senior-level Executive with extensive leadership experience within several of the world’s largest global investment banking and financial services organizations. Ralph is results-oriented and possesses an outstanding business, information technology and entrepreneurial background with a passion and highly regarded capability for transformational leadership. Recognized by Senior Level Executives and Board of Directors for an ability to identify and analyze operational issues, develop world class solutions, and implement audaciously visionary and highly innovative practices that consistently generate outstanding bottom-line results. Examples include launching the first Agile SDLC practice at Wells Fargo in 2008. That practice went on to become the gold standard of Agile at the firm and was instrumental in increasing the productivity of Ralph’s team by 5X and decreased their time/speed to market by more than 50%. Ralph started his first company in 2000, with a plan to address income inequality by providing the means to invest in equity markets for first time and underrepresented investors. And this audaciously visionary and innovative leadership shows up again in Ralph’s most current leadership roles as the founder of Knowhere Art Gallary; a fusion of contemporary art, technology and socially conscious storytelling. Lastly in Ralph’s roles as CIO at BNY Mellon and Wells Fargo which are implementing advanced AI and machine learning models to eliminate manual operational procedures.
Professional Experience
Kristan Seaford, raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, has a bachelor's degree in English and Psychology
with a minor in Marketing from Duke University. Kristan's early career was as a
marketing executive for a small advertising agency.
While she enjoyed her work, she was looking for something more.
Kristan returned to school and received her master's degree in Counselor Education from Wake Forest University
as well as a NC License in Professional Counseling (LPC). Her counseling experience began
in several colleges where she served as an academic, career, and personal counselor. She then joined
a local private practice, where she used play therapy with children and traditional therapy with adolescents and adults.
She focused her attention on individuals, groups, and families suffering through anxiety, depression,
eating disorders, abuse, divorce, and other life transitions. In addition, Kristan is a Gottman-trained marital therapist.
After a "break" from professional counseling to be a stay-at-home, Kristan has returned to her passion - providing
a place and a space for people to share their thoughts, feelings, dreams, challenges, and worries.
Kristan has opened her own private practice, Kristan Seaford, LPC, in Matthews, North Carolina.
Kristan's Story
It was the Fall of 2013. Kristan Seaford, a 38-year-old stay-at-home mom with five young children,
had so far managed to avoid the bugs that her kids had been passing around like balls.
She liked to think that her flu shot and her cardiovascular health were providing her a protective shield - she was an avid runner
and taught classes in weight training and athletic conditioning.
However, Kristan's life screeched to a halt and then veered in a new direction when catastrophic illness struck.
What began as the flu and strep throat turned into pneumonia and a life-threatening condition called septic shock.
After 100 days, a medically-induced coma, six hospitals, and a miracle; she survived.
However, the powerful treatments and medications that saved her life also changed it for ever.
Today she lives as a triple amputee, with her remaining foot missing the toes and heel.
And she is as busy as ever - parenting those five children, driving them to various activities,
volunteering at their schools, and even teaching group exercise classes again at the YMCA.
She has also become a motivational and faith-building speaker, a personal counselor, blogger, and writer. In short, Kristan has not let
disabilities slow her down, let alone stop her from doing what she loves— helping others.