ROI’s Into the Corner Office Podcast: Powerhouse Middle Market CEOs Telling it Real—Unexpected Caree...

Craig Gunckel is the chief executive officer for Iconex, which he joined in July 2017. With more than 25 years of expertise in the paper, packaging and retail industries, Gunckel brings a proven track record of leadership and helping companies thrive. Prior to joining Iconex, he served as president, enterprise solutions for WestRock. During his 20+ years with the company, Gunckel held a variety of executive roles, including leading its merchandising displays and folding carton businesses. Gunckel currently serves on the board for the Wake Forest University Business School, the Purdue University Krannet School of Management and the Atlanta Area Boy Scouts. He earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Purdue University.

Paul Blanco is the founder and CEO of Barnum Financial Group, an award-winning provider of comprehensive personalized planning, investment and protection solutions, and financial literacy programs to clients across the United  States. Throughout his career, Paul has been a tireless advocate for his firm and the communities it serves as well as for the financial services industry.  He began his career at MetLife as a financial services representative in 1991. In just two years, he moved into management,  taking over a seven person MetLife office in Trumbull, Connecticut. Today, Barnum has over 20 offices in Connecticut,  New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.  In recognition of his vision and leadership, Paul became the youngest inductee into the MetLife Managers’ Hall of Fame.  During his MetLife tenure, he won numerous accolades for his achievements including Top of the Tower, Golden Laureate, and Platinum Laureate. He has qualified for eight consecutive Management Leaders Conferences and fifteen America’s  Council Conferences. Paul led the team at Barnum to be recognized by MetLife as their Firm of the Year in 2004, 2005,  2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2015.  Paul is passionate in his belief that having well-trained and credentialed professionals providing personal financial advice and strategies can have a major positive impact on the lives of individuals and their families. This belief has led him to make substantial contributions to his industry including developing his Growth Through Innovation workshops, a  forum to deliver “best practices” across all aspects of our businesses to financial services leaders throughout the country.  In the last decade, Barnum has consistently been ranked as a “Best Place to Work” by organizations such as the Hartford  Business Journal and Providence Business News and “Best Company to Work For” by the New York State SHRM, The  Business Council of New York, and Best Companies Group. Most recently, Barnum was named a “Best Places to Work for  Financial Advisors” by Investment News.  Most recently, Paul’s understanding of the importance of engaging young adults to take control of their financial futures has inspired him to spearhead the launch of The Establishment Barnum, a new approach to financial education and literacy focusing on young professionals.  He has served on GAMA Foundation’s Board of Trustees and has written for their Great Ideas book series. He has qualified for the Master Agency Award, the International Management Diamond Plus and Diamond Awards, and the First in Class  GAMA International Award. GAMA has also named Barnum one of the top 100 U. S. Financial Agencies multiple times.  Paul was recently accepted into the Forbes Finance Council, an invitation-only community for executives in accounting,  financial planning, wealth and asset management, and investment firms, and has contributed insights to a number of their publications.. A noted industry speaker, Paul has appeared on many radio and television programs as well as in national and local publications, providing insights on leadership, recruiting, philanthropy, and industry innovation.

George is the Owner and President of Drive Research, LLC. He has more than 15 years of experience working on the client and supplier side of market research. He has consulted for hundreds of regional, national, and global organizations. George has vast experience with all types of market research design and project management. He is a certified VoC professional with a focus on innovation and new product management. His interests outside of Drive Research include his wife Jennifer, daughters Abigail and MacKenzie, and his dog Shea. He is an avid tennis player and Mets, Giants, and Rangers fan. This is unfortunate for him most seasons.

Brad Wolansky is the Chief Executive Officer at Dover Saddlery, the largest multichannel retailer of equestrian products in the United States. Brad brings a wealth of leadership and experience to the business. His strengths in operational excellence, omni channel marketing, product development and over 30 years in retail both in the private and public sectors, coupled with his passion and drive to put the customer first, establishes Brad as a strong leader and mentor for growing brands. In addition to Brad’s current position as Dover Saddlery CEO, he spent time as Chief Digital Officer at Performance Sports Group via Boston’s B2C Partners, President, Consumer Direct, and President, Fundraising as well as Chief Marketing Officer for Yankee Candle, part of Newell Brands. Prior to joining Yankee Candle, Brad was CEO of The Golf Warehouse for Redcats USA and spent over 10 years with The Orvis Company, managing catalog and product development and most recently VP of Global E-Commerce. Brad was also Director of E-Commerce Merchandising for Wilson's Leather, spent time at L.L. Bean, has engineered two start-ups, and for ten years ran a family-owned group of luggage and gift stores.

Joshua Broder serves as CEO of Tilson, which under his leadership, has grown from less than 10 employees to 600, earning a top spot on the Inc. 5000 list for the past eleven years. He is also the founder of Tilson’s public utility affiliate, which develops, owns, and leases back 5G infrastructure including poles, towers, and fiber nationwide. Josh cut his teeth in leadership as an Army Signal Officer on missions in Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, where he was awarded the Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan designing, building, and operating the communications network for US forces. Josh holds a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College and is a graduate of AT&T’s Operation Hand Salute at JFK University with a certificate in entrepreneurial studies. Josh is on the board of Versant Power, VETRO FiberMap, Kleinschmidt Associates, The Jackson Laboratory, and Skowhegan Savings Bank.

Craig Handley is co-founder of ListenTrust. He’s an expert in Hispanic Marketing, Direct Response Marketing, and Sales and Brand expansion, Handley is the CEO and founder of the hugely successful “Listen Up Espanol,” which was named #1 in Business Products and Service (#27 overall) on Inc. Magazine’s 500/5000 list. Handley’s businesses employ over 1,000 employees and have cumulatively done over 500 million in sales within the last five years to Hispanics in the USA. He started his professional career as a paperboy, winning a contest to go to Disney for most new subscribers at the age of 13, he followed up with 3 years of door-to-door insurance sales, where he again won the companies highest award 8 times. He worked in a call center in telephone sales and again was one of 3 employees (Out of 950) selling over a million dollars a year in product. A respected advisor for hundreds of brands, products, and services in almost every category, he has also contributed articles and been interviewed for leading marketing and business magazines, blogs and podcasts and he’s spoken at conferences, company retreats, seminars, and private masterminds. He served five years in the U.S. Army infantry during the first Iraqi war, leaving with an honorable discharge. Handley studied voice and piano in college. He has written and produced hundreds of songs, from rap to pop to ballads to humorous parodies, and even opened for Coolio and hosted the Adult Entertainment Awards. In 2010 he turned down a record deal because it would have been “a pay cut” from his profitable businesses – and the required tour schedule didn’t leave him enough time for his kids. A devoted family man, he danced his way into his wife’s heart with his “running man” and his practiced rendition of “the worm” and is also the father of five and a boy named Josh. He believes that with faith and a little courage, anything is possible.

Chip Ingram’s passion is helping Christians really live like Christians. As a pastor, author, and teacher for more than three decades, Chip has helped believers around the world move from spiritual spectators to healthy, authentic disciples of Jesus by living out God’s truth in their lives and relationships in transformational ways. Chip’s direct, practical teaching style helps everyday believers apply God’s truth to relevant issues, relationships and challenges. Reaching more than a million people a week, his teaching can be heard online and through hundreds of radio and television outlets worldwide. In his winsome, down-to-earth way, he reveals Bible truth about God’s perspective on marriage, understanding love and sex, raising kids, money, and how to live the Christian life in today’s culture. Chip is the author of 15 books, including The Real God, Culture Shock and The Real Heaven. Like his preaching, Chip’s books provide relevant help for real life issues, meeting readers where they are and inspiring them to take the next step toward where God is calling them to be. Chip serves as CEO & Teaching Pastor of Living on the Edge – an international teaching and discipleship ministry. For over thirty-five years, Chip has pastored churches ranging from 60 to 6,000 and served as president of Walk Thru the Bible. Chip holds an M.S. degree from West Virginia University and a Th.M. degree from Dallas Theological Seminary.

Bill Doherty is the CEO of Day & Ross. He is a charismatic and innovative executive leader with 28 years' experience, including more than 22 years of consecutive positions at FedEx Express, with final position managing daily operations for 10,000 employees and annual revenue of $1 billion. Bill has a proven record of streamlining operations and improving bottom-line performance, expertise in building strong teams, managing executive performance, anticipating future industry changes, executing clear strategic plans, and driving revenue growth. He has also structured and managed highly profitable mergers for numerous companies. Bill's C-level experience includes the aviation industry, transportation, third-party logistics, shipping, startups.

Susan M. Cameron served as president and CEO, as well as executive and non-executive chair of the board of directors, of Reynolds American Inc. between 2004-2011 and 2013-2017. When RAI acquired Lorillard, Inc. for about $29 billion in 2015, it was reported to be the largest acquisition undertaken by a female CEO. In the period during which Cameron held leadership roles at RAI, the company’s total return to shareholders increased 1,335 percent, and the company’s stock price rose 627 percent. Cameron also serves as a non-executive director on the board of Tupperware Brands Corporation. Susan received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in business administration Bellarmine University. A brand marketer at heart, Cameron started her career in the tobacco industry in 1981 when she joined Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. Susan worked in a number of countries around the globe before returning to the U.S. in 1999 and being named CEO of Brown & Williamson in 2001. When Brown & Williamson’s U.S. business was merged with RAI’s R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 2004, Susan was named CEO of the new parent company, Reynolds American Inc. Since then; RAI has grown from a market capitalization of about $6 billion to its current valuation of more than $60 billion. Susan’s management philosophy is simple: in the consumer-goods industry, any company’s greatest assets are its brands and its people. Investing in both is the best way to ensure success. An avid advocate for women’s leadership, Susan frequently speaks to university and professional groups on leadership development. During her tenure as RAI’s CEO, she was recognized multiple times by publications including Forbes magazine, FORTUNE magazine and the Financial Times as one of the most powerful women in business. In 2016, FORTUNE magazine named Cameron as one of its top 50 businesspeople of the year, based both on RAI’s performance under her leadership as well as her record of taking “bold, visionary steps.” Susan is very active in community development activities and has served on the boards of two United Way organizations, the YWCA, Wake Forest University, Salem College, Experiment in Self Reliance, the Winston-Salem Alliance, and Old Salem. Since 2011, she has served on the board of trustees of her undergraduate alma mater, the University of Florida.

Bianca Padilla is CEO and co-founder of Carewell. Carwell is a family-founded company that simplifies life for caregivers by providing personalized service, compassionate content, and expert-vetted home care products. A graduate of New York University with a B.A. in Economics, Bianca attended the Disney Institute and formed the Charlotte chapter of Aging 2.0. Prior to founding Carewell, Bianca worked as a software engineer at LiveNinja and as an analyst for CCMP Capital Advisors and Pantheon Ventures. A Miami native, Bianca enjoys spending time with her co-founder husband Jonathan and toy poodle Henry, traveling, being an unabashed foodie, and reading books about entrepreneurship, leadership, tech, and comedy.