Key Executives is pleased to announce The Top 25 CEOs of New York for 2024. New York, home of the incomparable New York City, boasts more businesses and revenue than any other state by far, with strengths in all sectors including finance, media, banking, fashion, and beyond. From leadership skills to innovation, CEOs in New York must prove exemplary in their fields in order to stand out above the competitive fold. The CEOs listed below did just that in 2024.
Among this year’s awardees are Jon Dario, who oversaw a $3 billion acquisition of Manhattan Mini Storage. There’s Matt Baer, who is transforming the C-suite and labor structure of Stitch Fix to improve efficiency. Also on the list is John Sergides, who has seen MUFG Investor Services top a record $1 trillion in assets.
The awardees were chosen from a pool of highly competitive nominations submitted to Key Executives. Winners were chosen based on exceptional and unique qualities and accomplishments. Please join us in recognizing the accomplishments of The Top 25 CEOs of New York for 2024.
1. Gregory Macfarlane
Chief Executive Officer & President, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.
Gregory Macfarlane is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Jackson Hewitt Tax Service. He first joined the company in 2020. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. is an innovator in the tax industry with a mission to provide its hard working clients access to simple, low-cost solutions to manage their taxes and tax refunds. Under Macfarlane, Jackson Hewitt has supported updates to their tax system, created tens of thousands of jobs, and opened thousands of new tax locations.
Previously, Macfarlane was a chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Casper and before that a senior vice president, products and operations at H&R Block. Earlier in his career, he worked with GE in the financial management program. Macfarlane earned an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management and an undergraduate degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.
2. David Yowan
President and Chief Executive Officer, Navient
David Yowan was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Navient on May 15, 2023. He has been a director since April 2017. Navient provides technology-enabled education finance and business processing solutions that simplify complex programs and help millions of people achieve success. Under Yowan, the company has embarked on major transformations including cost-savings initiatives that benefit shareholders.
Yowan previously was Executive Vice President and Corporate Treasurer of American Express. He brings over 40 years of experience in risk management, balance sheet management, funding and liquidity, and in integrating financial management with business strategy.
During his time at American Express, he played a key role in navigating the financial crisis of 2008-2009. He led a significant transformation of the company's funding profile and the transition of American Express into a bank holding company. Prior to joining American Express in 1999, Yowan spent time at Citicorp in its global consumer banking business and before that at the Ayco Corporation, now a part of Goldman Sachs. Yowan earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of William & Mary and a Master of Management from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University.
3. Anthony Hitt
Chief Executive Officer, Americas, Engel & Völkers
Anthony Hitt began his professional career 36 years ago. Today, he is the Chief Executive Officer, Americas of Engel & Völkers. Engel & Völkers is one of the world’s leading service companies specializing in the brokerage of premium residential property, commercial real estate, yachts, and aircraft. Hitt recently oversaw a brand refresh and expansion plans into the U.S.
Hitt first got his start in 1988 as a president at American Institute of Motivation, Inc. From there, he went on to HitCom Corporation before eventually rising to assistant brokerage manager, broker at Sotheby's International Realty Inc., which was his most recent position prior to joining Engel & Völkers. Hitt graduated from Moberly College with an undergraduate degree in business and economics.
4. Matt Baer
Chief Executive Officer, Stitch Fix
Matt Baer is the Chief Executive Officer of Stitch Fix. He first joined the company in 2023. Stitch Fix prides itself on personal styling for everyone. The company’s thousands of remote stylists, both in the US and UK, help clients near and far find pieces that fit their lifestyle from everyday occasions to special events. Baer has spearheaded an internal transformation of the business in order to kick off long-term growth.
Previously, Baer was a chief customer and digital officer at Macy's, and before that a vice president at Walmart eCommerce. Earlier in his career he worked with Baers Furniture as a retail manager. Baer earned a J.D. from Cardozo School of Law and an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
5. Dev Ittycheria
President & Chief Executive Officer, MongoDB
Dev Ittycheria is the President and Chief Executive Officer of MongoDB, a leading developer data platform. Under Ittycheria’s leadership, MongoDB has grown its business faster and delivered better financial performance than any comparable company in its sector.
Ittycheria is also on the board of Datadog and DataRobot. Previously, Ittycheria was Managing Director at OpenView Venture Partners and Venture Partner at Greylock Partners. Earlier, Ittycheria was the Co-founder and CEO of BladeLogic. BladeLogic went public in 2007 and was acquired by BMC for nearly $1B. Following the acquisition, Ittycheria served as President of BMC. Ittycheria founded his first technology company in 1998, and his leadership and board roles have resulted in five IPOs and three significant acquisitions. Ittycheria graduated from Rutgers University with a B.S. in electrical engineering, was honored with the Medal of Excellence, and was recognized by the School of Engineering as its 2010 Alumnus of the Year.
6. Olivier Padiou
Chief Executive Officer, Valtech
Olivier Padiou began his professional career 34 years ago. Today, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Valtech, a business transformation, digital development, marketing, and commerce company. Padiou leads a global team of 6,000 professionals in more than 60 offices worldwide that help brands unlock value in a digitally accelerated world. Padiou saw an overhaul of Valtech’s position as the agency doubled its revenue and headcount over the last few years.
Padiou first got his start in 1990 as a senior consultant in a large accounts division at Apple Computer France. From there, he went on to MDEO/Zentropy Partner before eventually rising to chairman and CEO at ACDSI, which was his most recent position prior to joining Valtech. Padiou graduated from Université de Lorraine with an undergraduate degree in mathematics and computer science.
7. Ranjit Tinaikar
Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, Ness Digital Engineering
Ranjit Tinaikar is the Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Ness Digital Engineering. He first joined the company in 2020. Ness is a full lifecycle digital engineering firm offering digital advisory through scaled engineering services. Combining their core competence in engineering with the latest in digital strategy and technology, they seamlessly manage Digital Transformation journeys from strategy through execution to help businesses thrive in the digital economy. Under Tinaikar, Ness expects to increase its head count by 20-25% per year.
Tinaikar has a track record of driving growth in the global businesses that he has managed.
Previously, Tinaikar was a president, Fitch Solutions at Fitch Group, Inc. and before that a managing director, advisory & investment management at Thomson Reuters. Earlier in his career he worked with Carnegie Mellon University as an assistant professor, MIS. Tinaikar earned a Ph.D. in business administration, management and operations from the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business and an M.Tech. in industrial management from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.
8. Rich Grossi
Chief Executive Officer, ION
Rich Grossi is the Chief Executive Officer of ION. ION Group provides mission-critical trading and workflow automation software, high-value analytics and insights, and strategic consulting to financial institutions, central banks, governments, and corporations. Their solutions and services simplify complex processes, boost efficiency, and enable better decision-making. Grossi has overseen many accomplishments through ION, including acquisitions and a broadening portfolio of software projects. Grossi has 11 years of experience.
Grossi joined the BBBSLI Board of Directors in 2014 and has played an active role in its fundraising efforts, the Holiday for Kids’ Sake Program, and most recently, their newly created Rise Up Program. Grossi graduated from Hofstra University with an undergraduate degree in computer science.
9. John Sergides
Chief Executive Officer, MUFG Investor Services
John Sergides is CEO of MUFG Investor Services. Before becoming CEO in 2019, Sergides served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Global Head of Sales and Marketing. MUFG Investor Services is a leading solutions provider for the global alternative investment management industry. Under Sergides, MUFG topped $1 trillion in assets.
For more than two decades, Sergides has been a leader in the financial services industry, focusing on investor services and asset management. He has significantly expanded the Investor Services offerings to include business process outsourcing, escrow services, fund financing, foreign exchange overlay, Limited Partner servicing, private debt solutions, securities lending, subscription lines of credit, ESG solutions, and business consulting.
Prior to UBS, Sergides worked at Deutsche Bank, where he was Global Head of Transaction Banking Cross Sales in the Investment Bank and Financial Institution Group units, and Global Head of Business Development and Strategy Transaction Banking in the Alternative Fund Services unit. Sergides joined Deutsche Bank from JP Morgan, where he served as Executive Director and Head of Hedge Fund Services Solutions and Sales. He began his career with roles at Barclays Capital, CLR Financial Group, HSBC Group, and Point Nine Financial Technologies. Sergides serves on the boards of directors for the Imperial College Foundation and Arkadia Asset Management AG. He serves as an Innovation Board Member at Rutgers University. Sergides earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Imperial College in London.
10. Bill Carter
Chief Executive Officer, ALM Media
Bill Carter is the Chief Executive Officer of ALM Media. He first joined the company in 2012. ALM is a national information, and intelligence company, supporting both the practice of and business of professionals in the legal, insurance, commercial real estate, and financial services industries. ALM delivers data, intelligence, insights, events, and audiences essential for growing businesses globally to over 7 million professionals. Carter was named a Top SaaS CEO by Software Report in 2020 thanks to his workplace culture, product strength, and strategic decision-making.
Previously, Carter was a SVP of a small law business unit at Thomson Reuters and before that an EVP & COO at GES Exposition Services. Earlier in his career, he worked with Southwest Research Institute as a research analyst. Carter earned an MBA in business from The Wharton School, an M.S. in computer science from Georgia Institute of Technology, and an undergraduate degree in computer science from Tulane University.
11. Julian Horky
Chief Executive Officer, Berenberg Asset Management
Julian Horky has served as Chief Executive Officer of Berenberg Asset Management for one year. Berenberg was founded in 1590 and is one of today’s leading private banks in Europe with its business divisions Wealth and Asset Management, Investment Banking, and Corporate Banking. Horky is overseeing many initiatives, including financing for green energy company ENERPARC. Horky has 12 years of experience. He began his career in 2012.
Before joining Berenberg Asset Management, Horky was a senior manager of enterprise risk and quantitative advisory at Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP. Before that, he was a senior consultant of banking at SKS Unternehmensberatung GmbH & Co. KG. Earlier in his career, he worked with Erste Group as an asset and liability manager. Horky graduated from Technische Universität Wien with an M.S. in industrial engineering and an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering and from WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business), with an undergraduate degree in business administration and management.
12. Harry Totonis
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ConnectiveRx
Harry Totonis began his professional career 38 years ago. Today, he is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ConnectiveRx, a company which he founded in 2015. ConnectiveRX cuts through mountains of red tape and creates access to specialty medications. They connect patients with prescribed medications through hub services, affordability, awareness, and adherence solutions. He left the company briefly but came back this year to usher in the next phase of accelerated growth.
Totonis first got his start in 1986 as a senior partner and global practice leader at Booz Allen Hamilton. From there, he went on to Kinexus before eventually rising to president and CEO at Surescripts, his most recent position prior to joining ConnectiveRx. Totonis graduated from Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business with an MBA and with an undergraduate degree in computer science.
13. David Burns
Chief Executive Officer, Vitech Systems Group
David Burns has served as CEO of Vitech for almost one year. Vitech is a global provider of cloud-native benefit and investment administration software, employing over 1,400 professionals and serving the world’s most successful insurance, retirement, and investment organizations.
Before this role, he worked as president and chief delivery officer for Vitech. Under these roles, he proved an ability to transform, grow, and scale enterprise SaaS companies including optimizing the workings of large professional services organizations, improving the quality and speed of company throughput.
Prior to joining Vitech, Burns led InsuranceNow Professional Services at Guidewire Software and was the chief information officer at The Hartford. Burns is an alumnus of Syracuse University, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics. He holds a master’s certificate in project management from George Washington University.
14. Irina Novoselsky
Chief Executive Officer, Hootsuite
Irina Novoselsky has served as CEO of Hootsuite since early 2023. As the global leader in social media management, Hootsuite powers social media for brands and organizations around the world, from the smallest businesses to the largest enterprises. Novoselsky believes strongly in valuing social media management teams, and in the power of authenticity online.
Most recently the CEO at CareerBuilder, she successfully led the global HR technology company through significant transformation, expanding its audience, enhancing the product and user experience, and driving operational excellence to best meet customer needs. She has also worked in senior positions at Novitex, Dubin & Co., and Apollo Global Management, and has served on the boards of Lemonade and World Business Chicago.
Novoselsky balanced business school with 50-hour weeks in low-level roles at Morgan Stanley to pay her way as an undergraduate attending New York University’s Stern School of Business, where she graduated magna cum laude.
15. Acky Kamdar
Chief Executive Officer, Magic EdTech
Acky Kamdar began his professional career 39 years ago. Today, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Magic EdTech. Magic EdTech is a New York-based technology and content services company that has served the education publishing markets for over 30 years. Its award-winning SaaS platform, MagicBox, has more than 6 million users worldwide. Under Kamdar, who has served as CEO for nine years, he leads a team of over 500 experts who deliver this product and more.. As a general partner of Solmark, a private equity venture, he also helps build businesses that are run by entrepreneurs who need to become globally competitive.
Kamdar first got his start in 1985 as a regional head at HCL. From there, he went on to HCL Hewlett-Packard before eventually rising to managing director, capital markets - financial markets solutions at Headstrong, his most recent position prior to joining Magic EdTech.
Kamdar graduated from NYU Stern School of Business with an EMBA, from Sydenham Institute of Entrepreneurship, Management and Research Education with an MMS in business management and marketing and from Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics with an undergraduate degree in commerce and business accounting.
16. Ken Greene
Chief Executive Officer, AKAM Living Services
Ken Greene has served as Chief Executive Officer of AKAM Living Services for one year. He first joined the company in 2023. AKAM sets the standard in property management and brokerage for both residential and commercial properties. With deep history and expertise in New York and Florida as well as a vision for growth across the nation, AKAM has been cultivating communities through its hospitality-led team, leading operational standards and service offerings. Greene has implemented repositioning, start-up and growth strategies, and has overseen significant real estate, managed, and franchised portfolios. Previously, Greene was the President & CEO of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association.
He was a chief executive officer at Greenehouse Consulting LLC and before that a consultant at Family Office Private Equity. Earlier in his career he worked with H.D. Vest Financial Services as a recruiter. Greene earned an MBA in finance from The University of Texas at Dallas and an undergraduate degree in economics from Swarthmore College.
17. Samina Virk
Chief Executive Officer, North America, Vestiaire Collective
Samina Virk is the Chief Executive Officer in North America of Vestiaire Collective. Vestiaire Collective's mission is to transform the fashion industry for a more sustainable future by empowering their community to promote circular fashion. Their platform is unique thanks to a rare inventory of 5 million items including 20,000 daily new-ins. They currently have a diverse global team of 800 employees representing more than 50 nationalities. Vestiaire was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Paris with offices in Tourcoing, London, Berlin, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Lisbon, Seoul. Virk has 26 years of experience.
Virk began her career in 1998, and has used her experience owning P&Ls, building brands and leading global teams across high growth start-ups as well as established corporations, including eBay, Vestiaire Collective, Threads Styling, One Kings Lane, Target, R/GA.
Before joining Vestiaire Collective, Virk was an executive consultant and advisor self-employed and before that a global chief marketing officer at Threads Styling Ltd. Earlier in her career, she worked with Interactive Digital Agencies as an engagement manager and senior project manager. Virk graduated from London Business School with an MBA and from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with an undergraduate degree in marketing management.
18. Leslie Kass
Chief Executive Officer, Lewis Tree Service
As Lewis CEO, Leslie Kass is responsible for ensuring the success of the company’s customers and employees while developing and executing Lewis’ vision and strategy for growth. In addition to being Lewis’ first female CEO, Kass was the first female CEO in the 150-year history of Babcock & Wilcox. She also held leadership positions at Westinghouse Electric Company, Nuclear Energy Institute, Entergy, and Duke Energy. A results-oriented and energetic leader, Kass brings board of directors and investor community experience to Lewis, along with diverse functional skills such as engineering, finance, operations, and marketing. Her 30-year track record in the utility industry includes the successful team-building and coaching of cross-functional global organizations and work in a wide variety of ownership models.
Most recently, Kass served as executive vice president at TC Energy’s Corporate Technical Center in Calgary, Alberta. In this role, she led the supply chain and project management office for a multi-billion-dollar capital portfolio and managed corporate-wide governance for engineering, research and development, safety, nuclear regulatory affairs, risk assessment, quality, compliance, security, and emergency response.
Kass graduated from Duke University at The Fuqua School of Business with an MBA, and from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an undergraduate degree in materials science and engineering.
19. Mike Steib
Chief Executive Officer, Artsy
Mike Steib is the CEO of Artsy, the world’s leading online marketplace for buying and selling art by the world's top artists. Under Steib’s four-year tenure, Artsy has accumulated over 1 million works of art.
Previously, Steib was the CEO of XO Group Inc, parent company of The Knot. After developing America’s number one wedding planning app and two-sided local vendor marketplace, XO Group was sold in December of 2018 for $933M, a 350% increase in the company’s equity value over Steib five-year tenure. Steib serves on the board of Ally Financial, a Fortune 500 digital financial services company that helps millions of Americans save, invest, and borrow with confidence. Previously, Steib served in roles at Google, NBC Universal, Vente-Privee USA, Walker Digital, and McKinsey & Company.
Steib is the host of “Office Hours with Steib”—a production of iHeartMedia, the #1 podcast publisher in the world—where he joins with the founders and chief executives who offer actionable advice. He is also the author of “The Career Manifesto” (Penguin Random House, 2018), a guide for young professionals seeking more purpose and joy in their work.
Steib received a BA in economics and a BA in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a named inventor of three patents and played a supporting actor role in the independent film “The Mad Ones.”
20. Ryan Caffyn-Parsons
Chief Executive Officer, The Americas, Unispace
Ryan Caffyn-Parsons is the Chief Executive Officer of The Americas of Unispace. Unispace is a global workplace strategy, design, and construction leader, creating experiential spaces and environments. Initially joining as the global Commercial Director in 2015, under his leadership, revenue contribution to the global business surged, from 9% to 19%, culminating in a strategic acquisition by a Private Equity firm in 2020. Transitioning to the role of Managing Director/CEO in late 2020, his responsibilities encompassed overseeing the P&L across the Americas business, spanning major markets across USA, Canada, Brazil and Mexico. Over the preceding two years, he collaborated closely with the global executive leadership , orchestrating targeted acquisitions and spearheading their seamless integration within the business. Caffyn-Parsons has 30 years of experience. He began his career in 1994.
Before joining Unispace, Caffyn-Parsons was a director of operations at Structure Tone and before that, a project director at ISG plc. Earlier in his career, he worked with R.Mansell Ltd as a project manager. Caffyn-Parsons graduated from Durban University of Technology with an undergraduate degree in construction management.
21. Piyush Jain
Chief Executive Officer, Maesa
Piyush Jain began his professional career 26 years ago. Today, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Maesa, the world’s #1 beauty incubator. Jain has led the transformation of businesses through creating completely new brands, leading big acquisitions, preparing iconic brands to be future-ready.
Prior to joining Maesa, Piyush was the CEO at Hand in Hand, a Bain Capital Double Impact company. Before that, he worked at Unilever for more than 20 years —across beauty, hair and personal care categories. In his most recent role at Unilever, he served as global brand vice president for Beauty and Personal Care. Piyush previously ran the North America hair brand portfolio. In a first for Unilever, he founded and incubated the award-winning, purpose-driven brand, Love Beauty & Planet. During his career with the personal care giant, he built a track record of success, leading diverse and iconic brands including Dove, Lux, Suave, TRESemmé and Nexxus. Piyush lives in New York with his wife Joyee Deb – who is a professor of economics at Yale. Outside work, Piyush is an avid reader of fiction, a sports enthusiast, and a marathoner.
22. Firdosh Tangri
Chief Executive Officer, Fantasy
Firdosh Tangri is the CEO of Fantasy, a world-renowned experience design company with a mission to impact the user experience in every-day products through human-centered design and innovation. With over 22 years of experience in technology, business, and creative fields, he leads Fantasy's global team of designers, developers, strategists, and engineers in delivering influential products and experiences that prioritize high-quality creative and technical excellence. Firdosh has overseen large-scale transformational engagements for top-tier clients across various industries, such as Google, Microsoft, Samsung, United Healthcare, and Ford Motors. He is also a published author in Forbes, where he shares his insights on blockchain, trust, and digital strategy, and an active member of the publication's Agency Council.
Previously, Tangri was a senior interactive developer at Purdue Homeland Security Institute and, before that, an interactive developer at SEAS Lab. Tangri earned an undergraduate degree in computer science and economics from Purdue University.
23. Bryan Wiener
Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, Profitero
Bryan Wiener is the CEO and the board member of Profitero. Profitero is the leading global commerce acceleration company offering a flexible suite of intelligence-driven solutions so that brands can grow profitably. Their integrated digital shelf analytics, shelf-intelligent activation and advisory services empower brands to optimize product availability, discoverability, and maximize conversions across 1,200+ retailers and 70 countries. He is an entrepreneur and business-builder, who has spent the past 25 years driving growth amid chaotic markets undergoing rapid technological transformation.
He is the former CEO and Board Director at Comscore, Inc., a global leader in cross-platform audience and advertising measurement. Prior to Comscore, Wiener co-founded and was co-CEO of search marketing optimization SaaS platform SearchIgnite, and digital marketing agency 360i, which was known for its innovative work with CPG, entertainment and retail clients, and was acquired by Dentsu in 2010. Wiener also previously served as the Chairman of Expion, a social content and analytics software SaaS company serving CPG customers from 2014 until the company was acquired in 2015. Wiener is a member of the board of directors of cars.com and serves on the advisory board for the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. Wiener holds an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University and an undergraduate degree from Syracuse University.
24. Christopher Mayer
Chief Executive Officer, Longbridge Financial
Christopher Mayer is CEO of Longbridge Financial and Professor of Finance at Columbia Business School. He has led Longbridge's growth from a startup company to the the third-largest securitizer of newly-issued HECM reverse mortgages in 2021 and the industry's fastest growing major reverse mortgage lender. He also teaches and researches topics in real estate finance at Columbia, where he has held various positions since 1996. Longbridge Financial is an innovative and rapidly growing reverse mortgage lender and closed loan purchaser. The company collaborates with mortgage brokers, traditional and reverse mortgage lenders, retirement companies, and financial planners to help older Americans use their home equity to have a better retirement.
Mayer first got his start in 1999 as an associate professor of real estate at The Wharton School. Mayer graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a PhD in economics and from the University of Rochester with an undergraduate degree in math and economics.
25. Jon Dario
Chief Executive Officer, Edison Properties
Jon Dario is the Chief Executive Officer of Edison Properties. He is a retail leadership veteran and author of four books on leadership skills and systems. He first joined the company in 2015 as president of Manhattan Mini Storage, which was acquired by StorageMart for a historic $3 billion in 2021. Manhattan Mini Storage remains the only large-scale urban storage company of its kind. Edison has also developed state-of-the art office and apartment buildings.
Previously, Dario was a chairman at New York Self Storage Association and before that an expert consultant at Capella Learning Solutions. Earlier in his career he worked with Macy's as a sales manager and assistant buyer. Dario earned an undergraduate degree in marketing, retailing and retail operations from Penn State University.