Key Executives is pleased to announce The Top 25 CEOs of Tampa for 2024. Located on Florida's west coast, Tampa is one of the Sunshine State’s most important industrial, commercial, and financial centers. Backed by its thriving economy and diverse workforce, this vibrant city is strategically located and has the largest bay port in Florida, making it easy to access southeastern US markets. From driving innovation, creating job opportunities, and contributing to the city's overall economic prosperity, these CEOs keep Tampa moving forward.
Among this year's awardees is ComplianceQuest CEO Prashanth Rajendran who, leveraging his twenty-five years of experience in manufacturing, engineering, and quality, directly oversees the software company’s sales, marketing, partnerships, finance, IT, legal, and overall company strategy and direction. Next on the list is Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. President and CEO Frances Allen, an expert in fast-casual dining, who has previously held executive roles at Boston Market and Jack-in-the-Box. Last but not least, is Rebecca Greenawalt, CEO of Ideal Image, who first joined as a Board Member in 2020 and then became CEO last year.
Hundreds of remarkable leaders from all areas of business were considered for this year’s award. The awardees being recognized have been instrumental in the development of their organizations and were selected for their outstanding leadership abilities and professional achievements. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 CEOs of Tampa for 2024.
1. Frances Allen
Chief Executive Officer, Checkers & Rally’s Drive-In Restaurants
Frances Allen joined Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. as President and Chief Executive Officer in February of 2020. Allen comes to Checkers and Rally’s with a solid track record in the restaurant industry and expertise across brand strategy, menu and marketing, franchising, restaurant technology, and restaurant operations, among other disciplines.
Most recently, Allen served as chief executive officer of Boston Market, where she implemented a multi-faceted transformation plan setting up the brand for future growth. Before Boston Market, Allen served as president of Jack in the Box from 2014 to 2018, where she held full strategic and operational responsibility for the 2,200-unit, $3 billion hamburger quick-service restaurant chain. Allen’s prior leadership experience includes successful tenures as chief brand officer and chief marketing officer at Denny’s Corporation, where she helped lead a successful turnaround and repositioned the brand as “America’s Diner,” as well as chief marketing officer of Dunkin’ Donuts USA. She has also held leadership roles at Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, PepsiCo, and Frito-Lay. Allen earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics with actuarial studies from the University of Southampton.
2. Kenny Wilson
Chief Executive Officer, Jabil Healthcare
Since May 2023, Kenny Wilson has served as Chief Executive Officer of Jabil, a healthcare manufacturing solutions company with over 250,000 employees across 100 locations in 30 countries. Jabil provides its clients with design, engineering, supply chain, process development, and production solutions, serving various markets including medical devices, diagnostics, pharmaceutical delivery systems, consumer health, and orthopedics.
Wilson first joined Jabil in 2000 as a business unit coordinator and has held various leadership roles, including VP of global business units. He previously served as executive vice president and CEO of Jabil’s Green Point division, where he also assumed responsibility for consumer packaging and corporate procurement. Before joining Jabil, Wilson spent eight years at Motorola where he served as operations manager in their Handset Division. Earlier in his career, he worked with Barr & Stroud Ltd. as a program manager. Wilson has a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering and an MBA from Edinburgh Business School.
3. Howard Heckes
President and Chief Executive Officer, Masonite
Howard Heckes has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Masonite since June 2019. Masonite International Corporation is a global designer, manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of interior and exterior doors in the residential and non-residential building construction markets. Masonite currently serves more than 7,000 customers globally.
Heckes formerly served as the CEO of Energy Management Collaborative, a privately held company providing LED lighting and controls and IoT conversion systems and service solutions. From 2008 to 2017, Heckes served in a variety of senior executive roles at Valspar Corporation, now a subsidiary of The Sherwin-Williams Company, and as EVP and President of Global Coatings. Before joining Valspar, Heckes held various leadership roles at Newell Rubbermaid, including President of Sanford Brands and President of Graco Children’s Products. Heckes graduated from the University of Iowa with a master’s in industrial and management engineering and from Iowa State University with an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering.
4. Rebecca Greenawalt
Chief Executive Officer, Ideal Image
Rebecca Greenawalt is the Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Image. She first joined the company as a board member in 2020, then became COO in 2023, and then CEO later that year. Ideal Image delivers affordable and effective face and body treatments through the industry’s largest network of doctors and licensed professionals. With over 20 years of experience and more than 20 million FDA-cleared treatments performed, Ideal Image offers an innovative and effective suite of medically-led products.
Greenawalt has more than 20 years of experience, holding a variety of executive strategic and advisory roles. Previously, Greenawalt was a principal at Garrison Greenawalt LLC and before that a chief strategy officer at ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers. Earlier in her career she worked with McKinsey & Company as a business analyst. Greenawalt earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree in economics from Harvard University.
5. Kathy Marinello
President and Chief Executive Officer, Pods
Kathryn Marinello is an accomplished leader and current President and Chief Executive Officer of PODS Enterprises, LLC. PODS, known initially as Portable on Demand Storage. They pioneered the concept of portable storage containers, allowing customers to conveniently store and access their belongings.
With nearly 30 years of executive leadership experience, Marinello is highly regarded for her ability to drive innovation and growth across diverse industries. Throughout her career, she has delivered impressive financial performance and stakeholder value. Under her leadership, companies have experienced growth and expansion, entered new markets, forged strong partnerships, and achieved revenue milestones. Marinello has also served as chief executive officer at Stream Global Services, the Electronics Payment Group at First Data, as well as GE Fleet Services. In addition to her executive leadership experience, Marinello is an experienced board director, having served on the boards of multiple Fortune 500 companies, including General Motors, AB Volvo, The Nielsen Company, Concentrix, and MasterCard U.S.. Marinello earned her Doctorate and MBA from Hofstra University and an undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Albany.
6. Robbert Rietbroek
Chief Executive Officer and Board Director, Primo Water Corporation
Robbert Rietbroek is the Chief Executive Officer and Board Director of Primo Water Corporation. Primo Water is a leading pure-play water solutions provider in North America and Europe and generated approximately $2.2 billion in annual revenue in 2022. Primo Water operates largely under a recurring revenue model in the large format water category (defined as 3 gallons or greater).
Rietbroek is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience at Fortune 500 companies, including five years as Senior Vice President and General Manager responsible for Quaker Foods North America (QFNA), a reported sector of PepsiCo. Prior to his role at Quaker, Rietbroek was a Senior Vice President and General Manager PepsiCo Australia and New Zealand. Before his tenure at PepsiCo, Rietbroek served as Vice President and General Manager Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands and Vice President and Global Sector Leader Baby and Child Care at the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Rietbroek also spent 15 years at Procter & Gamble in a variety of management and marketing roles in North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Rietbroek has worked across multiple consumer goods categories and has been recognized for exceptional brand building and innovation, achieving several awards and recognitions. Rietbroek also has board experience at World Business Chicago, the Australian Food and Grocery Council, and the American Chamber of Commerce Australia. He holds a Master’s in Science in Economics and Business Administration from Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
7. Scott Perry
Chief Executive Officer, Amerilife
Scott Perry is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Amerilife, a leader in the creation, promotion, and dissemination of life and health insurance, annuities, and retirement planning products. With more than 30 years of industry experience, Perry leads a multi-channel distribution business with a national network of over 300,000 insurance agents and financial advisors.
Before joining AmeriLife in 2016, Perry was chief business officer of CNO Financial Group and president of Bankers Life. He has also held leadership roles with Golden Rule, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Premera Blue Cross. Perry serves on the boards of Vericity Inc., a publicly traded insurance holding company, and Insurance Technologies, a leading fintech solutions company. Perry graduated from Ripon College with an undergraduate degree in history and political science.
8. Kimberly Fiori
Chief Executive Officer, Zenith American Solutions
Kimberly Fiori joined Zenith American Solutions as Chief Operating Officer in 2021 and was promoted to Chief Executive Officer in 2022. Zenith American Solutions provides care to America's workforce. With a team of over 1,700 professionals, the company delivers tailored solutions and personalized service to its clients and their union members. As CEO, Fiori is responsible for the overall success and growth of the organization. She has expertise in navigating the Taft-Hartley industry and operationalizing strategy, providing solutions to members and clients.
Fiori has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare payor space, previously serving as regional president for Trustmark Health Benefits, where she led all aspects of operations, growth, and retention. Fiori holds a master’s degree from Walsh College in Troy, Michigan, and an undergraduate degree in marketing from Oakland University.
9. Jonathan Cherins
Chief Executive Officer, Vector Solutions
Jonathan Cherins is the Chief Executive Officer of Vector Solutions, a provider of technology solutions that drive improvements in compliance, safety, performance, and preparedness. The company’s software includes training management, industry-focused online course libraries, EHS management, workforce scheduling, risk communication, and operational readiness.
Cherins brings over 25 years of executive experience leading technology-enabled companies in a variety of sectors. Prior to joining Vector, he served as CEO of PuppySpot for three years and remains a board member. In the years before that, Cherins was a member of the leadership team at Yext leading to its IPO in 2017. He also held various leadership roles at TravelClick, a Genstar company, playing a critical role in the company's record growth and profitability. Earlier in his career, Cherins held a variety of leadership positions at Dun & Bradstreet and was a founding employee at Juno Online Services. Cherins has his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Columbia University.
10. Nipesh Shah
President and Chief Executive Officer, Anchor Glass Container Corporation
Nipesh Shah is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Anchor Glass Container Corporation. Anchor Glass Container Corporation, headquartered in Tampa, Florida, is a North American manufacturer of premium glass containers, with six strategically located production facilities across the U.S.. Established in 1997, Anchor serves numerous renowned consumer packaging brands in the beer, beverage, spirits, and food industries.
Shah first got his start in 1998 as a senior technical manager at Dover Chemical Corp (ICC Industries). From there, he went on to Avery Dennison, before eventually rising to SVP at Consolidated Container Company, his most recent position before joining Anchor Glass Container Corporation. Shah graduated from The University of Akron with an master’s in polymer engineering and from Maharashtra Institute of Technology with an undergraduate degree in polymer engineering.
11. Avani Desai
Chief Executive Officer, Schellman
Avani Desai is a Chief Executive Officer at Schellman,a niche cybersecurity assessment firm that focuses on technology assessments. Schellman is a leading provider of attestation and compliance services. Its approach builds successful, long-term relationships and allows its clients to achieve multiple compliance objectives through a single project team.
Desai is an accomplished executive with domestic and international experience in information security, operations, P&L, oversight, and marketing involving both start-up and growth organizations. She is also a sought-after speaker as a voice on a variety of emerging topics, including information security, future technology trends, and the expansion of young women in technology. Previously, Desai was a co-founder at MyCryptoAlert and before that a co-founder at FindMyCME. Earlier in her career she worked with KPMG LLP as an associate.
12. Prashanth Rajendran
Chief Executive Officer, ComplianceQuest
Prashanth Rajendran is the Chief Executive Officer of ComplianceQuest. ComplianceQuest specializes in revolutionizing product lifecycle, quality, safety, and compliance through the adoption of AI-powered Product Lifecycle Management, Quality, and Safety Management platforms, all built on Salesforce. As CEO, Rajendran directly oversees ComplianceQuest’s sales, marketing, partnerships, finance, IT, legal, and overall company strategy and direction. He comes to the company with more than twenty-five years of experience in manufacturing, engineering, and quality.
Rajendran has repeatedly produced sustained revenue and EBITDA growth in dynamic and changing markets. He has extensive experience with process automation. His background includes president and CEO of Lattice Social, a software company that incorporates social media into business-to-business collaboration, and more than twenty years as co-founder and COO of Pilgrim Software, a Quality Management System software company. He grew the organization from inception to sale. Before this, he held a variety of positions in manufacturing engineering. Rajendran has a master's in industrial engineering from the University of South Florida and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology in India.
13. Michelle Jaeger
President and Chief Executive Officer, DAS Health
Michelle Jaeger is the President and Chief Executive Officer of DAS Health. She first joined the company in 2021 as chief operating officer. DAS Health provides healthcare organizations across the nation with valuable health IT and business solutions in the form of products, services, and support platforms.
With over 20 years of experience in healthcare and technology, Jaeger has brought a wealth of knowledge to DAS Health, helping to drive organic enterprise sales, complete and integrate multiple acquisitions, and develop effective strategies that have led to increased revenue and market share. Previously, Jaeger was SVP of global growth at UnitedHealthcare and SVP of Client Management of OptumRx at UnitedHealth Group. Earlier in her career she worked with Prudential as an associate manager. Jaeger earned an undergraduate degree in speech communications from St. Cloud State University.
14. Benoit de la Tour
Chief Executive Officer, Advantive
Benoit de la Tour is the Chief Executive Officer of Advantive. Advantive makes software for specialty manufacturing and distribution businesses that streamline complex processes, optimize operations visibility and throughput, and drive improved quality, profitability, and revenue growth. Advantive’s software solutions are relevant across the full manufacturing and distribution lifecycle. He brings with him more than 25 years of experience in growing software companies, with a focus on the ERP and supply chain optimization spaces.
Before joining Advantive, de la Tour served as the CEO at Navis, a global leader in supply chain optimization software for the shipping industry. At Navis, he oriented the product portfolio and business model to deliver strong customer value while doubling the company’s revenue through organic growth and acquisitions. Previously, de la Tour was VP of EMEA and LATAM for Dynamics, Microsoft’s ERP and CRM Division, where he successfully launched the company’s ERP software product in the enterprise space. Before joining Microsoft, he managed EMEA operations for Infor. He graduated with a degree in economics from the ESCE International Business School in Paris.
15. Deborah Weber
Chief Executive Officer, Sims Crane & Equipment
Deborah Weber is the Chief Executive Officer of Sims Crane & Equipment. Founded in 1959, Sims Crane & Equipment Co. has led the crane and rigging industry in Florida for over 60 years with innovative safety practices and education, sophisticated technology, and financial stability. The company offers a broad selection of equipment for heavy lifting and hauling applications for construction and industrial projects.
Weber has 31 years of experience, and began her career in 1993. Before joining Sims Crane & Equipment, Weber was a partner at Crowe Horwath LLP. Earlier in her career she worked with Carter Belcourt & Atkinson as a partner. Weber graduated from the University of South Florida with a master's in accounting.
16. Ashley Grohs
Chief Executive Officer, Ardor Health Solutions
Ashley Grohs has been the Chief Executive Officer at Ardor Health Solutions since 2023. Ardor Health Solutions, established in 2001, remains a family-owned and operated medical staffing business, placing travel nurses in areas that include emergency room services, ICU, and operating rooms, and travel therapists in areas of speech language pathology, and occupational and physical therapy.
Starting her career in 2002 as a senior mortgage broker at Allstate Mortgage, Grohs has diverse work experience spanning various industries. She has held the roles of president of business development and managing partner at Summit Medical Staffing, senior client manager and business development leader at Atlas MedStaff, and workforce solutions RVP at Medefis. Grohs pursued a degree in business administration and management at the College of the Canyons from 1999 to 2002.
17. Renee Krug
Chief Executive Officer, Transflo
Renee Krug was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Transflo in 2022. Transflo is a leader in mobile, telematics, and business process automation solutions for the transportation industry in North America. Transflo’s mobile and cloud-based technologies deliver real-time communications to fleets, brokers, factors, shippers, and commercial vehicle drivers, and digitize 800 million shipping documents a year, which represents approximately $115 billion in freight bills and 3.2 million downloads of the Mobile+ app.
Krug has a diverse background in the freight industry, having served as a leader at a Fortune 100 shipper, a top 10 broker, and the largest TL carrier in the U.S. Before joining Transflo Krug served as CFO and then CEO at GlobalTranz, where she led revenue growth from $300 million to $2 billion through organic expansion and 11 acquisitions. She has also held leadership roles at Clear Channel Outdoor, Knight-Swift, and Honeywell. Krug graduated from Arizona State University with an Executive MBA and from Indiana University with an undergraduate degree in accounting and finance.
18. Reid Holzworth
Chief Executive Officer, Ivans
Reid Holzworth, Chief Executive Officer, leads the strategic direction at Ivans. Ivans is a hub for insurance carriers, agents, and MGAs seeking to expand their businesses with a network of 34,000 agents and 450 carrier partners. Through Ivans' platform, users can generate quotes rapidly, access accurate claims and commission updates, and automate policy data communication. Holzworth brings extensive industry experience and leadership to his role, having expanded the company’s innovation strategy.
Holzworth is a prominent insurance industry leader with extensive insurance experience in both broker and insurer distribution environments. He was the founder and CEO of TechCanary, an InsurTech leader that Applied Systems acquired in 2019, and before that a founder at Insurance Canary. Earlier in his career, he was a founder of Pristine. Holzworth earned an undergraduate degree in business administration, management, and operations from Florida State College.
19. Kathleen Mahne
President and Chief Executive Officer, Arbitration Forums
Kathy Mahne is President and Chief Executive Officer of Arbitration Forums, Inc., an arbitration services provider. Arbitration Forums, Inc. operates as a membership-driven, not-for-profit entity serving the recovery and resolution needs of its more than 4,700 members. Mahne brings extensive experience in driving change and implementing strategic innovations to her current role.
Mahne has over 30 years of experience leading large customer service teams and technology product development. Mahne joined AF in January 2017 after 32 years with Allstate Insurance, where she was senior vice president of claims. In the years prior to joining AF, Mahne served on the AF board for five years, most recently as board chair. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.
19. Steven Moore
Chief Executive Officer, Actabl
Steven Moore is the Chief Executive Officer of Actabl. Actabl is a company that provides hospitality technology solutions, merging four prominent platforms: ProfitSword, Hotel Effectiveness, ALICE, and Transcendent. Its goal is to create an integrated business intelligence, labor, and operations solution to provide a comprehensive experience for its clients.
Moore began his professional career 12 years ago. He got his first start in 2012 as an analyst at Schneider Electric. From there, he went on to PRD Inc., before eventually rising to CEO at Transcendent. Moore graduated from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management with a master of business administration and from Wheaton College with an undergraduate degree in business economics.
20. Scott Martin
Chief Executive Officer, HealthAxis
Scott Martin is the Chief Executive Officer of HealthAxis, a provider of advanced, scalable technological solutions in healthcare delivery to an array of U.S. healthcare organizations, in the areas of Medicare Advantage Plans, I-SNP, D-SNP, risk-bearing providers, and commercial plans.
Martin brings over 25 years of experience as a healthcare leader to this role, where his focus has centered on business and growth strategy, and building organization structures for payer and provider organizations in healthcare. Before joining HealthAxis, Martin served as president of Catalyst Solutions. There, he introduced a number of innovative service offerings to support healthcare payers and grew the business by over 450% in three years. As chief information officer at Kocsis Consulting Group, Martin built the technology organization and infrastructure, including a SaaS model content management solution. At Cognizant, Martin led the organization’s largest healthcare consulting practice and managed a worldwide team of almost 500 employees. Martin earned a master’s in education, training, and performance improvement from Capella University.
21. Ajay Damani
Chief Executive Officer, Corerx
Ajay Damani has been Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of CoreRx since October 2021. Founded in Tampa in 2006, CoreRx provides formulation development, analytical, and GMP drug product manufacturing and packaging services, from pre-clinical to clinical and commercial stages, assisting its partners with drug development goals that provide life-improving and life-saving therapies on a global scale.
Damani brings over 20 years of experience in the life sciences industry across business development and marketing, M&A and licensing, and product development. Before joining CoreRx, he led the Pharmaceutical Technologies business unit at Adare Pharmaceuticals and was a member of their executive leadership team. Previously, Damani led the Global Pharmaceutical Business Development organization at Capsugel and led commercial integration efforts once the company was acquired by Lonza. He holds dual degrees from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Wharton School of Business.
22. John Gargaro
President and CEO, Mercury Medical
Dr. John Gargaro is the President and CEO of Mercury Medical. Concentrated in the critical care areas of anesthesia, respiratory, neonatal, and emergency markets, Mercury Medical delivers clinically differentiated critical care technology. Established in 1963, Mercury Medical’s history includes providing technology in acute care and emergency markets which add safety and efficiency to clinical practice while providing acute care solutions in over 60 countries.
Dr. Gargaro has held several leadership positions in the past, including chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery and secretary-treasurer of the medical staff at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Gargaro has consulted with Wright Medical and Johnson & Johnson/DePuy, as well as held clinical research and speaker panel positions for Sanofi-Synthelabo and Organon Labs in the pharmaceutical field. He currently serves as Chief of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Kaiser Permanente, Colorado. Dr. Gargaro is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who graduated from Harvard University and the University of Michigan Medical School.
23. Bob Ciminera
Chief Executive Officer, Vispero
Bob Ciminera is the Chief Executive Officer of Vispero, a provider of assistive technology for the visually impaired, with a history of delivering innovative solutions for the needs of blind and low-vision individuals. As CEO of Vispero, Ciminera leads the company’s strategy to advance assistive technology and digital accessibility solutions for the visually impaired and enterprises around the world.
Ciminera has 31 years of experience, with expertise in general management, supply chain, product management, and customer service. He began his career in 1993 with AT&T Consumer Products and has held executive positions at Lucent, Agere Systems (now Broadcom), Symbol, Motorola, and Avaya. Ciminera previously served as executive vice president at NCR Corporation leading its Global Services and Hardware businesses with a proven track record of global market share growth via product innovation, customer service, and operational execution. His formal education includes a bachelor’s from Columbia University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
24. Vijay Ramnathan
Chief Executive Officer, Enumerate
Vijay Ramnathan is the Chief Executive Officer of Enumerate, an end-to-end community management software and solutions brand that simplifies community management for property management companies and community associations.
Ramnathan is a SaaS and B2B payments leader who has over 23 years of experience. Before joining Enumerate, Ramnathan was a president at MineralTree, a provider of industry-leading, cloud-based AP automation solutions. He was also a president at COMDATA where he incubated and led the AP Automation business. Additionally, he has held a variety of executive positions such as SVP and managing director of corporate strategy and innovation at Fifth Third Bank, vice president of emerging strategies and innovation at US Bank, and director, and finance and operations at Shabari Packaging Industries. Ramnathan graduated from The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business with an MBA and from Osmania University with an undergraduate degree.
25. Surya Singh
Chief Executive Officer, InformedDNA
Surya Singh is the Chief Executive Officer of InformedDNA, an applied genomics solutions company. With the largest independent staff of board-certified genetics specialists in the U.S., InformedDNA provides health organizations with high quality and current genomics insights to optimize clinical decisions. The company’s expertise spans all medical specialties, including oncology, neurology, cardiology, and pediatric and adult genetics.
Singh is a seasoned healthcare executive with leadership experience across large public and private corporations, small entrepreneurial companies, and nonprofits. Singh has served as a senior advisor to several organizations active in designing and implementing value-based reimbursement programs, with a particular focus on the use of genetics, genomics, and complex, high-cost therapies. He is also licensed and board-certified in internal medicine and is an Adjunct Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Singh earned a doctor of medicine from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an undergraduate degree in molecular biology from The University of Texas at Austin.