Leadership Podcasts

Leaders in Action: Steve Clifford (9/20/2023)

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).

Leaders in Action: Leon Topalian (1/4/2023)

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.

Leaders In Action: Gary Michel (9/27/2022)

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.

Leaders In Action: Jesse Cureton (3/1/2022)

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.

Leaders In Action: Stephanie Hurren, Donovan Marks, Kim Blue (2/24/2022)

A panel discussion led by leaders from the Hornets, Nucor, Open Exchange