Power, agility and speed are the traits that many executives exemplify in solidifying deals that accelerate their business. This week several professionals who Black Enterprise identified as Intelligent Performers were invited down to Leeds, Alabama where they were honored for a broad range of business achievements. They also got to match their skills against the same characteristics that define the best in driving performance at the Porsche Sport Driving School.
The hilly and scenic 2.38 mile Barber Motorsport Park is home to the school and offers 16 turns and more than 80 feet of elevation changes. Guided and directed by a team of full-time instructors trained as professional racecar drivers, the 16 participants were challenged and exhilarated by the demands of the course, which included learning how to better manage turns, braking and accelerating, as well as how to avoid spinning out of control on wet surfaces.
Among those driving the 911 Carerra, the Cayenne and the Panamera included Larry Barkley, Senior Vice President of Retail, Tourneau; Matthew Carter, President, 4G, Sprint; Bart H. Williams, Partner, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP; Kevin Warren, President, U.S. Solutions, Xerox; BE 100s CEOs Tilmon F. Brown, CEO & President, New Horizon Baking Company Inc.; R. Donahue Peebles, CEO & Chairman, The Peebles Corp.; Charles H. James III, Managing Owner, C. H. James Restaurant Holdings LLC, and artist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, head of Compound Entertainment, Shaffer “Ne-Yo†Smith.
Also along for the ride was the online winner of the Intelligent Performers competition JeFreda R. Brown, real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty in Birmingham, Alabama. For more information on how to sign up for classes, log on to www.porschedriving.com/Sports-Driving.aspx.