customers. The 30-year telecom veteran began his career as a commercial assistant after earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration. “I considered a lot of different areas, looking at everything from technology to pharmaceutical sales. But the one thing that attracted me to [the company] was the fact that I had the opportunity to go directly into management,” he says. “The key is to have challenging positions, to have something where you’re actually creating a new opportunity or you’re doing a turnaround for the company or something that presents a sizable challenge to you and your leadership capabilities.” -Patrice D. Johnson
Darryl B. Hazel, President, Lincoln-Mercury Ford Motor Co., Age: 55, In 1972, Hazel joined Ford Motor Co.-the fourth largest automaker in the United States with 2003 revenues of $164.2 billion-as an analyst in Lincoln-Mercury’s New York District Sales Office. Twenty-four years later, after serving in various capacities in five different cities, Hazel now heads all aspects of marketing, sales, and service for the Ford division that manufactures Lincoln and Mercury cars. Lincoln is well known for its luxury Town Car sedans, while popular Mercury models include the Sable and Grand Marquis. Hazel has held his current position since August 2002. Prior to that, he was vice president of the Ford Customer Service division. He was elected vice president of Ford Motor Co. in December 2001. Hazel has developed a plan that focuses on pushing new and redesigned models to reach his ambitious goal of 500,000 units a year.
Frederick W. Hill, Executive Vice President, J. P. Morgan Chase & Co., Age: 55, Hill is responsible for global corporate marketing and communications. His role is key in making sure that the $44.4 billion financial services institution builds its brands, products, and services to beat tough competitors such as Citigroup and Bank of America. As a member of the firm’s executive committee, its senior policy-making group, Hill has had a successful career at one of our nation’s largest banks. He served in the same capacity with Chase Manhattan Bank before it merged with J.P. Morgan. Hill joined Chase in September 1997 from McDonnell Douglas Corp., where he served as senior vice president for communications and community relations. Hill holds a bachelor’s and a J.D. from the Un
iversity of Pittsburgh and serves on various corporate boards.
Theopolis Holeman, Group VP of Power Delivery, Duke Power, Duke Energy, Age: 55, When hurricanes threaten the Carolinas’ coastline, residents worry about downed power lines and blackouts. Making sure that area residents have the power to function is just one of the challenges Holeman faced as Hurricane Isabel made its way north in September 2003. At that time, he was executive vice president of power delivery for Duke Power. In his current position, which he has held since March 2004, Holeman is responsible for leading the power delivery organization, which encompasses the electric distribution and electric transmission systems of Duke Power’s service area in North and South Carolina. Duke Power is a business unit of the $23 billion