Top 20 Pioneering CEOs of 2023

Amanda’s leadership throughout her tenure at Beacon is seen in every aspect of the organization — not just the strategic focus one would expect from a CEO, but a hands-on style of leadership—overseeing the implementation of new software systems, service lines and championing the recent renovation and workflow of Beacon’s new 25,000 square feet headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska.

According to Anthony Anton, President & CEO, Washington Hospitality, the industry has been in a perfect storm for most of the last two years: First, the pandemic hit, and 100,000 team members left the workforce almost overnight. Thousands of restaurants closed, and the future looked bleak. “Our association, as well as our members, have rallied to accomplish so much that have helped save businesses and bring back jobs while stopping the spread of COVID. We did this with some of the business fundamentals that are easiest to forget in the heat of the action.”

Tridon Communications, founded in 1981 and currently led by Ben Thompson, CEO, Chad Tomachefski, CGO, and Greg Tolson, COO, is western Canada’s leading Telecommunications System Integrator (TSI). Tridon aims to address all aspects of telecommunication system requirements, including PTT land mobile radio, fiber optics, structured cable, access control, PTP wireless and microwave, tower construction and maintenance, cyber security, and more.

As a CEO, Brandi Martin believes that prioritization and organizational resilience are vital drivers of success for any company. To effectively manage limited resources and achieve strategic objectives, prioritization is a critical skill that requires constant attention. At the same time, building a culture of continuous learning and adaptability that fosters resilience and helps us bounce back from challenges and failures is essential.

Deforestation in many areas worldwide is becoming a significant issue in growing Cocoa trees. Cocoa, as we know it, is the main ingredient in making chocolate, and Chocolate-flavored products are by far the best sellers on the world market. The consumption of Cocoa is constantly rising; therefore, deforestation will continue to rise unless we do something about it. Nexxus Foods is a 100% natural clean-label ingredients supplier with a scientific and one-of-a-kind approach to food innovation. It has developed a sustainable system that is Carob-based with the same functionality as Cocoa in various applications.

” Only by ensuring that all my colleagues are motivated, empowered, trained, that they are all connected to the company’s vision, that they work well as a team, we can expect to perform as a successful business. “
Cemacon has over 300 employees, and their performance as a team determines the company’s performance. Daniel cares about his people and invests time in the strategic alignment and harmonization of the management team.

Dr. Hao Pang, founder, and CEO of Quantum Science has worked in quantum dots (QDs) since graduating with a Ph.D. in materials chemistry in 2009. His first role in this field was as a research scientist, where he helped develop QD inks. During this time, he was also studying part-time for an MBA, after which he realised there was an untapped value in these materials that he spent hours in the lab daily.

Patrick Lu, Founder, President, and CEO of Sirnaomics, is discovering and developing innovative RNA therapeutics with small interfering RNA (siRNA) and message RNA (mRNA) as novel modalities. Armed with more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience with big pharma and start-up environments for nucleic acid therapeutics, Patrick has been able to mitigate challenges and difficulties throughout Sirnaomics’ growth and development, and transform the company from a humble start-up to an internationally recognized public entity.

Sasha Jensen is the founder and CEO of Jensen Partners, a leading global executive search firm, and Jensen DiversityMetrics™, the enterprise software solution for workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion. As the woman at the helm of both organizations, Sasha is a leading expert on talent markets for capital raising and investment professionals across the alternative investment industry.

Suyi Erhabor, CEO, Curaga, has been crucial to the creation and transformation of Curaga from a small business to a multimillion-dollar corporation in Ontario. Suyi treats each employee as a valued individual and takes the time to understand what motivates them. Being a steadfast leader, he remains accessible to all his staff, and they ensure to reach him directly when there is a problem and to share stories of success.