CEOs You Should Know - Salt Lake City

Anders Jones is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Facet. Since the company’s founding in 2016, Anders has had overall responsibility for the strategy and execution of the company’s mission, and has been responsible for raising more than $200m in outside capital to fuel Facet’s growth. Prior to Facet, Anders was a founding partner of Argyle Ventures, an early-stage venture capital partnership with a focus on investing in startups in emerging tech ecosystems. He has led investments in advertising, technology, fintech, healthcare IT, and consumer products companies. Before founding Argyle, Anders was an early team member at LiveRamp, the data connectivity platform which was acquired by Acxiom for $310 million, where he managed strategic partnerships and business development, and has been involved as an investor or advisor in many other startups in Silicon Valley. Anders holds a Bachelor's degree from Stanford University and an MBA from the Wharton School.

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Jennifer Lawson is President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, a national nonprofit that works to inspire and educate people to improve and beautify their community environment. Previously, Jenny served as Chief Civic Innovation Officer at Points of Light where she led programs to help companies achieve their social change goals through the actions of their employees. She was also the executive sponsor of Listen. Learn. Act to End Racism, Points of Light’s partnership with Morehouse College, and served as an advisor to the National Trust for Civic Infrastructure. Jenny came to Points of Light from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change (now C2ES), where she led Make an Impact, a global campaign focused on energy efficiency and environmental awareness with some of the nation’s largest companies. Her career began with community development and affordable housing advocacy in Northern Virginia, where she served as the founding Executive Director of the Alliance for Housing Solutions. Jenny graduated from the University of Virginia where she studied Philosophy and Mathematics.

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Clement Pappas is the CEO and a Co-Founder of Stateside Brands, the maker of Surfside Iced Tea + Vodka / Lemonade + Vodka, Stateside Vodka Sodas and Stateside Vodka. In 2015, Stateside Vodka launched as a premium, American craft vodka brand and distillery in the heart of Philadelphia, PA. Under Clement’s leadership, Stateside Vodka was ranked the top-selling Pennsylvania Distilled Spirit in 2018. The company then launched its first ready-to-drink canned cocktail brand in 2021, Stateside Vodka Sodas, and experienced immediate success in the Philadelphia metro area. Following this success, Clement and co-founders Zach Pappas, Matt Quigley and Bryan Quigley identified an opportunity to create a flavorful, high-quality, vodka-based hard tea with 100 calories or less. This led to the launch of Surfside Iced Tea + Vodka in late 2022 and the brand took off like a rocket ship from the very beginning. In just two years, Surfside has become the #1 fastest growing brand across all alcohol beverages at scanned retail and has expanded its distribution nationwide across all 50 states and internationally to the Bahamas, Grand Cayman and St. Thomas. The brand was named VinePair’s “2024 Rising Drinks Brand of the Year” and earned a “2024 Hot Brands” award by Shanken IMPACT, recognized for the #1 growth spirits brand sales performance worldwide from 2022-2024.

Before the start of Stateside Brands, Clement was CEO of Clement Pappas & Co., a leading national supplier of private brand juices. The company was founded in 1942 by his grandfather Clement, a hardworking U.S. immigrant who exemplified the American Dream. Growing up, the business played a central part in Clement's life, and he later worked in an executive capacity for the company for 15 years. Clement led the sale of the business to Lassonde Industries in 2011 and served as CEO until his exit in 2014. Before Clement Pappas & Co. he worked for Arthur Andersen Business Consulting in New York. Clement was also honored as Ernst & Young’s 2023 Regional Entrepreneur of the Year for his leadership with Stateside Brands.

Clement and his wife Lauren reside in Haddonfield, NJ with their two sons, Paul and Joseph. After tragically losing their premature son Peter in 2015, Clement and Lauren founded the Peter Joseph Pappas Fund with a mission to cure preeclampsia by 2050. Clement is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, and has served on numerous charitable and corporate boards. He earned his BSE from Duke University cum laude and MBA from The Wharton School, where he was designated a Palmer Scholar.

*Source: Nielsen IQ Total US xAOC + Liquor Open State for Beer, Wine and Spirits L52 weeks ending 12/28/2024, brands with minimum 100,000 cases sold a year ago in 2023

**Source: Impact Databank

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A dynamic and seasoned executive, Jim Hamel assumed leadership of Swanson Health Products, a global vitamin and supplement company in November 2021. As CEO, he has led the company to achieve double digit revenue growth internationally in his first fiscal year and has overseen expansion into 170+ international markets totaling over US $80M in revenue.

Under Jim’s leadership, Swanson Health Products has continued its commitment to industry-leading service, quality and excellence with award-winning customer care and ongoing UL, NSF and Halal certification for achieving Good Manufacturing Practices and standards.

Earlier in his executive career, Jim was the CFO with multi-national consumer products companies such as Diageo and Newell Rubbermaid and with other industry leading companies in ecommerce, agriculture, mining and explosives. Throughout his career he has been building his expertise in finance, international business, commercial operations, and risk management.

Jim earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from North Dakota State University in 1989 and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He also holds Six Sigma certifications and brings strong global finance acumen—with proficiency in Spanish—and board- and investor-level relationship building to every role he fulfills.

Jim thrives on transformational leadership—with deep financial expertise, a global outlook, and a passion for wellness—to steer Swanson Health through its next phase of growth and innovation.

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Reuben D. Rotman is the founding President and CEO of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies. The Network was established in 2017 following the merger of two predecessor associations, as an international membership association, with the mission of strengthening and advancing the Jewish human service sector. Today, The Network serves as the leading voice for the sector; the go-to for best practice research, innovation, and partnerships. Supporting its 180+ member organizations, The Network’s goal is to strengthen the capacities of its member agencies and to advance the scope and impact of the Jewish human service sector.

Reuben came to the Network having served as the CEO of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest New Jersey, where he held several increasingly responsible positions for 21 years. Previously, Reuben held positions with UJA Federation of New York, Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

Reuben currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of SourceAmerica, which connects the non-profit sector to the US Federal government and commercial sectors to secure employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, and also serves as the Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Social Current, a national organization which seeks to activate the power of the social sector by bringing together a dynamic network of human service organizations and partners. In 2021, Reuben was included among the listing of the international listing of the 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life, as published by the Algemeiner Publication.

Reuben earned a double Master of Arts from Brandeis University; in the Management of Human Services from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and in Jewish Communal Service from the Hornstein Program for Jewish Professional Leadership. Reuben also earned his Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and in Sociology also from Brandeis University.

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Linda Goler Blount, MPH, is the President and CEO of Community Catalyst, a national organization dedicated to building the power of people to create a health system rooted in race equity and health justice.

A nationally recognized leader in public health, race equity, and systems change, Linda brings more than 25 years of experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She most recently served as President and CEO of the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI)—the only national organization solely focused on the health and wellness of Black women and girls.

During her tenure at BWHI, Linda led the organization through a period of significant growth and strategic impact. Under her leadership, BWHI advanced bold policy advocacy, launched evidence-based programs, and developed partnerships that elevated Black women’s health on the national stage—including a landmark collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That effort advanced BWHI’s mission to build the power of Black women to take control of their health and advocate for policies that support their well-being, while also shaping national standards for equitable, community-informed care.

Prior to BWHI, Linda held senior leadership roles at the CDC, the American Cancer Society, and in the private sector, where she applied community-based research methodologies to address chronic disease prevention and health disparities at scale. She was a lead contributor to IndexUS, the first data set focused on the health of Black women using an asset-based approach—centered on studying healthy Black women rather than only illness or disease, and was named to Forbes’ 50 Over 50: Impact list for her leadership in public health.

Throughout her career, Linda has been a steadfast advocate for solutions that center the lived experiences of those most harmed by health inequities. Her leadership is rooted in the belief that health is a right, and that people—especially those historically excluded from the health system—should be at the center of shaping the policies and practices that impact their lives.

She holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and Operations Research from Eastern Michigan University.

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Waco Hoover is an entrepreneur and investor with over 20 years of experience in venture capital, M&A, entertainment, media and live events.

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1997-2001 as an infantry Marine, combat water survival instructor and infantry scout. He served several deployments across Southeast Asia.

After separation from the military, Hoover graduated from New York University, cum laude and completed Harvard Business School executive education programs. He then became an entrepreneur and investor who now has over 18 years of experience in venture capital, M&A, entertainment, media and live events.

He is currently Chair of the Be The One initiative for the American Legion. He is also a co-owner of Veteran Entertainment Television, advisor to Founders Factory, a London based venture capital firm, Managing Partner at Xperiential Group, and serves on the board of Irreverent Warriors, a non-profit preventing veteran suicide. He has advised global brands including MGM Resorts, Informa, Vivendi, and Las Vegas Sands Corp. He was a co-founder and investor in businesses sold to Informa, Emerald, Endeavor Business Media and Onstream Media.

Hoover speaks at industry events including VenuesNow, PTTOW!, CEMA, The American Legion, Military Influencer Conference, SXSW, Pollstar, TSE 100, Society for Independent Show Organizers, National Sports Forum and XLIVE.

He lives in Southern California with his wife, son and two yellow labs, Tucker and Winnie. In his spare time, he enjoys surfing, diving, and mountaineering as often as possible. He is a member of The American Legion and recently hosted the Be the One Symposium at the 104th American Legion National Convention in Charlotte.

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Brigette Wolf is the Chief Marketing Officer at My/Mochi where she leads marketing and innovation and the brand’s transformation for growth. Brigette is responsible for fueling the company’s innovation pipeline through the creation of beyond the core products and partnerships as well as building the brand’s equity and connection to consumers.

Previously she was VP, Global Head of SnackFutures, Mondelēz International’s innovation and venture hub which launched in 2018 as part of the global snack leader’s growth agenda. There she ran Intrapreneurship on her team launching new start up brands, venture capital and CoLab, the company’s start-up engagement program. Brigette was with Mondelēz International for 10 years, and in that time served as the senior director of Global Platform Innovation for the Gum & Candy and Biscuits categories as well the senior brand manager for Global belVita innovation. Prior to this Brigette was with Kraft Foods for almost 10 years having served as the Global Innovation Manager for Oreo and the Brand Manager of several of the pizza and meal brands.

Prior to being part of the food industry, Brigette worked for Credit Suisse First Boston and Morgan Stanley in investment banking. Brigette received her undergraduate degree from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and her MBA from Northwestern Kellogg School of Management.

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Corey Thomas is the Chief Executive Officer of Rapid7, a leading global cybersecurity company based in Boston. His expertise in technology and business have been recognized through his appointments to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) and the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Corey contributes cross-industry leadership to the boards of directors of LPL Financial and Vanderbilt University, and currently chairs the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts board of directors and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

An active champion of the technology community, Corey is an angel investor, provides guidance to companies navigating technology transformations, and is a frequent speaker and panelist. His extensive background includes successfully guiding numerous technology companies through periods of significant growth and innovation. Corey earned a B.E. in electrical engineering and computer science from Vanderbilt University and a MBA from Harvard Business School.

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APUS President Nuno Fernandes is a visionary leader who has been successful in making online higher education more affordable and accessible, while delivering top-quality education and favorable student outcomes. As the fifth President of APUS, he is focused on a global digital journey that integrates personalized, collaborative, technology-driven learning experiences to prepare students for tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities.

Mr. Fernandes has a wealth of experience driving innovation across higher education, technology, and business. He has been serving as APUS President since September 2022.

Previously, Mr. Fernandes was president and CEO of Ilumno, the largest online program manager in Latin America, and among the top 3 globally (in terms of managed students, which numbered 300,000). He served in several roles with increasing responsibilities at the company for over a decade. Mr. Fernandes was instrumental in improving student retention, student satisfaction, graduation rates, and reputation at the company’s owned and partner universities. He also led efforts to expand access to higher education in several countries.

Prior to his roles in higher education, Mr. Fernandes accumulated over a decade of experience in the consumer goods industry at Bosch, where he undertook numerous international assignments and held various leadership roles.

Born in Porto, Portugal, Mr. Fernandes holds a Master of Business Administration from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Porto. He has also participated in several executive education programs at Harvard Business School and Carnegie Mellon University, among others.

Mr. Fernandes is trilingual, speaking English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

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