Terry Sound Business

Starting, Building and Selling a Business—From Zero to a Billion: The Story of Radiant Systems

John Schuerholz was named president of the Atlanta Braves in 2007, having served for 26 years as a general manager in major league baseball (including 17 with Atlanta).

Under his leadership, the Braves have reached unprecedented levels of success by winning 14 consecutive division titles, five National League pennants and one World Series as well as compiling the best record in baseball over the 17 years from 1991 to 2007.

Schuerholz serves on Major League Baseball’s Playing Rules Committee and co-chairs the Commissioner’s On-Field Committee. Prior to his work with the Braves, he worked for years with the Kansas City Royals.

For his commitment to sport, Schuerholz was inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum recognized him as the National League Executive of the Year with its Andrew “Rube” Foster Award in 2001, 2002 and 2005. The Braves 400 Club bestowed its Ivan Allen Jr. “Mr. Baseball” Award, presented to “the person who has contributed significantly to the promotion of baseball in the Atlanta area” to Schuerholz in 2000.

Since 2001, Dan T. Cathy has served as president and chief operating officer for one of the nation’s largest family-owned businesses, Chick-fil-A.

Cathy, whose father started the company, is renowned for leading Chick-fil-A from the front lines. He spends the majority of his time traveling to grand openings of new restaurants and interacting with their operators, employees and customers. He travels out of a belief that working in the field provides a clearer understanding of the wants and needs of Chick-fil-A customers.

Several marketplace awards have affirmed Chick-fil-A’s customer commitment. Chick-fil-A was the only chain out of 52 measured to rank in the top five of all six key categories measured by Technomic’s 2012 Customer Restaurant Brand Metrics study, which polled 38,000 consumers. In early 2008, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates named Chick-fil-A among the top 25 “Customer Service Champs.” It ranked 22nd overall, and was one of only two restaurant concepts listed.

Cathy’s nearly lifelong career at Chick-fil-A began at age 9, when he sang songs for customers and did radio commercials for the chain's original "Dwarf House" restaurant in Hapeville.

Bill Linginfelter oversees the daily commercial and retail operations for the Georgia and South Carolina Divisions of Regions Financial Corporation, a top U.S. bank holding company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, with $146 billion in assets, operating over 2,000 branches in 16 states.

Throughout his 35-year career, he has held various management positions in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Regions in 2008, Linginfelter served as Georgia Chief Executive Officer for Wachovia Bank. Prior to assuming that position, he served as director of SouthTrust Bank’s Enterprise Banking division, which included oversight of all business activities in the bank’s largest markets.

Linginfelter received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He also completed the Commercial Banking Schools at the Graduate School of Banking of the South and at the University of Virginia Graduate School. He serves on the Executive Board of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, where he served as chair in 2010. He also serves on the following boards: Georgia Research Alliance (immediate past chair), Buckhead Coalition, The Commerce Club, Piedmont HealthCare, Inc., as well as The Foundation for Public Broadcasting in Georgia, Inc. In addition, he holds leadership roles with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Woodruff Arts Center, the Atlanta Speech School; and is the American Heart Association’s 2014 Heart Ball Chairman. He is past Director of the Georgia World Congress Center; 2006 Chair of the Metro Atlanta United Way campaign and in 2004 and 2005 chaired the Atlanta United Negro College Fund campaign.

Bill and his wife, Mitzi, have two children.

Bill Linginfelter oversees the daily commercial and retail operations for the Georgia and South Carolina Divisions of Regions Financial Corporation, a top U.S. bank holding company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, with $146 billion in assets, operating over 2,000 branches in 16 states.

Throughout his 35-year career, he has held various management positions in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Regions in 2008, Linginfelter served as Georgia Chief Executive Officer for Wachovia Bank. Prior to assuming that position, he served as director of SouthTrust Bank’s Enterprise Banking division, which included oversight of all business activities in the bank’s largest markets.

Linginfelter received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He also completed the Commercial Banking Schools at the Graduate School of Banking of the South and at the University of Virginia Graduate School. He serves on the Executive Board of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, where he served as chair in 2010. He also serves on the following boards: Georgia Research Alliance (immediate past chair), Buckhead Coalition, The Commerce Club, Piedmont HealthCare, Inc., as well as The Foundation for Public Broadcasting in Georgia, Inc. In addition, he holds leadership roles with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Woodruff Arts Center, the Atlanta Speech School; and is the American Heart Association’s 2014 Heart Ball Chairman. He is past Director of the Georgia World Congress Center; 2006 Chair of the Metro Atlanta United Way campaign and in 2004 and 2005 chaired the Atlanta United Negro College Fund campaign.

Bill and his wife, Mitzi, have two children.

Carol B. Tomé has served as chief financial officer since May 2001 and was named executive vice president of corporate services at The Home Depot in January 2007. Before joining The Home Depot in 1995, she was vice president and treasurer of Riverwood International Corporation. Carol began her career as a commercial lender with United Bank of Denver (now Wells Fargo) and then spent several years as director of banking for the Johns-Manville Corporation.

In addition to her responsibilities at The Home Depot, Carol is also a member of the UPS board of directors and serves as chair of its audit committee. In addition, Carol currently serves as the deputy chair of Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Board of Directors.

Community service is a priority for Carol. She is an active volunteer, serving as a member of The Committee of 200 and a member of the Atlanta Botanical Garden board of directors. In addition, Carol chaired the board of directors of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce in 2012.

In 2012, The Wall Street Journal ranked Carol No. 2 on its list of the best chief financial officers in corporate America and Fortune Magazine listed her among the top 50 most powerful women in Business.

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