RETAIL/WHOLESALE


WILLIAM D. ‘BILL’ NASH PRESIDENT AND CEO, CARMAX INC., RICHMOND


Nash has led used vehicle retailer CarMax from pandemic-related layoffs and furloughs to record-setting revenue in 2021. Despite an initial hit to the industry, demand for used cars rocketed during the pandemic. CarMax’s sales surpassed Wall Street expectations by more than 25% at times, and the com- pany reported record net revenues and profitability. He began his career working as an accountant before join- ing the corporate team at Circuit City, where he held a variety of roles in operations. Nash first encountered CarMax, which was created by Circuit City, working on an audit in 1993. Nash was hired as an auction manager for the fledgling subsidiary in 1997. CarMax spun off from Circuit City in 2002. Nash climbed the corporate ladder at CarMax, holding several roles before being appointed CEO in 2016. This year, CarMax introduced the 24-hour


test drive and CarMax purchased Edmunds, the online database for used cars. Nash earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from James Madison University.


DREW PARKER CEO, CARTER MACHINERY, SALEM


Parker has held the top leadership spot with Carter Machinery since 2011. He stepped in as Carter’s manage-


ment bought the company from Caterpillar, ending its 23-year run as the only Caterpillar-owned dealership in the United States. Since then, Carter Machinery became the exclu-


sive Blue Bird Bus dealer in Virginia in 2013. That same year, the firm acquired the Cat Mining equip- ment distribution business from Caterpillar Global Mining LLC.


In 2020, the company set the stage to more than double its rental fleet, with the acquisition of Baltimore-based Alban Tractor Co. Carter Machinery has deep roots in Southwest


Virginia, and in 2018 Parker accepted a community leadership award from Virginia Western Community College. Under his leadership, the machinery firm has made major donations to expand access for students to attend community colleges. Parker earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois.


CHRIS PERRY PRESIDENT, CEO AND OWNER, VAMAC INC., RICHMOND


Perry is preparing the fourth generation of his family to lead VAMAC, the plumbing supply wholesaler that got its start in 1915 as a single well drilling contractor and supply business. VAMAC is one of the oldest companies in Richmond, and the Perry family has been part of it since Perry’s grandfather, Julian Perry, came aboard as a bookkeeper in 1923, working his way up to CEO 32 years later. The firm’s original focus was on drilling wells and installation, but it has branched out to become one of the East Coast’s largest suppliers of plumbing products and bath fixtures. Perry has been president since 1992 and CEO since 1994. Since he took


over, VAMAC has expanded throughout the commonwealth, opening nine new locations.


A past president of the Western Henrico Rotary Club, Perry earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Virginia Military Institute, where he was a member of the VMI Karate Club and led the pep band for three years. He went on to serve in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army National Guard for 10 years, leaving as a captain and company commander.


STEVE PRESLEY CHAIRMAN AND CEO, NESTLÉ USA, ARLINGTON


When Presley landed his first job as a paperboy in the fourth grade, he never dreamed he would end up as the CEO for the U.S. division of the world’s largest food manufacturer.


Presley has been chairman and CEO of Nestlé


USA since 2018. He started with the company working at the Nestlé facility in Suffolk in 1997. In 2013, he was named chief financial officer for Nestlé USA. Under his leadership, the company has aggressively reshaped its port- folio, shedding less popular brands and actively recruiting new products. In July, the company reported that global sales grew 1.5% to $46 billion in the first half of 2021.


Presley preaches that oſten the best ideas come from within. Shortly aſter he took the lead at Nestlé USA, he launched a process to solicit innovative ideas from employees. The effort has put products on store shelves — a fitness buff working in finance pitched the Jacked Rabbit protein shake, and it became a real product, sending a signal to Nestlé workers that their bosses were serious about seeking their ideas.


176 VIRGINIA 500


LORI RAYA PRESIDENT, MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION, KROGER CO., GLEN ALLEN


Raya became president of Kroger Co.’s mid-Atlantic division on July 19, a position for which she’s well-prepared. At age 21, she started out as a clerk at a Safeway store. Instead of finishing her education at Colorado Mesa University, she worked her way up to senior management positions and eventually became a division president. Colorado Mesa later awarded her an honorary doctorate in business. Raya most recently served as the chief merchandising and marketing officer for SpartanNash, a grocery distributor and retailer in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She also served as the first female division president for Western U.S. supermarket chain Vons and led its largest division, Southern California. Raya has served on the boards for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and the Western Association of Food Chains. In her new job leading Kroger’s mid-Atlantic division, she will be responsible for more than 100 grocery stores in five states — 69 in Virginia — with more than 18,000 employees. The division opened its new headquarters in Glen Allen, relocating from Roanoke, in January.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196