Ingram’s September 2022

Tim Danker PRESIDENT/CEO, SELECTQUOTE INSURANCE SERVICES High-flying SelectQuote ran into some serious headwinds over the past year: An incredibly tight labor market, changing consumer pre ferences among seniors, and competition from other online insur ance-shopping platforms that began to copy SelectQuote’s model that had produced sterling growth for years. Danker, though, is responding with a pivot into additional service lines aimed at re storing the company’s growth arc.

Brian DeFrain PRESIDENT, D&L TRANSPORT

This transportation lawyer turned president made good use of his legal background during an acquisition this year and shares the credit gladly. “We have an amazing leadership team, all of whom have been with D&L for over 12 years,” he said. “We’re a true family across the entire company, so consistency and loyalty with our team is important. Our most significant achievement over the past year was successfully navigating an acquisition, which enhanced our tech and expanded our service offerings for our brokerage operations.”

COLLEGE: B.A., Business Administration, University of Missouri; MBA, University of Kansas IPO: Took the company public in 2020, raising $334 million in what’s billed as the first virtual IPO. ON INDUSTRY TRENDS: “Consumers are looking to explore their insurance options through the com bination of digital research and telephonic engagement, as opposed to agents coming inside their homes. We believe this consumer trend that was already moving at a fast clip will only further acceler ate as consumers realize the convenience and transparency inherent in models like ours. Furthermore, consumer demand for health and protection products remains strong in these uncertain times.” COVID&CULTURE: “With the crisis, we’ve had to rethink the way we can build upon our culture in new and innovative ways. We’ve placed more emphasis on both formal and informal communication (virtual “Town Halls” and informal “Shout Outs” for great deeds). We’ve had lots of Zoom breakfasts or lunches, even a Zoom Happy Hour, to meet new associates, as we can’t see them in the halls for the time being.”

COLLEGE: B.B.A., Finance, Baylor University; J.D., University of Missouri School of Law ON RETAINING TALENT: “Our employees and our entire agent production team are the most import ant part of our business. We have a unique logistics business model, and both are the centerpieces of our entire model. It’s important to listen to the needs and wants of employees and production talent, and actually respond and deliver.” COVID PERSPECTIVE: “Like many other companies, we’ve shifted to 100 percent remote optional. We resisted at first due to culture concerns, but ultimately a lot of folks produce at a high level when offered options on workspace. And, most importantly, it’s what our folks wanted. Our employees responded incredibly, and it’s been well-received. We’ve implemented creative culture initiatives to maintain a good balance.”

John Dicus PRESIDENT/CEO, CAPITOL FEDERAL

Mark Dohnalek PRESIDENT/CEO, PIVOT INTERNATIONAL

The next stop for John Dicus and his team at Capitol Federal: $10 billion in assets. Currently sitting at $9.55 billion, that metric makes CapFed the largest bank in Kansas by a long shot. Dicus, who started at the Topeka-based bank in 1985, has been at the helm since 2003 and chairman since 2009.

Celebrating Pivot’s 50th anniversary in 2022, Mark Dohnalek points to proof of his company’s strength over the past year: “The most signif icant achievement this year was our ability to successfully navigate through the historic supply chain/logistic crisis that everyone has experienced,” Dohnalek said. “With our strong Supply Chain and Engi neering Design team, we have been able to work through most of the challenges this year to attain stronger year-over-year growth for 2022.”

COLLEGE: B.A., Business, MBA, University of Kansas FAMILY TIES: The nameplate on the door just needed a new middle initial when Dicus succeeded his father, John C. Dicus, in the bank’s leadership role. The elder Dicus, John B. told us, was the CEO he admired most “for the way he conducted himself and how he treated the people around him.” RISING TO THE CHALLENGE: Capitol Federal was founded in 1893, which, if you know your American history, wasn’t the best of times in the financial sectors. Undeterred by the panic and depression, 15 business leaders founded what was then The Savings Association of Topeka, with assets of a $8,171. CIVIC: Outside the office, Dicus is engaged as a board member for the Greater Topeka Chamber of Com- merce, and his non-profit work includes board seats with the Capitol Federal Foundation, Washburn Uni versity Foundation, and his alma mater’s endowment association. Gov. Laura Kelly added to his service and appointed him to the Kansas Board of Regents, which has oversight of the state’s public universities.

COLLEGE: B.S., Economics, Cornell University; MBA, Keller Graduate School of Management ON COVID CHALLENGES: “Although we have always operated in a somewhat flexible work environ ment, we have broadened that approach. We do prefer to have non-remote overall; we have embraced greater bands of flexibility of remote work when reasonable.” ON TALENT RETENTION: “We have applied a greater emphasis and focus on introducing some additional off-work social events that have added a more social element to their experience.” NEXT BIG THING FOR KC: “I think we should shoot for the Super Bowl.” KC CHIEFS PREDICTION: “11-5: Division is much improved, and Chiefs have some offensive holes to fill. Although, I think the defense will be improved.”

Mark Donovan PRESIDENT, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Case Dorman PRESIDENT, FIORELLA’S JACK STACK BARBECUE

Mahomes throws, Kelce catches, Jones brings the pain on defense. Those names make Monday-morning headlines, but behind them is a business operation successfully navigated by Mark Donovan. In 2009, he came here from Philadelphia and spent two years as COO before taking on day-to-day oversight and helping bring an other former Eagle staffer, one Andy Reid, to the Chiefs as head coach in 2013. The rest is blissful history.

Case Dorman is a hospitality-sector executive who refused to accept the fates of countless other restaurateurs who ended up in new careers thanks to shutdowns and slowdowns imposed by a global pandemic. Dorman marshaled the troops at Jack Stack to ramp up every possible revenue stream when the numbers of diners plummeted—online order ing and curbside pickup, catering, and shipped products. Result? The chain was well-positioned in 2021 to open its sixth location in Lenexa.

COLLEGE: B.A., Organizational Behavior, and Management/Political Science, Brown University FOOTBALL CHOPS: Donovan is no stranger to the playing field, having served as team captain at Brown, where he was a quarterback and threw for nearly 2,525 yards over two seasons. MULTI-SPORT SKILLS: Donovan previously held administrative roles in the National Hockey League, serving as the league’s director of sales. ANSWERING FAN DEMAND: Donovan recently oversaw an effort to align with BetMGM to capi talize on Kansas’ recent legalization of betting on sporting events. BIG JOB AHEAD: Donovan will be deeply involved in the team’s efforts to help manage the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches that will be played in Kansas City, saying the event “will help cement our legacy as the Soccer Capital of America.”

COLLEGE: “Bar-B-Q U.,” as he calls it. SMOKEY START: Dorman started with the company nearly 35 years ago, while he was still in his teens, and learned the barbecuing arts directly from the masters of the pit. Then he applied the business savvy of Jack Fiorella—his father-in-law—and built blue-collar fare into a fine-dining experience across the metro area. GEN IV: Dorman’s son, Taylor, is the general manager of the Martin City location where the chain has its roots; he represents the fourth generation of family leadership. RISK-TAKING IN THE DNA: To capitalize on his barbecue dream, patriarch Russ Fiorella sold the family’s seven-bedroom house in 1957 and opened Smoke Stack BBQ in south Kansas City, later relocating to Martin City.

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September 2022

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