Ingrams September 2023

Jim Williams 1977-2023

Simon Witdouck SVP, TVH AMERICAS

Jim Williams was the rare individual who truly gave the world more than he took from it. When he started at Creative Planning in 2005, the wealth management firm managed $171 million in client assets. Less than a decade later, under his watch as then co-chief investment officer, that figure stood at $9 billion — a 52-fold increase, and a performance that easily earned him a place in our 40 Under Forty Class of 2014. In more recent years as chief investment officer, that figure ballooned past $245 bil lion and he became an easy pick the past three years as one of

You company may have had a pretty good year in 2022. Chances are, it didn’t have a TVH-level year: Under Simon Witdouck’s watchful eye, this Belgian-based supplier of industrial-equipment parts racked up an impressive 47.73 gain its top line. From the Olathe headquarters and its massive distribution facility there, TVH Americas is responsi ble for Western Hemisphere operations.

2022 REVENUES: $619 million COLLEGE: Master in Law, Ghent (Belgium) University; M.S., London School of Economics and Political Science; post-graduate studies, University of Leuven KEY ACHIEVEMENT: “The resilience showed in times of adversity. We showed up as a team and worked through our difficulties to get back on top.” RECESSION ODDS: “Medium to high.” KC’S NEXT BIG THING: “NBA franchise.” ON THE NEW KCI: “I use it very frequently, great building and great set-up. Overall, it is a smart and convenient design which no doubt will further propel growth in the region.” BEST BUSINESS BOOK: “ Ride of a Lifetime , by Bob Iger.” LEADERSHIP HIRE TRAIT: “Cultural fit with the organization.” DREAM CHARITY MISSION: “Focused on giving kids fair chances notwithstanding their backgrounds.”

Kansas City’s most influential business executives in the Ingram’s 250.

Jim’s unexpected death on Sept. 23, just as this issue was preparing to go to press, was due to a previously unknown health issue. It represents a tragic loss for his family, his colleagues—anyone whose life intersected with his. Thousands benefited from his work, but true to his humble nature, Jim was the one who considered himself blessed. “I have been fortunate,” he told us in 2014, “to have had the opportunity to work personally with many of these clients, as well as perform a variety of roles for the company.” And at home, said the father of three, “we have been truly blessed with healthy kids and a wonderful life together.”

Eric Wollerman PRESIDENT, HONEYWELL FM&T

Doug Wolff CEO, SECURITY BENEFIT CORP.

Eric Wollerman points proudly toward the patriotic work of his Fed eral Manufacturing & Technologies team, over the past year. “The Kansas City National Security Campus, managed by Honeywell FM&T, continues to play a key role producing non-nuclear components for our nation’s nuclear stockpile,” he said. “The efforts provide a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent to uphold the freedoms of our country and our ally relationships.”

With a full year of leadership now on the books, Doug Wolff says Topeka-based Security Benefit’s signature achievement in that span has been “our ability to not only withstand but to thrive in a very difficult investing / economic environment. We’ve set quarterly sales records (beginning in the fourth quarter of 2022) and have had record or near-record earnings.”

COLLEGE: B.S., Finance/Actuarial Science, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign RECESSION ODDS: “I can’t predict whether we’ll see a recession, but I can tell you that our team will be prepared to help our clients weather whatever market conditions we encounter to help preserve their retirement savings. We like to say that we are in the business of helping financial professionals and our policyholders with preparing, not with predicting.” KC’S NEXT BIG THING: “The possibility of a new ballpark for the Royals is really exciting and should help Kansas City continue to thrive.” MOST-ADMIRED CEO: “Steve Jobs. He certainly had his faults, but his company accomplished amazing things and helped change the world.” BUSINESS BOOK: “ Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … And Others Don’t ,” by Jim Collins. LEADERSHIP: “Cultural fit and understanding. We have a great collaborative, hard-working, midwestern culture.”

COLLEGE: B.S., Industrial Engineering, M.S., Industrial & Systems Engineering, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison RECESSION: “Given we are a contractor for the U.S. government, we will defer to others for their opinions.” KC’S NEXT BIG THING: “Grand Opening of the KC Current Stadium next year.” ON THE NEW KCI: “I was using it the first day it opened and many trips since then. Visitors, guests, and travelers are pleased with the long-awaited update.” SALUTING A MENTOR: “One of my managers early on had a sign on her office door: ‘Learn together, See together, Act together.’ It continues to resonate with me today.” MORNING READ: “All business, diving right into it.” LEADERSHIP HIRE TRAITS: “Integrity, teamwork, and respect to serve our national security mission.” CHARITY MISSION: “Coming from a household with two parents as teachers, education would be my focus. A greater impact STEMM focus organization that assists schools, teachers, and students K-12. We program a lot of dollars and volunteer hours within the community but still have a long way to go.”

Tamria Zertuche PRESIDENT/CEO, FERRELLGAS PARTNERS

Keith Zimmerman PRESIDENT/CEO, HCA MIDWEST HEALTH

She’s now the answer to a longtime and frequent trivia question often posed in Kansas City: If Jim Ferrell ever retires, who will succeed him? That answer came on July 31, when the company elevated Tamria Zertuche from her role as chief operating officer. She’s been part of the team since 2004, following the acquisition of the popular Blue Rhino propane-exchange division. That allowed Ferrell to pare his calendar as executive chairman.

For Keith Zimmerman, the equation is simple: Investment=Transformation. This past year, the region’s biggest hospital network invested in producing “new facilities, clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, physician clinics, hos pital expansions, and advanced state-of-the-art technology,” he says. All told, more than $116 million in capital improvements in the last year, he says. “By doing so, we are creating healthier and stronger communities where our patients live and our colleagues serve,” Zimmerman says.

2022 REVENUES: $2.1 billion COLLEGE: B.S., Computer Systems Management and Business Administration, University of Wiscon sin-Whitewater; MBA , Colorado State University DOCTOR-IN-WAITING: She hasn’t reached the end of her educational path; Zertuche is completing her Ph.D. in Organizational Learning, Performance, and Change. BEFORE FERRELL: Zertuche was senior director of IT at Blue Rhino, and after the acquisition, she worked her way up to senior VP of business operations and chief information officer (2019), the COO a year later. She was a unanimous board selection to succeed Ferrell. PRAISE: “Anyone who knows Tamria and what she has done for us as our Chief Operating Officer will not be surprised at the board’s decision,” Jim Ferrell said. “She has transformed Ferrellgas into a technology-enabled logistics company while significantly improving financial performance.”

COLLEGE: B.A., Business Administration, University of Louisiana-Lafayette; MBA, Regis University MORE INVESTMENT: “We are continually reinvesting in our people while building a critical pipeline of caregivers—investing $34.5 million to expand the Research College of Nursing to create an in novative Center for Clinical Advancement and strengthening partnerships with Kansas City University to train tomorrow’s physicians.” KC’S NEXT BIG THING: “I know the new airport was an important aspect of Kansas City securing both the NFL Draft and the World Cup bid, and there are other improvements and projects planned. I think we have so many opportunities tied to the World Cup—not just the chance to highlight our city and region on a world stage, but to use this momentum and continue to improve infrastructure and build for future growth. This growth includes attracting and retaining new companies to create job opportunities in the region.”

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September 2023

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