Vote for the 2023 CEO of the Year Awards and Provide Insight on the Local Business Climate

UPDATE: The CEO of the Year survey has closed. Pick up a copy of our Winter issue or check back at columbusceo.com to find out who our 2023 honorees are, and see what Columbus-area executives think about the local economy.

Columbus CEO wants to know how local C-suite leaders feel about the region’s economy and workforce, and we need your help.

Our CEO of the Year survey, in its 13th year, seeks to gain a better picture of the Central Ohio economic climate from the perspective of top executives. It also is used to determine the peer-voted 2023 CEO of the Year awards in four categories. The survey deadline has been extended through Nov. 3.

Our 2022 CEO of the Year winners were:

• Francie Henry, regional president of Fifth Third Bank (Large For-Profit category)
• Elizabeth Blount McCormick, president and owner of Uniglobe Travel Designers (Small For-Profit category)
• Robert “Bo” Chilton, CEO of IMPACT Community Action (Large Nonprofit category)
• Michael Corey, executive director of the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County (Small Nonprofit category)

The Survey of Economic Conditions, conducted in partnership with economist Bill LaFayette of Regionomics, seeks to understand why CEOs think Central Ohio is a good place to do business; what factors could be improved; current challenges; the outlook for local, national and global economies; workforce and hiring trends; the impact of Intel; and other business issues. The survey is open to all C-suite and cabinet-level executives in the Columbus metropolitan area.

Respondents also will vote for the 2023 CEO of the Year awards, recognizing local executives whose peers believe their leadership and organizational performance make them stand out in the crowd. More than 40 nominees, divided into small and large for-profit and nonprofit categories, appear on this year’s ballot. A write-in option also is available. Nominees include past finalists and top vote-getters, as well as select choices from local executives and our staff. Four winners and a group of finalists will be named based on peer votes. Past winners are not eligible.

The survey, adapted from the SMU Cox CEO Sentiment Survey, only takes about 10 minutes to complete. All responses are completely anonymous. Bill LaFayette of Regionomics will aggregate and analyze the responses. A summary of the results will be published in the Winter 2024 issue of Columbus CEO, which also will feature profiles of the 2023 CEO of the Year winners and finalists.

Help us recognize top-performing leaders and provide an analysis of the local business climate by participating in the 2023 CEO of the Year initiative. Take the survey online through Nov. 3.

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