James March-April 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 18
We present our yearly roster of bios
and charts of Georgia’s major business,
political, legal and media players.
STACEY ABRAMS
POLITICAL ACTIVIST
Abrams was once a big name in
Georgia politics, building a voter
outreach machine, which was
copied by Democrats (and Republicans) nationwide. Back-to-back gubernatorial
defeats dimmed the star of the former state
House legislator, but she remains a presence
in Democratic circles in spite of being fined
for serious ethics violations.
DAN AMOS
CHAIRMAN & CEO, AFLAC
The son of Aflac co-founder Paul
Amos, Dan worked his way up
through the insurance giant as a
salesman before becoming CEO in
1990. Today, Columbus-based Aflac insures
more than 50 million people worldwide with
annual revenue of more than $22 billion.
ROY BARNES
FORMER GOVERNOR, ATTORNEY
“King Roy” may have left the
Governor’s Mansion in 2003, but
he’s remained a force in the
Democratic Party, doling out sage
wisdom and campaign donations alike. He
also remains a prominent Cobb County
attorney, maintaining his law career that
began in 1975.
ED BASTIAN
CEO, DELTA AIR LINES
Delta consistently ranks as the top
domestic carrier in the U.S., a testament to Bastian’s steady leadership
as he’s navigated through a
turbulent industry. James’ “2021 Georgian of
the Year” oversees more than 100,000 global
professionals as the airline continues to break
records and rack up awards.
BRANDON BEACH
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TRUE NORTH 400
Transportation and infrastructure
expertise gleaned via the Alpharetta resident’s decade-plus as a
member of the Georgia Senate
makes Beach a perfect fit for his role at True
North 400— formerly the North Fulton CID.
It is one of the state’s premier public-private
partnerships, and assisted by the senator’s
deep government and political connections it
has invested in huge infrastructure projects.
KEVIN BLAIR
CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT & CEO, SYNOVUS
Columbus-based Synovus is one of
the largest banks in the Southeast,
with 250 branches and more than
$60 billion in assets. The well-connected Blair has served as CEO since 2021
and lends his expertise to outside boards
including the Metro Atlanta Chamber and
Georgia Historical Society.
SARA BLAKELY
FOUNDER, SPANX
Starting as a door-to-door fax
machine saleswoman, Blakely
went big-time by founding
undergarment chain Spanx in the
early 2000s, eventually leading to her
becoming the world’s youngest self-made
female billionaire. Since then, she’s been a
reality TV star, a renowned philanthropist
especially when it comes to Georgia, and
even one of Time magazine’s 100 most
influential people in the world. And last year
she introduced Sneex, a sneaker-heel hybrid
starting at $395 a pair.
