Greater Cincinnati's corner offices are about to get some competition for bragging rights. The Cincinnati Business Courier has released its list of finalists for the 12th annual C-Suite Awards, a lineup that spans hospital systems, manufactured-housing REITs, nonprofits and a Shakespeare company, with winners set to be announced October 15, 2026, at the Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown Hotel.
The event, scheduled to run from 4 to 7 p.m. at the downtown hotel, will recognize CEO, CFO, COO, CHRO, CMO and CNO leaders from across the region, according to The Business Journals. Honorees are chosen through what the publication describes as an independent editorial review based entirely on merits, achievements and contributions, with the Business Journal's editorial leadership holding final say and approval over all awards. Attendees can expect beer, wine, soft drinks and heavy hors d'oeuvres followed by the awards program itself.
A Crowded Field of CEO Finalists
The chief executive officer category alone reads like a cross-section of the Tri-State economy. UC Health's Cory Shaw is among the finalists; he took the reins of Greater Cincinnati's only adult academic health system in January 2023 after nearly 30 years at Nebraska Medicine, where he oversaw operations for a $2.2 billion system, according to the University of Cincinnati. Also on the CEO list is Matthew Randazzo of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which awarded $149 million in local grants in 2023 and has distributed more than $1.69 billion since it was founded in 1963, per Movers & Makers.
Fort Mitchell-based Flagship Communities REIT landed two finalists this year: CEO Kurt Keeney and chief marketing officer Nathan Smith. The company operates 85 manufactured housing communities across eight Midwest states, with a gross book value of $1.34 billion as of early 2026, according to RENX. It is the only publicly traded pure-play manufactured housing REIT on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Nonprofit and Healthcare Leaders Get Their Due
The finalist roster leans heavily on nonprofit and healthcare leadership this cycle. Episcopal Retirement Services CEO Laura Lamb, a finalist who started as an intern at the organization in 1994 and has led it since 2017, now oversees three life plan communities and more than 30 affordable senior housing properties across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, according to a University of Cincinnati alumni profile. Also named a CEO finalist is Stephen Roller of Primary Health Solutions, a safety-net healthcare provider that is expanding medical and dental services across southwest Ohio, per the organization's own announcement.
Other CEO finalists include Todd Albrecht of Perfection Group, Tara Halpin of Steinhauser Inc., Joe Girandola of Art Academy of Cincinnati, Brian Isaac Phillips of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Jim Clark of LSI Industries, Mark Ryan of Bank of America, Jessica Esterkamp of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati, and Benjamin Mirtes of Ingenovis Health, according to the seed listing.
Finance, Operations, HR and More
The chief financial officer category features Laura Nixon of Lindner Center of Hope, Colin Brooks of Mercy Health, Robin Rodgers of Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky, Adrienne Vannarsdall of RC Capital, and Hctor Polanco of Cincinnati Preschool Promise. Chief operating officer finalists include Rob Vonckx of NorthKey Community Care, Bryan Hafertepe of Connico, Ken Wilson of Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio, and Cherise Campbell of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati.
On the human resources side, finalists include Kathy Quarles of 80 Acres Farms, Adriene Hairston of Metro, and Latisha Hazell of the City of Cincinnati. Chief marketing officer finalists include Stephanie Ebken of Cincinnati Children's and Sherwood MacVeigh of Ohio Valley Goodwill, alongside Flagship's Nathan Smith. Chief nursing officer finalists include Tonya Beck of Mercy Health, Julie Holt of The Christ Hospital Health Network, and Jan Marhefka of Lindner Center of Hope.
A Growing Tradition Rooted in Regional Prestige
Last year's ceremony, the 11th annual, named 17 winners from 38 finalists across eight leadership categories, judged by an independent panel of local university and business figures, according to Mount St. Joseph University. Northern Kentucky biotech firm CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services had multiple senior executives honored at that 2025 event, as reported by LINK nky.
The awards arrive amid a broader regional pattern of expanding and formalizing executive leadership. Hoodline reported in July that Walnut Hills builder Huseman Group built its first-ever C-suite following a record $230 million revenue year in 2025, part of a wider trend toward centralized executive structures at growing Greater Cincinnati companies. Competition for top talent has also been intensifying in the financial sector, where boards have been pushing executive pay past $1 million to keep pace with national banks and fintech firms, according to a June 2026 industry review covered by Hoodline.
Tickets, Packages and Logistics
Single tickets for the October 15 event will go on sale September 11, 2026, priced at $175 each; anyone buying after the October 8 deadline will pay $200, if seats remain. Sponsorship and reserved-seating packages come in three tiers: a $6,500 business package with five reserved seats, a $7,500 corporate package with eight reserved premium seats and a $150 Jeff Ruby's gift card for the honoree, and an $8,500 VIP package with 10 reserved premium seats and a $250 Jeff Ruby's gift card. Each sponsorship tier also includes advertising placements in the C-Suite Awards special section and the Influencers collection, plus a logo in the event's sponsor-thank-you ad.
Awards-portion seating is theater-style and open, while sponsors and reserved-seating buyers get assigned seats. All tickets require advance registration and payment and are non-refundable once purchased, and attendees are expected to follow event guidelines and safety protocols while acknowledging the risks of attendance. Jamie Smith is listed as the contact for sponsorship information and can be reached at 513-337-9450.
Xavier University's Williams College of Business has folded the C-Suite Awards into its graduate scholarship programming, giving student winners direct networking access to the region's recognized executives, according to Xavier University. It is one more sign of how the annual event has become a fixture connecting Greater Cincinnati's business establishment with its next generation of leaders.
