Michael Berghoff is founder and president of Indianapolis-based Lenex Steel Co. and chair of the Purdue University board. Lenex has grown into the largest design and build fabricator of its kind in the Midwest, with plants in Indianapolis, Terre Haute and Vincennes. Its portfolio includes work on projects such as the expansion of Wrigley Field, the construction of Music City Center in Nashville and the extension of the Notre Dame football stadium. Since Berghoff became Purdue chair in 2015, the board has voted to keep tuition flat while growing the university’s startup and commercialization efforts.
Walkup music: “Lose Yourself” by Eminen
Advice: “Don’t be afraid of risk.”
Rachel Hazaray supports the legal and compliance needs of Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. and handles government relations at the local, state and federal levels. In April, she was promoted to her current role and became one of the only two female vice presidents at Subaru of Indiana Automotive history. She also leads the company’s environmental compliance and energy team and is responsible for the zero-landfill initiative and carbon reduction goals. She serves as chair of Greater Lafayette Commerce and president of the board of the Lafayette Parks Foundation.
Something surprising: She listens to three or four audiobooks a week. “I love reading but had gotten away from it after becoming a mom.”
Pets: Moose, an 85-pound goldendoodle who is the “happiest, most loyal dog I’ve ever owned” and Nike, a 7-pound cat who is “an absolute boss in our house and keeps Moose in line.”
Marisol Sanchez is responsible for legal procurement; commercial contract management; facilities; and quality, safety and compliance at Endress+Hauser USA, which makes measurement devices for the oil and gas, chemical, and food and beverage industries. She serves as strategic legal and business adviser from a local and global perspective for the company operations in North America, and she founded a Women’s Integrated Network at Endress+Hauser that is now active in over 40 countries. Previously, she was a partner with Bose McKinney & Evans (Indianapolis) and before that served as a law clerk for Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard of the Indiana Supreme Court.
First job: Pumping gas, working in the parts and convenience store, changing batteries and helping with oil changes at a
full-service gas station at age 17.
Something surprising: She played volleyball in high school. “I say this is surprising because I’m not tall at all.”
Advice: “Be curious—a life-long learner.”
Candice Bineyard leads Rolls-Royce’s U.S. Defense Production, NPI, and Naval Programs portfolio and provides leadership for an organization of more than 600. She is responsible for customer satisfaction, P&L management, the execution of quality and delivery performance targets, as well as transitioning new products into production. Since joining Rolls-Royce in 2007, she has served in numerous roles, including vice president, JSF LiftSystem, where she was accountable for the direction of the program as well as performance in support of production and sustainment contracts. Before joining Rolls-Royce, Bineyard worked at Honeywell Aerospace in Clearwater, Florida, as an engineer in the integrated supply chain. She is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.
First job: A Taco Bell inside a gas station. “Preparing tacos and serving customers taught me to be humble. It also taught me to double down on my aspirations to be an engineer.”
Tim Hollander leads all production and administrative functions at the manufacturing facility in Princeton that assembles the Toyota Sienna, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Grand Highlander and Lexus TX. Hollander, who has been with Toyota for 26 years, leads a team of 7,600. In 2023, Toyota completed an $800 million investment to bring two new products to the market, the Grand Highlander and the Lexus TX. Princeton is the first Toyota manufacturer outside of Japan to bring a Lexus Plug-in Hybrid to market. This year, the company announced an additional $1.4 billion investment to bring a battery electric, three-row SUV to market. Hollander joined Toyota in Indiana in 1998 as a production control specialist, about six months before the first Toyota Tundra came off the assembly line.
First job: Mowing lawns at age 14. “I worked 50-plus hours a week and learned the value of a dollar and the importance of hard work.”
Something surprising: “I enjoy anything outdoors from hiking, camping, fishing, hunting and anything outdoors in between.”
Scott Brand was promoted to president and chief operating officer of Subaru in February, becoming the company’s first American president in company history. Brand, a self-proclaimed “car guy” who has been with Subaru for 35 years, is responsible for all operations of the Subaru vehicle assembly plant in Lafayette, where the company produces four models: the Ascent, Crosstrek, Legacy and Outback. He held various leadership roles with Subaru, from materials manager to executive vice president, before being named president.
First job: Newspaper delivery at age 13. “This job taught me that if I wanted the reward—money—there are no shortcuts to doing the work.”
Advice for a young person: “Never miss an opportunity to learn a new skill or ability in the workplace. … Those that are anxious to learn new things frequently evolve into better problem solvers due to their developed ability to quickly understandunfamiliar things and adapt to them.”
Malina “Mali” Simone Bacon is the founder and creative director of the creative agency GangGang, a first-of-its-kind cultural startup that advocates for the role and worth of artists. She also serves as the creative director of Butter: A Fine Art Fair, which centers on the care and economic viability of Black visual artists, and was co-curator of We. The Culture, an art exhibit on display at Newfields in 2022 and 2023. Both events were featured by The New York Times as blueprints for equity in the arts. Before GangGang, Bacon immersed herself in Indianapolis arts and culture during her five years at the Arts Council of Indianapolis, followed by a leadership position at Madame Walker Theatre. She also worked on the #loveIndy campaign as project manager and as the marketing lead for Waterside, a $1.3 billion real estate development.
First job: At Blimpie and TCBY. “I learned everything about customer service and tracking.”
Julie Roe Lach has been involved with college athletics for over 25 years. She was named Horizon League commissioner on Jan. 1, 2021, and oversees all league functions. Under her leadership, working in collaboration with the schools’ presidents, chancellors and athletics directors, the Horizon League developed its first mental health grant, committing $550,000 for member institutions to use to serve the needs of student-athletes. Lach also currently chairs the Indiana Sports Corp., where she is spearheading development of the organization’s 2050 Sports Vision for Indianapolis and Indiana. Lach joined the Horizon League in 2014 as deputy commissioner. Previously, she worked at the NCAA for over 15 years, most recently serving as vice president of enforcement from October 2010 to February 2013.
Something surprising: “I love to bass fish in my hometown of Pinckneyville, Illinois.”
Favorite gadget: “My Keurig. Consistent, strong, black coffee every morning.”
Robert L. Koch II is chair of Koch Enterprises Inc., a privately held company that was established in 1873 by his great-grandfather. Koch joined the company in 1962. In 1980, he was named president and in 2012 became chair. Since he became president, the company’s annual sales have increased from $75 million to over $1.5 billion. During his 62 years with the company, he has led the firm into new businesses and expanded into international markets. The Koch Enterprises companies’ work includes aluminum recycling; precision aluminum die castings; the distribution of HVAC equipment; the remanufacturing of components for heavy-duty, off-road vehicles; the design and construction of industrial paint, powder and plating systems; and the design and installation of security systems for hospitals and jails.
Something surprising: “I never buy a bar of soap. I always bring home the extra soap from hotels where I travel.”
Challenge overcome: Helping improve education in southwestern Indiana. “While we have made progress, we are not anywhere where we need to be.”
Dominic Grote started in his family’s business in 1993 as the Texas/Oklahoma territory salesman. As president and CEO, he now leverages 30-plus years of experience into how best to navigate what he calls “the uncertain business environment that’s become the new normal.” Grote Industries develops, manufactures and supplies visibility and safety systems for the on-highway, off-highway and trailer body builder markets. The company, family-owned since 1901, is headquartered in Madison and has locations in Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. Grote is a member of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. board.
Favorite gadget: “I’m a big fan of music and love listening to tunes when and where I want. In my house it’s Sonos, in my office it’s a Bluetooth speaker, and when I’m working out, it’s my earbuds.”
Advice: “Your career is a clean piece of paper. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. It will get messy, but the learning is exponential.”
