Ryan Wilkerson

“My experience in this industry goes back to age seven, when my grandfather and dad would talk about the insurance business above my head,” recalls Ryan Wilkerson, 30, President & CEO of Haas & Wilkerson, Inc. After his father passed away unexpectedly in 2004, Ryan Wilkerson took over the family business. Though he had been with the company since 1999, and had been active in sales, account service, and later in charge of marketing, the transition to CEO was a challenge for the then 27 year old. “Youth and inexperience were challenges, but they made me more inquisitive and helped me build relationships with employees,” he says. “I spent a lot of time talking with key employees who had been there for many years, picking their brains to see how we could run a better organization and grow.” Wilkerson is proud of the resilience of his company, and looks forward to the future. “Transitioning the ownership and the management of the company from one generation to the next and not losing anything in the process, customers or employees, is a difficult thing to do.”

Patrick Woolley

When Patrick Woolley was a microbiology student at Kansas State University his plan was to continue on through graduate school and eventually earn a PhD. “Then one day I was working in a lab comparing the DNA of a fruit fly to that of a flower beetle, and I realized I didn’t want to get a PhD,” he recalls. “So I applied to law school, and it was the best decision I ever made.” But what goes around comes around. For the last six years, Woolley, 39, has led the Science and Technology Group at Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus, where his background and early interest in microbiology has come in handy. The group drafts patent applications, trademarks and copyrights, as well as licensing and business advice for engineering and science clients. “The majority of my clients are chemical, biotech or engineering entities,” he explains. Woolley also serves on the board of MOBIO, which promotes Missouri’s biotech industries. “My work with MOBIO is quite rewarding and it’s important for the overall culture of the state of Missouri.”

Bill Young

“Banking is in my blood,” says Bill Young, 39, chairman of Citizens Bank & Trust, the Chillicothe-based bank that has been in Young’s family for 117 years. Young graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in finance in May of 1989, and by July 1 of that year was at work in the bank as a loan officer. To learn the business, he acted as a “jack of all trades” familiarizing himself with all aspects of the operation. Under his leadership, the organization has grown into the sixth largest state charter bank, no small feat for an institution in a town of 9,000 residents. “The banking business is relationship driven,” he explains. “The whole team has built those relationships and grown our bank over the years. Right now we are positioning ourselves to be a player for years to come.” Young’s involvements in the town of Chillicothe are longstanding and numerous, and include terms as president of both the Chillicothe Development Corporation and the Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce. Of his work in the community he says simply, “It’s great to give back.”

Aaron Zack

Aaron Zack, 31, is a technological innovator, but says his company’s success is still built on good old-fashioned hard work and relationships. “You are only as good as the people that you hire,” he says. “The work ethic of our employees is unmatched.” Zack began as CEO of Sunlight Saunas in 2002. From its Johnson County headquarters, the company designs, sells and distributes saunas. Zack says his company’s unique far infrared technology called Solo Carbon differentiates its products from the competition. “Our far infrared technology heats your body directly like gentle sunlight, decreasing its dangerous aspects and lowering the temperature of your sweat. The challenge for us was that the technology was unknown. But now we’re at the point where we have brand awareness.” Zack worked in marketing at Proctor & Gamble in Cincinnati prior to assuming his role at Sunlight. “I learned a lot about business and realized that I had a lot to offer,” he recalls. Zack and his wife Connie, who is co-owner, are expecting their first child in September.