Leadership

Venezuelan native Mario Contreras, 32, heads up his own multi-national company, Elbardi International Management, a Charley’s Grilled Subs franchise.

Why Crawford? Some say the NRA has a message problem when it comes to its stance on hot-button topics; they've got a good story to tell but are being beat by unions and lawmakers. Will its newest chairman make a difference? He might, based on his past at Ground Round Grill & Bar, based in Freeport, Maine.

Denny Marie Post, CEO of Red Robin, is tasked with anticipating where consumer preferences will be down the road, and making sure her team is there, too.