C-Suite Speaker Series
The C-Suite Speaker Series features alumni and friends of the college who are in leadership positions (at the level of CEO, partner, chairman, etc.). The series brings business leaders to the UNC Charlotte campus to present to and interact with undergraduate and graduate students. This series is organized several times a year by the Belk College of Business external relations team and the Niblock Student Center, which prepares graduates to enter a business career and become leaders in the workplace and the community. Through their stories, successes, and lessons, speakers of the C-Suite Speaker Series provide a transformational experience for students.
Current Session
Featuring Verl Purdy, CEO of Cadrillion Capital.
Wednesday, March 26 | 10:15 – 11 a.m. | McKnight Hall, Cone University Center
Business attire is encouraged. Please email belkrsvp@charlotte.edu with any questions. Students who register will be emailed with additional instructions.
About Verl Purdy
Verl O. Purdy’s career as a business leader has spanned more than five decades. A native West Virginian, he earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1964 from West Virginia University and an MBA from UNC Charlotte.
He joined the BASF group in 1969 and played a key role in helping the company in their growth and acquisition strategies. In 1980 he joined Rio Tinto Zinc chemicals treatment company as their North American President and CEO. After the sale of this business, he started Agdata in 1985 and led this agricultural data marketing and analytics company to become the largest in its field. In 1997 he, along with Scott and Steven Purdy, started MedData which became the national leader in insurance eligibility verification services. These businesses were sold in 2009 and 2010.
In 2011 the Purdy family and Jim Yuhas started Cadrillion Capital. This entity has been focused on acquiring and growing companies in the tech enabled healthcare services sector. Mr. Purdy’s commitment to excellence extends beyond his companies, especially in his support of education. He served as Chairman of the Board for the West Virginia University Foundation, Co-Chaired the National Campaign for the University that raised over $1.2 Billion dollars. Each year, a number of High School and College students receive a full College scholarship from the various Purdy Family programs. In 2018, the new Purdy Center for Science and Math opened at Charlotte Country Day School. In the spring of 2025, West Virginia State University announced the largest gift in the institution’s history would establish the new Purdy Center for Agricultural Sciences.
Recent Sessions
Fall 2024 C-Suite Speaker Series
Ali Summerville, Business Administration Executive, Ally Financial Inc. and 2024 Chair, Charlotte Regional Business Alliance Executive Committee
Spring 2023 C-Suite Speaker Series
Chuck Howard, CEO of Autobell Carwash, Inc.
- Hugh McColl Jr. | Chairman, CEO of Bank of America (retired ) and chairman emeritus at Falfurrias Capital Partners | 2022 Spring Speaker
- Kimberly Moore-Wright ’95 | Truist | 2021 Fall Speaker
- Scott Case ’00 | Truist | 2020 Fall Speaker
- Dontá Wilson ’97 | Truist | 2020 Spring Speaker
- DeAndrea Salvador ’13 | Renewable Energy Transition Initiative (RETI) and JouleScout | 2018 Spring Speaker
- Scott Price | UPS | 2019 Spring Speaker
- Manuel Zapata ’72 MBA | ZAPATA Group | 2018 Fall Speaker
- Mark Beck | JELD-WEN, Inc. | 2018 Spring Speaker
- Demond T. Martin | Investor and Philanthropist | 2017 Fall Speaker
- Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. | TIAA | 2017 Spring Speaker
- Susan DeVore | Premier, Inc. | 2016 Fall Speaker
- Tom Skains | Piedmont Natural Gas | 2016 Spring Speaker
- Kelly King | BB&T | 2016 Spring Speaker
- Robert A. Niblock | Lowe’s Companies, Inc. | 2015 Fall Speaker