CEO OF THE YEAR: Every year, Utah Business honors the CEOs who are trying to change how we do work for the better. As of 2020, these are our state's best leaders.

• Author: Bicknell, Lindsay

RYAN MAXWELL ANDERSON

Cofounder & CEO I Filevine

Iinkedin.com/in/ryan-anderson-49a30740/

What was the biggest turning point in your career?

In my work as a lawyer before Filevine, I was constantly bombarded with urgent tasks and problems. Facing that stress, I decided I would move beyond handling urgent problems and instead learn to build systems around the work I do.

What one app has most revolutionized your life?

Slack is pretty [darn] good.

What goals/challenges are you most excited to tackle in the next 5-10 years of your career?

The current stereotype of lawyers is that they are stressed-out workaholics. This isn't entirely true, but there's a reason the stereotype exists. My ambition is to change the face of legal work. I want to help lawyers be happier, less stressed, and better able to achieve their goals. I want to make that happen by using technology to create the shortest path between a lawyer's brain and her case files. I want to cut out every intermediary step so collaboration is seamless.

JOHN P. BENSON

Cofounder & CEO | Verisys Corporation

linkedin.com/in/johnpbenson/

What was the biggest turning point in your career?

Being thrust from the role of an individual contributor to the role of leading people and guiding a business line. A great mentor and muse guided me through this period, so I highly recommend having one.

How do you think business needs to change or evolve? And how can CEOs champion that change?

Businesses drive toward efficiency and automation. I believe in what

I coin the "dividend society," with resource equality based on contribution beyond the current task-based environment. A good CEO leads with change and is an evangelist for helping others understand a future that many will struggle to comprehend.

What do you see as the biggest opportunity for your industry?

Helping create a transformation away from our confrontational and traditional healthcare delivery models, eliminating the battles between consumers and payers, and payers and providers making healthcare a patient-provider engagement with a singular focus: wellbeing.

TERRY H. BUCKNER

CEO | The Buckner Company

Iinkedin.com/in/terry-buckner-b7301211/

What was the biggest turning point in your career?

In the middle of the dot-com bust, we lost one of our largest clients. It was devastating. At the same time, there were multiple suitors pitching me on selling our company to them and "de-risking" my life--something that seemed tempting.

After much contemplation, I determined that we would rise from the challenge and build a more diverse company, able to withstand the variables of a changing economy. We would emerge stronger and better. This continues to be our drive today.

What goals/challenges are you most excited to tackle next?

We are in an aging Industry and haven't done a great job telling our (very positive) story to the next generation of insurance/risk management professionals. I am determined to change that. We will be actively working to recruit, train, and mentor the next leaders of our industry.

JONYCE J. BULLOCK

CEO | Squire & Company, PC

linkedin.com/in/jonyce-bu llock-6946723/

What was the biggest turning point in your career?

I was talking with a partner in my firm and he asked, "Do you want to be a partner?" I said, "Yes, of course," and he answered, "Then you need to talk about it." He told me I couldn't just assume that people knew about my career goals, I needed to own them and talk about them. That conversation completely changed the way I approached my career development.

What book most inspired or helped you in your career?

Definitely Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, specifically the theme she introduces of taking your seat at the table. I had an experience where I attended a meeting and when I walked into the room, there were a number of women who had arrived early and took the seats around the [edge of the] room while the seats at the table were filled by the men who arrived just in time for the meeting. Since then, I challenge myself and others to not hold back; recognize you belong at the table.

RYAN CALDWELL

Founder & CEO I MX

linkedin.com/in/ryancaldwell/

Ryan_Caldwell

What was the biggest turning point in your career?

The moment I sold my first company. I was young and had learned the hard way [about] the pain...