Kent Thiry.

• Author: Cote, Mike
• Position: LARGE COMPANY FINALIST - Brief article

Kent Thiry, CEO, DaVita

Even among the elite of Denver's business executives, DaVita CEO Kent Thiry was conspicuous during the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation's visit to Portland in September, socializing with now Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper.

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As city and state economic development champions bemoan, it's tough attracting a Fortune 500 corporation to town. With DaVita--the second largest dialysis services provider in the U.S.--Colorado has a company that already has 200 workers setting down roots in Denver.

DaVita plans to spend more than $100 million to build its 270,000-square-foot downtown headquarters near Union Station and move its executive staff from El Segundo, Calif. Plans call for the company to initially employ about 450 workers at the new site, according to published reports.

Thiry has been chairman and CEO of DaVita since 1999. Its more than 35,000 employees provide kidney care to about...