RALEIGH, N.C. – The 2015 N.C. CEO Forum will host Arianna Huffington and Gen. Keith B. Alexander, on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at an exclusive gathering of the state’s top business leaders at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, North Carolina. Speakers and attendees will engage on this year’s theme of innovation, which makes North Carolina a better place through ideas that improve products, organizations and communities.

Huffington is the chair, president and editor-in-chief of Huffington Post Media Group. She is a nationally syndicated columnist and the author of 14 books, and has been named to TIME magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people and to Forbes’ list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. Her most recent book, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder, debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times’ best-seller list.

Gen. Alexander, one of America’s top cybersecurity authorities, is the CEO of IronNet Cybersecurity; the retired commander of U.S. Cyber Command; and the retired director of the National Security Agency and Central Security Service. At IronNet, he provides strategic vision to corporate leaders on cybersecurity issues through development of cutting edge technology, consulting and education/training.

This year’s featured nonprofit is the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions, in order to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Net proceeds from the event will go to Make-A-Wish and children of military families in honor of Veteran’s Day.

Event sponsors include: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, EDM Americas, Fidelity Investments, Sensus, Quintiles, LORD Corporation, Qlik, Brasco, MMI, Outlet Systems, Springleaf Strategies, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, The Special Event Company, Duke Energy, Burt’s Bees, PNC, TradeMark Properties, Bell and Howell, Financial Directions Group, CAI, DuPont Electronics and Communications, Hill, Chesson & Woody, Medfusion, Right Management, Bruin & Associates and EcoStyle Transportation.

For more information on the 2015 NC CEO Forum, including a complete agenda, visit http://ncceoforum.com/agenda/.

QUOTES:

“For our nation’s economy to reach new heights, business leaders must embrace innovation to change the way they serve customers and to make their communities better places to live and work,” said Brian Kinahan, co-founder of the NC CEO Forum. “This year’s Forum features speakers who have harnessed the power of business innovation, and we hope that attendees will use their insight to make their businesses, and North Carolina, more successful.”

NEW MEDIA CONTENT:

2015 NC CEO Forum Twitter account:

http://bit.ly/1ORWP7C

ABOUT 2015 NC CEO FORUM:

The NC CEO Forum, founded by Rick Deckelbaum and Brian Kinahan, is an exclusive gathering of executives and management teams who want to gain a competitive edge in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Since 2009, the Forum has welcomed business, government and nonprofit leaders committed to helping North Carolina grow jobs and build a commanding presence on the national and international scene. The event has featured notable speakers such as retired U.S. Army four-star general and former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell; famed CEO Jack Welch; acclaimed business author Jim Collins; Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the iconic founders of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream; and Steve Forbes, chairman and CEO of Forbes and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine, among others. Attendees work together to develop strategies for transforming powerful ideas into practical realities to better serve communities. In addition to improving the state’s business climate, the Forum donates net proceeds from the event each year to a chosen nonprofit partner. For more information on the NC CEO Forum, visit http://ncceoforum.com.

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