Congratulations to our managing partner Andrew on being named one of Charlotte Business Journal's Most Admired CEOs in 2025! Your visionary leadership and commitment to creating enduring value inspire our team and elevate every client we serve.
Read below the full interview profile on Andrew from the June 20 edition of CBJ.
01. Describe your leadership style or guiding philosophy and how you put that into action within your organization.
Leadership is a privilege that comes with great responsibility and the potential for profound impact on others. Leaders are responsible for helping everyone on the team believe in the cause, have confidence in the team and be inspired to demonstrate their own potential. Achieving and maintaining these outcomes is challenging. When I suspect that I have achieved them, I soon see there is more to be done to strengthen the team, and so this work is inspiring and humbling at the same time. Putting this philosophy into action means spending time often as a team, centering ourselves on our purpose, critically evaluating our performance and committing to actions that will be very consequential. Individually, we take the time to really know one another so we can be a source of insight and support for each other’s growth and performance.
02. Describe a difficult decision or major change you’ve made as the leader of your company over the past year, how you handled that and how it impacted the business.
While there are many financial indicators available to inform making investments in the business, at some point you just need the courage to listen to your intuition as an entrepreneur. In the past year, significant investments were made in marketing, product innovation, talent acquisition and employee benefits. When making these decisions, I remember feeling the anxiety that comes with taking any sizeable business risk, as the total investment for our firm was significant. Looking back, I am thrilled with each of these decisions as we are a larger, stronger and more impactful firm today.
03. Describe your top accomplishment of the past year
ELP was founded in 2017, making 2024 our seventh year in business. This was slightly daunting because we know the seven- to 10-year range can be a make-or-break stage for entrepreneurs looking to scale their business and demonstrate sustainable profitable growth. However, last year we nearly doubled our total revenue from 2023, and our growth in 2025 is on pace to do so once again.
04. What is the top priority for Charlotte to ensure a strong business environment?
We already have an enviable business environment thanks to the example set by so many of the large corporations and privately held companies in town and the diverse collection of nonprofit organizations that are contributing meaningfully to the city’s development. I have spent most of my time in the community focused on child and adolescent development and mental health, and I would like to see even more focus on ensuring the success of the next generation. We can’t maintain a thriving community if Charlotte’s next generation isn’t fully capable of contributing and participating in it.
05. What was your first job, and what is one lesson you carried forward from that?
As a teenager, I introduced computers and billing software into my father’s medical practice. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I was so excited about every aspect of the responsibility, from buying the equipment to learning the software to training the administrative staff. I learned the most challenging assignments will initially test your capabilities and your confidence, but they are far more developmental and valuable in the long term. By taking on the most challenging assignments early in my career, I developed the depth and breadth of expertise that has enabled me to be a business owner today.
06. What is something you do for fun?
Technology has been a passion for me throughout my life including computers, videography, gaming, and home theatre. When given the chance, you’ll find me either tinkering for hours with our home theaters or playing a decent round of Fortnite with my wife and sons.
07. What is one of the best books you’ve read recently, and why?
I am fascinated with how we come to form beliefs and how those beliefs shape what is possible for us individually and collectively. I have found myself drawn to Yuval Noah Harari’s books Sapiens and Homo Deus, as they provide insightful ideas about our nature, our potential and our capacity for self-destruction. As he takes us back to our earliest ancestors and helps us envision humanity’s future, I find myself seeing our modern times so much more clearly.
08. What is your best advice for future leaders?
Plenty of people will tell you to follow your passion or do what you love. It is wonderful to find your passion and do what you love. However, it is as important to know how economic value is created in your profession and to be curious and determined to influence that value whether you are a doctor, salesperson, quality manager, etc. Your employer is a business, and they will value your interest and impact on the business outcomes. Do your functional role better than anyone else and learn how the business makes money so you can maximize your influence on it.