Scholarship Breakfast

Dr. Sulman Ahmed, Founder, Chairman and CEO of DECA Dental Group

Dr. Sulman Ahmed is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of DECA Dental Group, the holding company for the consumer-facing brand Ideal Dental. He is the influential leader shaping and motivating DECA's strategy and culture. In 2008, Dr. Ahmed opened his first dental office with a vow to establish a genuinely patient-centered model. Today, the rapidly growing brand has around 200 locations in nine states and serves around 3,000 guests daily.

His natural ability to scout talent and cultivate strong leaders has allowed him to architect a first-class organization of leaders from the top down. Under his leadership, DECA has become a vanguard as one of the industry's fastest-growing and well-respected organizations, earning numerous honors, awards, and recognitions.

In his personal career, he has achieved many honors and awards, including receiving The University of Texas at Dallas Distinguished Alumni Award (2024). He has also been named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2017), one of Glassdoor's Top CEOs (2021) with a 98% approval rating, and one of Dallas Business Journal's Most Admired CEOs (2023). He is also an in-demand national leadership, entrepreneurial, and motivational conference speaker.

More recently, he garnered the Silver Stevie Award for People-Focused CEO of the Year and became an official member of the Forbes Business Council. He is also a newly published author with his book, "Make Them Smile: Why Customer Satisfaction Is the Key to Rapid and Sustainable Growth" by Dr. Sulman Ahmed. It's a must-read for professionals seeking rapid and sustainable growth.

He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where he now serves as the Chair of the Board of Advisors as of 2024. He also serves as President of the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO), the premier association for businesses in the dental industry.

Dr. Ahmed's exceptional leadership qualities stem from his unwavering commitment to DECA, his partnerships, and the wider community. This dedication sets him apart as a trailblazer and industry leader.

David L. Holmberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Highmark Health

David L. Holmberg is president and chief executive officer of Highmark Health, a $26 billion blended health organization that includes one of America's largest Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers and a growing regional hospital and physician network. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Highmark Health's 42,000 employees serve millions of customers nationwide through the nonprofit organization's affiliated businesses, including Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, HM Insurance Group, United Concordia Dental and enGen.

One of the nation’s most influential and transformative health care executives, Holmberg is helping to shape the future of this fast-evolving industry. He has proactively and regularly engaged with trade associations, regulators, peer organizations, strategic partners, and government entities — both regional and national — to resolve critical health care issues and ensure the equitable treatment of Highmark Health’s patients, policyholders and business customers.

Holmberg joined Highmark Inc. in 2007 and served in a series of executive positions, including president of its Diversified Businesses, where he was responsible for businesses representing more than $3.5 billion in revenue. Holmberg previously served as chief executive officer for HVHC Inc. and chief executive officer and chairman for HM Insurance Group, United Concordia Dental and San Antonio, Texas-based Visionworks. Under Holmberg’s leadership, Highmark Health successfully navigated the tumultuous post-ACA years and the COVID19 pandemic. Highmark Health’s financial strength and stability has enabled the implementation of a bold transformation strategy designed to lead the change in the health care experience for consumers by providing affordable, accessible, high-quality, community-based medicine and coverage options.

Dr. Michael Hinojosa, former superintendent of Dallas Independent School District

Dr. Michael Hinojosa has served for over 25 years as a superintendent/CEO of six public education systems, including two of the 25 largest school systems in America, Dallas ISD in Texas and the Cobb County School District in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. His career in public education, from teacher and coach to superintendent/CEO, spans more than four decades.

With a firm belief that education, and not environment, is the key to a student’s success, he has led several school districts to improved student achievement. Dr. Hinojosa’s recognitions include being named 2002 Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards and 2005 Superintendent of the Year by the University of Texas at Austin. He was honored as Distinguished Alumnus by the College of Education at Texas Tech University and as the Outstanding Latino Educator by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents in 2014. In 2019, D Magazine named him the "Best Public Official" in Dallas. He is a past president of the Texas Association of School Administrators.

A proud graduate of Dallas ISD, Dr. Hinojosa holds a doctorate in education from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife, Kitty, have two sons, graduates of Princeton University and Harvard University. He has a son from a previous marriage who graduated from Texas Tech University. All three attended Dallas ISD for a significant portion of their K-12 careers.

Lori J. Ryerkerk, Chairperson, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Celanese Corporation

Lori J. Ryerkerk is the Chairperson, Chief Executive Officer, and President of the Celanese Corporation, a Fortune 500 global chemical and special materials company based in Dallas, Texas. Celanese is a leader in the development and production of materials used in most major industrial and consumer applications. Ryerkerk was named CEO in May of 2019.

Ryerkerk’s expertise in the energy industry spans three- plus decades. She combines deep technical and commercial skills with a passion for the manufacturing business. Her unwavering focus on safety, environmental, and social performance is the foundation on which she has overseen some of the most technically complex operations in the industry.

Previously, Ryerkerk was the Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing, the largest business in Shell Downstream Inc. She led a team of 30,000 employees and contractors at refineries and chemical sites worldwide. Before joining Shell in 2010, she was Senior Vice President of Refining, Supply, and Terminals at Hess Corporation, where she was responsible for two refineries, 21 terminals (and distribution network) and supply and trading. Prior to that, Ryerkerk spent 24 years with Exxon Mobil where she started her career as a process technologist at a refinery and took a variety of operational and senior leadership roles around the globe.

Ryerkerk is a graduate of Iowa State University where she completed her chemical engineering degree. She actively supports various organizations in her hometown of Beaumont, Texas.

Fred Perpall, Chief Executive Officer, The Beck Group

Fred Perpall is the Chief Executive Officer of The Beck Group. He focuses on driving firm strategy, communicating their vision to clients, selecting, and developing the management team, allocating capital, and managing growth. He began his career in the design and construction industry in 1996. In 2016, he joined the prestigious American Institute of Architects College of Fellows.

Known for his creative mind and innovative thinking, Perpall brings a highly energetic and communicative style to all he does. His leadership is shaped by his experiences in athletics. “Early in my career, I learned to ask many questions and to be interested. I am curious about what clients want, open-minded, and sometimes, amnesic with the past.”

Perpall was elected President of the United States Golf Association Executive Committee in 2023. He is the first African American and Texan to serve in that role. He joined the Board of Directors of the FedEx Corporation in 2021 and is part of the Dallas Citizens Council, serving as Chairperson from 2019-2020. Perpall also serves on the Board of Directors of Starwood Property Trust.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Architecture at the University of Texas at Arlington. Perpall is also an alumnus of the 183rd class of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. A Native of Nassau, Bahamas, Fred played on the 1994 Bahamian National Basketball Team. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Abi, and daughters, Ava, and Ali.

Michael S. Rawlings, Vice Chairperson of CIC

Michael S. Rawlings is a founding partner of CIC, its current Vice Chairperson, and has been with the firm since its inception in 2004. From 2011 to 2019, Rawlings was also the Mayor of the City of Dallas, the ninth largest city in the U.S., when it saw more growth than any time in its history. Early in his career from 1997 to 2003, Rawlings was President of Pizza Hut, leading the brand to record growth as well. Prior to joining Pizza Hut, he was CEO of Tracy Locke, the largest marketing communications agency in the Southwest, whose clients have included Frito-Lay, PepsiCo, Tabasco, and American Airlines. Rawlings currently serves as a director of Willie’s Grill & Icehouse.

He is former Chairperson and CEO of Legends Hospitality Management, a former director of OmniSYS, Buffet Partners, Quiznos, and SignStorey. More recently, Mike served on the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation as Board President, Dallas’ Homeless Czar, and Chairperson for the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. Rawlings has been recognized with many national awards and is a graduate of Boston college.

Angel Ruiz, Head of Ericsson’s Region North America

A member of Ericsson’s Executive Leadership Team, Angel Ruiz is Head of Ericsson’s Region North America. Ruiz has worked in the telecom industry for more than 30 years and has been with Ericsson for more than 20 years.

Ruiz became head of the organization in North America in 2001. Under his leadership, Ericsson has become the number one provider of telecommunications solutions and services in North America, a region that is leading the world in LTE network deployments. Ruiz has been instrumental in this technology leap, assuring the link between Ericsson's research and development resources to deliver products and services that enable operators to launch 4G.

He drove Ericsson's acquisition of Nortel's CDMA, GSM and LTE businesses. Ruiz also brought the benefits of managed services to the United States with the groundbreaking contract with Sprint, bringing the benefits of the globally successful Managed Services business model to the U.S.

In 2010, Ruiz was awarded the Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award from the University of Texas at Dallas for supporting and enabling activities such as research with UT Dallas faculty and participation by Ericsson executives on numerous advisory boards. Ruiz has served on CTIA’s Board of Directors and on its Executive Committee for more than a decade, making him one of the Executive Committee’s longest-serving members. In addition, he has chaired CTIA’s Suppliers’ Council since 2009.

Ruiz joined Ericsson in 1990 and has held a variety of sales and managerial positions within the company, including heading up the global account teams for Cingular/SBC/BellSouth (now AT&T). He has also been involved in project and product management and worked in customer support assignments in Mexico, Venezuela and Sweden. Before joining Ericsson, Ruiz held various positions with Sprint, AT&T and Bell Atlantic.

Ruiz holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Central Florida and a Master’s degree in Management Science and Information Systems from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

In 2012, Ruiz was presented the Tech Titan CEO Award by the Metroplex Technology Business Council, the largest technology trade association in Texas. He was honored for making significant contributions to the industry and the North Texas area during the past year.