Page 1 2
3 4
Business is the engine that powers
Atlanta, and attracting new business, including financial services business,
is of vital importance.
Long before the world’s most prestigious sporting event came to Atlanta,
government and civic leaders were creating a supportive environment
for business, say today’s top business leaders in the city. They point
to the administrations of former mayors William Hartsfield, Ivan Allen, and Maynard
Jackson in particular as having significant impact here.
Hartsfield solidified the city as a regional powerhouse, beating
out Birmingham and its powerful steel industry, by promoting
air travel here. Allen kept the peace in Atlanta during the civil
rights movement when other southern cities were being torn
apart by racial strife. Jackson was in charge when construction
began on the airport’s present terminal, a project totaling
$500 million.
 David Holland (MAS ’69, BBA ’67), president and CEO of
Munich American Reassurance Company, has been witness
to many changes that have occurred in his native city, from
the construction of the downtown connector to a surge in
population. "Tremendous progress has been made," he says,
"and I’m very proud of my city. I’d give Atlanta a solid A+ on a
long-term perspective."
Indeed, in looking ahead to the future, Atlanta’s executives
see great potential and opportunity to not only continue as
a solid business destination but also surpass expectations. As
Holland points out, only two U.S. cities have more Fortune 500
headquarters than Atlanta, the Southeast is the fastest growing
region in the nation, and the outlook for doing business in
Atlanta is excellent.
E. Jenner Wood III (MBA ’84), divisional CEO and divisional
chairman of the board for SunTrust Banks, Inc., expects jobs to
grow by 50,000 this year, and he believes the healthy housing
market lends further support to a good prognosis for business.
"SunTrust is Atlanta’s bank," Wood says. "We have a large
presence in Atlanta and in Georgia, and some of the recent
banking mergers have worked to our favor, allowing us to bring
some great talent into our company and to serve new clients."
As one of the nation’s largest commercial banks, SunTrust has
assets of $178.9 billion and total deposits of $122 billion.
Continued on next page
 Previous Page | Top |
Next Page 
|
