GEORGE CHEROS

PRESIDENT & CEO, NATIONAL CENTER FOR SIMULATION, ORLANDO

George Cheros started his career as a senior cost analyst with the former General Foods Corp. After working for Red Lobster USA, where he was responsible for 200-plus restaurants and more than $500 million in revenue, he eventually joined the National Center for Simulation. The nonprofit works with government, academic and industry members on simulation and related technologies in the name of defense readiness and space exploration. Cheros first served as its chief operating officer, a role in which he led negotiations for a state purchase of 200,000-plus square feet of office space for the Metro Orlando Defense Task Force. He helped establish the NCS Modeling and Simulation Certification Exam for high school students and teachers, and he helped the University of Central Florida establish buildings in its research park for military use. Cheros was named CEO in 2019 and has helped make Orlando a worldwide epicenter for modeling and simulation.