JOSEPH D'ISERNIA

CHAIRMAN & CEO, EASTERN SHIPBUILDING GROUP, PANAMA CITY

In June, Eastern Shipbuilding Group delivered a new ferry to Fisher Island, a wealthy enclave south of Miami Beach — just the latest in a series of ferries and military vessels ESG has built, although it has hit snags and delays in its efforts to build four new U.S. Coast Guard cutters. Overall, the company has built a total of 350 vessels since D'Isernia's father founded it in 1976. A Florida State University finance grad, Joseph D'Isernia became chairman and CEO of the company in 2023 after seven years as its president. The company employs more than 1,600 people, making it Northwest Florida's largest private-sector employer.