John A. Allison leads one of the nation's largest and most respected companies, BB&T Corporation, a $116-billion financial-holding company. Mr. Allison began his career at BB&T in 1971 and worked his way through the management ranks, becoming president in 1987, then chairman and CEO in July 1989.

Under Mr. Allison's leadership, the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based BB&T has expanded dramatically, growing from fourth largest financial-holding company in North Carolina to ninth largest in the country. A member of the Fortune 500 list of largest corporations, BB&T operates more than 1,400 banking offices in 11 states and Washington, D.C., and has more than 28,000 employees.

The company has received numerous awards reflecting its commitment to grow without sacrificing quality. BB&T has been recognized as one of America's "Best Big Companies" on the Forbes Platinum 400 List for six of the last seven years. The U.S. Small Business Administration has named BB&T among the top three "small business-friendly" financial-holding companies in the country for the past seven years. The company also has been ranked by its clients in a nationwide survey as being No. 1 above all other commercial banks, investment firms, and credit unions for offering products and services that are best for the customer rather than its own bottom line.

Allison is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a bachelor's degree in business administration. A graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, he earned his master's degree in management at Duke University. He has received honorary doctorate degrees from Clemson University in South Carolina and East Carolina University and Mount Olive College in North Carolina.

A native of Charlotte, N.C., Allison is married to the former Elizabeth McDonald of Elkin, N.C.  They have two sons and a daughter — Eric, William and Sarah.