Nucor | Leadership: Executive Team, Board of Directors

Our leadership is focused on empowering our teammates to drive Nucor’s long-term success.

Executive Team

Leon J. Topalian

Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Leon J. Topalian

Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Topalian was named Chair and Chief Executive Officer in 2026, after serving as Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer in 2022, as President and Chief Executive Officer beginning in 2020 and as President and Chief Operating Officer in 2019. Mr. Topalian began his career with Nucor as a Project Engineer at Nucor Steel Berkeley in 1996. He has held various leadership positions throughout his Nucor career in Australia, at Nucor Steel South Carolina, Nucor Steel Kankakee, and Nucor-Yamato Steel Company. He served as Executive Vice President of Beam and Plate Products from 2017 to 2019.

Stephen D. Laxton

President, Chief Operating Officer

Stephen D. Laxton

President, Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Laxton was named President and Chief Operating Officer in 2025. He began his career at Nucor in 2003 as General Manager of Business Development and subsequently served as Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Planning from 2014 to 2022. He most recently served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President from 2022-2025.

Jack Sullivan

Chief Financial Officer and
Executive Vice President

Jack Sullivan

Chief Financial Officer
and Executive Vice President

Mr. Sullivan was named Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Executive Vice President in 2026. He joined Nucor in 2022 as General Manager of Investor Relations and was elected Vice President and Treasurer in 2025. Prior to Nucor, Mr. Sullivan spent 13 years at Duke Energy, where he held leadership roles across investor relations, treasury and corporate development, including serving as Vice President of Investor Relations and Assistant Treasurer. Earlier in his career, he spent nine years with Bank of America’s Global Corporate and Investment Banking group. Mr. Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University.

Thomas J. Batterbee

Executive Vice President
Human Resources and Talent

Thomas J. Batterbee

Executive Vice President
Human Resources and Talent

Mr. Batterbee was named Executive Vice President in 2025. He began his career with Nucor in 1989 as a Detailer at Nucor Building Systems Indiana. He was promoted to General Manager of Nucor Building Systems Texas in 2007 and later served as General Manager of Vulcraft New York, Nucor Buildings Group Utah and Nucor Steel South Carolina. Mr. Batterbee was promoted to Vice President in 2017 and was named President of the Vulcraft/Verco Group in 2023.

Allen C. Behr

Executive Vice President
Raw Materials

Allen C. Behr

Executive Vice President
Raw Materials

Mr. Behr was named Executive Vice President in 2020. He began his career in Nucor in 1996 as a Design Engineer at Nucor Building Systems Indiana and held numerous roles at Nucor Building Systems Indiana, Texas and South Carolina prior to being named General Manager at Nucor Building Systems South Carolina in 2008. Mr. Behr was General Manager of Vulcraft South Carolina, elected a Vice President of Nucor in 2012. He served as President of the Vulcraft/Verco Group and later as General Manager for Nucor Steel Texas from 2017 through 2020.

Brad Ford

Executive Vice President
Plate and Structural Products

Brad Ford

Executive Vice President
Plate and Structural Products

Mr. Ford was named Executive Vice President in 2023. He began his career at David J. Joseph Company (DJJ) in 2001 as a Brokerage Representative and subsequently served as a District Manager and International Trading Manager. In 2013, Mr. Ford became Commercial Vice President at DJJ’s subsidiary, Trademark Metals Recycling LLC (TMR), and then served as President of TMR from 2015 to 2020. Mr. Ford became General Manager of Vulcraft-Indiana in 2020. He was elected a Vice President of Nucor in 2022 and later served as Vice President and General Manager of Nucor Steel Decatur, LLC.

Noah Hanners

Executive Vice President
Sheet Products

Noah Hanners

Executive Vice President
Sheet Products

Mr. Hanners was named Executive Vice President in 2023. He began his career with Nucor in 2011 as a Melt Shop Engineer at Nucor Steel South Carolina. He next served as Shift Supervisor and eventually Melt Shop Manager of Nucor Steel Auburn, Inc. Mr. Hanners later served as General Manager of Nucor Tubular Products and General Manager of Nucor Steel Kankakee, Inc. He was elected a Vice President of Nucor in 2019 and later served as Vice President and General Manager of The David J. Joseph Company. Prior to joining Nucor, Mr. Hanners served as a major in the United States Army.

John J. Hollatz

Executive Vice President
Fabricated Construction Products

John J. Hollatz

Executive Vice President
Fabricated Construction Products

Mr. Hollatz was named Executive Vice President in 2022. He began his Nucor career as a Design Engineer at Vulcraft Indiana in 1999 before moving on to become a Sales Engineer and Sales Manager at Vulcraft Nebraska. Mr. Hollatz was General Manager of Nucor Buildings Systems South Carolina, General Manager of Vulcraft Indiana, elected a Vice President of Nucor in 2016 and was President of the Vulcraft/Verco Group. He served as Vice President and General Manager of Nucor Steel Decatur, LLC from 2020 through 2022.

Daniel R. Needham

Executive Vice President
Commercial

Daniel R. Needham

Executive Vice President
Commercial

Mr. Needham was named Executive Vice President in 2021. He began his career with Nucor in 2000 as Controller at Nucor Steel Hertford County and subsequently served as Controller of Nucor Steel Decatur, LLC and Nucor Steel Utah. In 2011, Mr. Needham became General Manager of Nucor Steel Connecticut, Inc. He later served as General Manager of Nucor Steel Utah and was elected Vice President of Nucor in 2016. He served as Vice President and General Manager of Nucor Steel Indiana from 2019 through 2021.

Benjamin M. Pickett

Executive Vice President
Business Services

Benjamin M. Pickett

Executive Vice President
Business Services

Mr. Pickett was named Executive Vice President in 2025. He began his career with Nucor in 2018 as Director of Corporate Legal Affairs. In 2020, he was promoted to General Manager and Counsel of Public Affairs and Government Relations and elected to Vice President in 2023. Prior to joining Nucor, he was a Partner with Moore & Van Allen, PLLC. He holds Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

K. Rex Query

Executive Vice President
Strategy

K. Rex Query

Executive Vice President
Strategy

Mr. Query was named Executive Vice President in 2021. He joined Nucor in 1990 as a financial analyst in the Corporate Office and subsequently served as Controller at Vulcraft South Carolina, Nucor Steel Berkeley and Nucor Steel Hertford County. After serving as General Manager and Corporate Controller, Mr. Query’s positions included Vice President and General Manager at Nucor Steel Auburn, Inc., Nucor Steel Decatur, LLC, Nucor Steel South Carolina and Nucor Cold Finish as well as President of Nucor Europe and President of Nucor’s Vulcraft/Verco Group.

Randy J. Spicer

Executive Vice President
Bar and Engineered Bar

Randy J. Spicer

Executive Vice President
Bar and Engineered Bar

Mr. Spicer was named Executive Vice President in 2024. He began his career with Nucor in 2004 as the Accounting Supervisor at Nucor Steel Indiana. In 2006, Mr. Spicer joined the start-up team at Nucor Steel Memphis, Inc. as Controller and subsequently served as Controller and Hot Mill Manager at Nucor Steel Gallatin LLC. He was promoted to General Manager of Nucor Tubular Products North in 2020 and President of Nucor Tubular Products in 2022.

David A. Sumoski

Executive Vice President

David A. Sumoski

Executive Vice President

Mr. Sumoski was named Executive Vice President in 2026. He began his career in Nucor in 1995 as an Electrical Supervisor at Nucor Steel Berkeley before moving on to Maintenance Manager in 1999. Mr. Sumoski was General Manager of Nucor Steel Marion, elected a Vice President of Nucor in 2010, subsequently served as Vice President and General Manager of Nucor Steel Memphis and was named an Executive Vice President in 2014. He most recently served as Chief Operation Officer from 2021-2025.