40 under Forty

Nichole Adams Dunn got involved in politics 10 years ago and never looked back. At age 27, she became the youngest ever chair of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party. She went to work quickly and eventually recruited her current boss, Mayor Peter Corroon, into politics.

Knowing the effect government has on people’s lives keeps Dunn focused and motivated. She takes seriously the responsibility to build a vibrant community while respecting taxpayer dollars. In line with that responsibility, Dunn serves on many community boards for organizations like Visit Salt Lake, United Way of Salt Lake, the Salt Lake Chamber and Utah Women’s Forum.

“I love the challenge and reward of bringing diverse groups of people together to solve complex problems,” Dunn says. “I particularly love building public-private partnerships that move our community forward and create economic development.”

Josh England
President, England Logistics | Age: 35

“I wanted to be my dad when I grew up,” says Josh England, a third-generation leader in his family’s business. “As a child, I thought he knew everything, and I still think he knows most things.” England began working in the business when he was 15 and has worked in all aspects of the company, from body repair to administrative work to operations.

While he served as vice president of the Independent Contractor Division, England grew the number of lease trucks from 600 to more than 2,100. In his current role, he helped England Logistics grow more than 30 percent in 2011 to reach nearly $300 million in revenue.

Last year, England spearheaded an internal leadership development program for management-level employees that provides assessments, idea-sharing forums and growth opportunities. “So many people limit themselves based on not thinking big enough. As we expand our horizons, our minds, on how much we think we can accomplish, it’s amazing how we end up accomplishing more,” he says.

Roger Gardiner
Vice President, Goldman Sachs & Co. | Age: 38

“I am a natural worrier, and enjoy thinking about credit risk, what could go wrong and how to mitigate it,” says Roger Gardiner, vice president for Goldman Sachs. In his role, Gardiner was tasked with building and overseeing the company’s credit risk management division in Utah. His team is responsible for reviewing and monitoring nearly half the counterparties to which Goldman Sachs has credit risk in the Americas and Europe.

Gardiner is also a trusted advisor to the chief risk officer for GS Bank, a depository bank owned by Goldman Sachs. His leadership has helped the Salt Lake office grow to become the second-largest Goldman Sachs office in North America—second only to its New York campus.

“There have been several times in my career when I have had to climb steep learning curves quickly. Initially, this was often quite intimidating. I’ve since grown to understand that learning opportunities, no matter how difficult, enable one to grow, learn and improve,” says Gardiner.

Carina Gardner, Ph.D.
Owner, President, Designer, Carina Gardner, Inc. | Age: 32

It’s easy for Carina Gardner to stay motivated on the job. “I get to do for work what most people do as a hobby,” she says. As founder, president and designer at Carina Gardner, Inc., Gardner spends the daily grind designing fabric, paper and digital scrapbooking products. “We have such a fun time, it’s sometimes hard to call what I do work!”

Gardner, who earned a Ph.D. in design, launched the company while teaching at the University of Minnesota. “At the time, I was developing a body of work on color theory and marketing research. I created Carina Gardner, Inc. to be a design firm to handle multiple medias,” she says. Today, Gardner’s company and its products are widely popular throughout the crafting community. 

“My business philosophy is simply to work hard, do your research, think creativity and then work hard some more,” Gardner says. “I believe that your business can be your lifestyle. For me, that means trying to incorporate beautiful thinking, people and things into my life.”

Jeffrey Harmon
Chief Marketing Officer, Orabrush | Age: 29

After listening to Dr. Robert Wagstaff (Dr. Bob) describe his tongue-cleaning product while a senior in college, Jeffrey Harmon approached Dr. Bob after class with an innovative marketing idea: rely on social media to market and sell the product. Harmon developed a YouTube campaign that has helped Orabrush become a worldwide hit, with more than 44 million YouTube video views and more than 300,000 Facebook fans.