Charlotte, NC — May 29, 2025 — Cassmer Ward, founder and CEO of Nexagy, is among the Charlotte Business Journal’s 2025 Most Admired CEO list. The annual recognition highlights leaders who demonstrate exceptional vision, integrity, and measurable impact within their industries and communities.
Nexagy helps business owners turn financial data into real, actionable insights. The company specializes in Fractional CFO, Controller, and Bookkeeping services, bridging the gap between numbers and strategy so that small to mid-sized businesses can scale with clarity and confidence.
Ward’s leadership philosophy is rooted in mutual understanding and clear communication. “’Because I’m the boss’ or ‘Because I said so’ is NEVER an acceptable answer,” Ward noted in his CBJ survey. “Mutual understanding and clear communication are the only ways to get things done well. If that’s missing, it means something isn’t being explained clearly or the wrong people are on the team.”
In the past year, Ward made a pivotal decision to elevate the company by transitioning core responsibilities to two team leaders: Jonina Sarajena (Practice Manager) and Elizabeth Abbas (Client Relations Manager). “It was uncomfortable, but necessary,” he explained. “That shift allowed space for others to grow and opened more capacity for strategic leadership.”
Ward also speaks regularly to business groups, executive teams, and university programs, translating financial strategy into actionable insights for entrepreneurs and growth-stage leaders.
Ward views Charlotte’s economic strength as dependent on deeper collaboration between small and mid-sized businesses. “Charlotte’s top priority should be connecting the various small and mid-sized business communities, which currently operate without much interorganizational synergy,” he wrote. “If the city could continue to work with all of these groups and individuals to bring them together, more opportunities and resources would be beneficial to all.”
Reflecting on his earliest leadership experiences as a Resident Advisor at UNC Charlotte, Ward shared: “That experience reinforced the importance of leading with structure, empathy, and a commitment to building connected teams, principles that continue to guide leadership today.”
About Cassmer Ward
Cassmer Ward is the founder and CEO of Nexagy, a Charlotte-based financial strategy firm that provides Fractional CFO, Controller, and Bookkeeping services to small and mid-sized businesses. He is also an owner and CFO of IDE Structural Engineers. Ward teaches entrepreneurship and managerial accounting at Queens University of Charlotte, serves as a Strategic Advisor to Spiracle Media, and speaks regularly on topics of financial clarity and business strategy. He is also the host of the Influencing Entrepreneurs podcast. Learn more at Nexagy today.