Leon Topalian is Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nucor Corporation.
Leon joined Nucor in 1996 as a project engineer at Nucor Steel Berkeley in Huger, South Carolina and was promoted to Cold Mill Production Supervisor in 1998. From 2002 to 2009, Leon held various leadership positions throughout Nucor, including Operations Manager at Nucor’s HIsmelt joint venture in Perth, Western Australia, Business Development Manager at our corporate office, and Melt Shop Manager at Nucor Steel South Carolina. In 2011, Leon was promoted to General Manager of Nucor Steel Kankakee, Inc. and in 2013 he was named a Vice President. In 2014, Leon was named Vice President and General Manager of Nucor-Yamato Steel Company. In May 2017, he was appointed Executive Vice President of Beam and Plate Products for Nucor Corporation. In September 2019, Leon was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Nucor Corporation, and on January 1, 2020, he became President and Chief Executive Officer of Nucor Corporation. He assumed the additional role of Chair of the Board of Directors on September 15, 2022.
When Leon took over as CEO, he challenged the company’s then 28,000 teammates to make Nucor the World’s Safest Steel Company. Leading the company through the pandemic has enabled Nucor to think more broadly about Safety to include the health and well-being of every team member. And in the wake of the racial unrest, Leon has begun the conversation to ensure every team member feels safe from any type or mark of discrimination. Our journey to “listen, learn, understand and grow” will continue to shape the decisions we make today and tomorrow.
Leon is motivated every day by standing shoulder to shoulder with the greatest manufacturing team assembled anywhere in the world. The Nucor team continues to do things in the steel industry that were previously thought unattainable. Leon is focused on harnessing the Nucor culture to grow the company, expand beyond and take Nucor to new heights, all while living out Nucor’s iconic culture.
In addition to his role as Chair of Nucor’s Board of Directors, Leon also serves as a board member for the Nucor-Yamato Steel Company. Additionally, Leon is currently Chairman of the World Steel Association’s Executive Board of Directors, and serves on the Board of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and on the board of the American Institute of Steel Construction.
Leon graduated from Massachusetts Maritime Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering.
Leon is married to Kim and they have four children – J.T., Hannah and twins, Isabella and Sophia.
