Charles “Eddie” Adair is a Partner in Cordova Ventures, a venture capital management company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
He began his business career as a staff accountant at Haskins & Sells, which became Deloitte & Touche. In 1973, after becoming a CPA the year before, he joined Durr-Fillauer Medical Inc. as Controller. Durr-Fillauer was a NASDAQ listed company that distributed pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to hospitals, physicians, drug stores, and other healthcare providers. His career there spanned 20 years, becoming President and COO in 1981, and serving on its board of directors. By the time the company was acquired in 1992, it had approximately $1 billion in revenues and 1,300 employees in sixteen states. He joined Cordova Ventures in 1993.
For the past 20 years, he has served on numerous public boards across the country. Currently, Adair is a member of the Board of Directors for three publicly-held companies: Tech Data Corporation, Torchmark Corporation, and Rayonier Advanced Materials. Tech Data, a Fortune 50 company, is a $34.0 billion worldwide distributor of hardware, mobility, software, and peripherals. Torchmark is a $3.5 billion financial services company specializing in life and supplemental healthcare insurance, and Rayonier is a $1.0 billion manufacturer of cellulose chemicals.
He serves as the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Lead Director at Tech Data and the Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee at Torchmark. Previous roles at other companies include Chair of Audit and Compensation committees.
In July, he was named to the 2017 National Association of Corporate Directors Directorship 100 in recognition for his leadership while promoting the highest standards of corporate governance. In 2015 he was named Outstanding Public Company Director in Tampa Bay, Florida.
He was previously on the Board of Performance Food Group until its sale to Blackstone Group in 2008. He was also on the Board of PSS World Medical, Inc. until its sale to McKesson Corporation in 2013.
After enrolling at Vanderbilt University in the fall of 1965, he soon transferred to The University of Alabama where he graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School in 1981.
Adair has been an active civic and community leader, particularly in efforts to improve lives through health care.
He currently serves as a board member for the UAB Health System and UAB Health Services Foundation in Birmingham. He previously served on the board of the Montgomery Area Red Cross, the Montgomery Small Business Incubator, the United Way, Leadership Montgomery, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, and others.
Adair is a member of the First United Methodist Church where he served on the Board of Trustees, Administrative Board, and the Finance Committee.
Adair has been married to his wife Ginny for 47 years. They have two children Charlie and Emily, and five grandchildren. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, he has called Montgomery home since 1973.
