Doug's Story
Doug Hunter began his business career in the vertical transportation industry in 1971 with Carter Elevator Company, becoming President and Chief Executive Officer in 1987. In addition to leading Carter Elevator during those years, Doug attended seminary and then served for12 years as the Teaching Leader for men's Bible Study Fellowship, impacting the lives of hundreds of men. He served on the board of a major denomination, a regional bank, and the seminary he had attended.
As a Christian CEO, Doug soon became involved with the Fellowship of Companies for Christ International (FCCI), and saw God use the vision and resources of FCCI to transform the corporate culture of Carter Elevator, creating an environment and level of organizational excellence that significantly increased the performance, reputation and value of the company. Although he loved Carter Elevator Company and the vertical transportation industry, God used circumstances and Doug's FCCI board of advisors to move him to merge the company with a larger organization which wanted to replicate Carter's corporate culture. When he sold Carter Elevator in 1994, Doug moved to Atlanta to work full-time with FCCI.
In the years that followed, God developed his heart for international ministry by allowing him to work, speak and influence business executives in over 30 countries while visiting and developing relationships in 20 more. He participated in ground-breaking ministry in both Mongolia and Vietnam and became the Founding CEO of Media Asia - a project designed to utilize sports television in China as a platform for the gospel.
Doug served as part of the team of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. His time with RZIM developed his understanding of the essential need for a truly biblical worldview to undergird every part of life, and a deep commitment to bring that understanding to the marketplace movement.
Because of his commitment to enhance the connection between the marketplace and the local church, Doug joined the staff of Perimeter Church in Atlanta to develop Business Partners International (BPI), a strategy to facilitate the global kingdom impact of men and women through the use of their business skills and passion ... building on the belief that Business IS Ministry and Business IS Mission … and that the “call” to business is as essential to building the Kingdom of God as any other calling within the Body of Christ. BPI engaged hundreds of business leaders from the US and related to partners around the world in 1) Developing a biblical perspective on business and it value to the Kingdom, 2) Evangelizing in and through the marketplace, 3) Learning how to disciple business leaders and 4) Mentoring Christian business owners while helping to start well over 100 companies with Kingdom impact as a significant part of their business plans.
Doug returned to FCCI / Christ@Work as President and CEO, and saw God expand its ministry of equipping and encouraging Christian business leaders both throughout the US and to more than 30 countries across the globe. God also used him to provide stability as FCCI and it's members walked through the financial crisis of 2008 and the years following.
In 2013, he was named he first Executive Director of the Whitfield Center for Christian Leadership (WCCL) at Charleston Southern University in Charleston, South Carolina, and developed a program focused on 1) Biblical Worldview, 2) Faith Integration and 3) The Marketplace that quickly became known as a resource locally, nationally and globally.
As part of his on-going engagement with the Global Marketplace Movement, Doug is currently a member of the Leadership Team for the Lausanne Workplace Network, and serves on the Board of Directors for Partners International as well as the National Faith & Work Association. Doug previously served as a consultant and member of the Global Leadership Team for the Global Cities Project of Campus Crusade for Christ International / Cru. as an issue leader and presenter at the Global Think Tank on Business As Mission, and on the Leadership Team of Call2Business.
On July 1, 2017, he initiated Doug Hunter, LLC, as a platform to allow him to utilize his broad range of leadership experience and extensive global network to equip and connect individual leaders as well as organizations to more effectively impact the world for Christ through the marketplace – whether that be locally or globally.
In 2020, Doug joined the National Staff of Pinnacle Forum as Director of Partner Engagement. This allows him to create and facilitate opportunites for Pinnacle Forum Partners to connect beyond their forum groups with men and women who share their desire to impact culture in their specific areas of passion or expertise.
Doug married Janet (Snook), his college sweetheart in 1970, and God used His work in her life to bring Doug to a relationship with Jesus in 1972. They rejoice in their four children - Darin (married to Laura, son Nathaniel), Joel, Eric (married to Britney from 2005 until she graduated to Heaven in 2021) and Jennifer (married to Josh Justice, daughters Emily and Katherine, son James).
Experience
2017 To Present Connector and Coach, Doug Hunter, LLC
Mission: To equip and connect leaders, organizations and churches to more effectively impact the world for Christ through the marketplace, whether it be locally or globally.
Vision: To see leaders, organizations, companies and churches growing together as The Body of Christ, building the Kingdom of God and thereby impacting the culture locally, national and globally.
2020 to 2024 Director of Partner Engagement, Pinnacle Forum
Pinnacle Forum was inspired by Dr. Bill Bright, Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International, who challenged a handful of leaders in Phoenix, Arizona saying, “I believe the only way we can change our culture is to find a way to network our high influence leaders and inspire them to use their influence for God.”
Mission: To encourage and equip influential leaders through confidential Forums, supported by a national network, to engage in personal and cultural transformation that honors Jesus Christ.
Vision: To see influential leaders execute their God-given purpose and foster a flourishing, God-honoring culture.
2013 to 2016 Executive Director, The Whitfield Center for Christian Leadership and International Programs at Charleston Southern University
2019 to 2022 Director of the Marketplace Ministries Institute of the Whitfied Center for Christian Leadership
Mission: To equip individuals for leadership and service through the development of a biblical worldview. Vision: To become a recognized source of leaders for the next generation who live and lead based on a worldview that is thoroughly biblical in content, transformational in nature, universal in scope, and applicable in the marketplace.
2012 to 2019 Vice President’s Team for the Global Cities Project, Campus Crusade for Christ International / Now known as Cru
Mission: Win, build and send Christ-centered multiplying disciples who launch spiritual movements. Vision: Movements everywhere so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus.
2007 to 2011 President & Chief Executive Officer, Fellowship of Companies for Christ International.
International membership organization founded in 1977, now active in the United States and approximately 130 other countries. Vision: “Transforming our world through Christ, one Company leader at a time”. Mission : “In pursuit of Christ’s eternal objectives, we equip and encourage Christian Business Leaders to operate their businesses and conduct their personal lives in accordance with biblical principles.”
2002 to 2007 President & Managing Director, Business Partners International
International organization operating within the Global Outreach Department of Perimeter Church, Atlanta, Georgia, dedicated to encouraging and equipping Christians in business and church leaders to understand and apply the vision of Business As Ministry and Business As Mission (BAM) in order to bring people, companies, cities and nations into a transformational encounter with the Kingdom of God.
1999 to 2002 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
International organization supporting the ministry of Ravi Zacharias and an International Team of evangelists/apologists seeking to impact those who form the ideas of a culture with the claims of Jesus Christ.
1997 to 1999 Founding President, Media Asia
Television sports program supplier to Beijing, China
1994 to 1997 Vice President, Fellowship of Companies for Christ International
1984 to 1996 Founder/Owner and CEO, Lifters Limited
Accessibility equipment for the physically challenged
1971 to 1994 Carter Elevator Company, Inc.
- 1987 to 1994 President and Chief Executive Officer
- 1983 to 1987 Vice President
Known as “The Upper Midwest’s Vertical Transportation Specialists”, Carter Elevator Company was a 54-year-old independent elevator and escalator installation and maintenance firm which operated in seven states.
Current Additional Leadership Roles
2008- Workplace & Leadership Network – One of 8 founding CEOs of this roundtable of national marketplace organization CEOs meeting one or two times a year to build relationships and develop ways to work together as the Body of Christ to have real impact on the U.S. marketplace and beyond.
2011- Global Ambassador for the Fellowship of Companies for Christ International (www.FCCI.org)
2012- Lausanne Marketplace Network – The Marketplace Working Group for the Global Lausanne Movement. This includes resourcing the Mission America Coalition, the U.S. Lausanne organization.
Ø Member of Core Planning Team for the Global Workplace Forum to be held in Manila, Philippines, June 24-29, 2019. (www.lausanne.org/GWF)
2012- Global Speaking Team, World Evangelical Alliance
2013 - National Faith & Work Association (www.NFWA.org) – Marketplace “umbrella” organization founded “To build nurture, and sustain a broad, inclusive network of Christian ministries, churches, organizations, companies, and individuals in the US dedicated to impacting the workplace and marketplace to the glory of God.”
2013 Founding Board Member
2018- Vice Chairman
2015-2022 LifeWorks Charleston (www.lifeworkscharleston.org) - Board Member
2019-2022 Chairman
2016-2022 God In The Workplace (Charleston) – www.godintheworkplace.com) – Leadership Team
2019-2022 Chairman
2018- Partners International (www.partnersintl.org) – Board of Directors
2022- Vice Chairman
2018 - Board of Advisors, Nielsen College of Business, Charleston Southern University
Education
Loveland (Colorado) High School - Graduated 1966
University of Sioux Falls (South Dakota) - Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) – 1979
North American Baptist Seminary - 1978-1980
Personal
Married: May 26, 1970 to Janet (Snook)
Children:
- Darin (Married to Laura, son Nathaniel born 2014)
- Joel
- Eric (Married to Britney)
- Jennifer (Married to Josh Justice, daughters Emily, born 2014, and Katherine, born 2016; so James, born and adopted 2019)
