The president of Cheyney University and the CEO of Radnor-based Marinus Pharmaceuticals made a Philadelphia Business Journal list of the 26 most admired CEOs in the Philadelphia region for 2022.

The Journal acknowledged the challenges these past few years of COVID-19, and labor and supply shortages.  It chose these leaders for demonstrating steadfastness and their ability to navigate “the choppy waters of business lately”. 

Dr. Scott Braunstein

Dr. Scott Braunstein helped Marinus Pharmaceuticals receive its first FDA approval for Ztalmy, a seizure drug associated with CDKLS deficiency disorder, writes Lisa Dukart for Philadelphia Business Journal.

 In November, Marinus set up a collaborative agreement with Chinese firm Tenacia Biotechnology to commercialize oral and IV forms of the drug’s active ingredient, ganaxolone, a deal valued at up to $266 million.

Aaron Walton, president

 Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the first and oldest Black university in the nation, has coped with falling enrollment, a multimillion-dollar deficit, and the potential loss of its accreditation.

Aaron Walton helped turn it around, first as co-chair of the Cheyney Task Force in 2017, then as interim and permanent president.  

Cheyney University has seen a 50 percent rise in enrollment since 2018, and a rise in student retention.

See the entire list of admired CEOS at Philadelphia Business Journal.

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