Nov 26, 2025
Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.
On today's episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Gary Salamido, President and CEO of the North Carolina Chamber. Gary shares his unexpected journey from pharmacist to advocacy leader, spending 19 years at Glaxo before joining the Chamber in 2011. The conversation explores the Chamber's groundbreaking Carolina Health Works initiative, a small business health insurance program 12 years in the making that aims to help North Carolina's 144,000 businesses with 2-50 employees access more affordable healthcare options. Gary emphasizes the importance of listening and building relationships in business, lessons learned from his pharmacy background and entrepreneurial father. They also discuss music preferences, with Gary revealing his love for the Rat Pack, Frank Sinatra, and classic rock from the 1980s.