HIC Land Appoints Co-CEO to Speed Development
The developer adds a co-CEO to its leadership team, aiming to accelerate project decisions for partners and clients.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in People
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HIC Land has appointed long-time operations director Victor Padilla as co-CEO alongside founder Stefan Hoyer. The transition establishes an expanded leadership structure aimed at accelerating decision-making and project development across the company's regional portfolio.
Why it matters
The shift toward a co-CEO model signals an operational pivot to sustain growth while maintaining organizational culture as the firm scales. For operators, this restructure reflects a strategic effort to decentralize decision-making capacity and provide partners with greater access to senior leadership.
HIC Land manages 48,000 lots across 8 states with $300 million in total investments across the Southeast. The company now plans to develop over 7,500 multifamily density units and 700 acres of commercial land under its expanded leadership model.
The players
Victor Padilla
A former director of operations and CPA who serves as the newly appointed co-CEO of HIC Land.
Stefan Hoyer
The founder of HIC Land who continues to serve as co-CEO.
HIC Land
A South Carolina-based land development firm operating across 8 states with a portfolio of 48,000 lots.
The details
The appointment formalizes a structure designed to increase executive availability for clients and project partners. By splitting the CEO role, the South Carolina-based developer intends to streamline decision-making as it manages a massive pipeline of multifamily and commercial assets. Padilla, a former Deloitte audit senior and CPA, moves from his previous role as director of operations to share leadership with Hoyer, who founded the firm in 2008.
Timeline
2008: Stefan Hoyer founded HIC Land.
2015: Victor Padilla became a Certified Public Accountant.
October 2026: Victor Padilla appointed as co-CEO.
Market Landscape
The appointment follows a growing trend among high-growth middle-market firms adopting co-CEO models to preserve institutional culture while managing increased operational complexity. This shift aligns with broader industry strategies to decentralize authority as regional project pipelines expand.
Operators working with HIC Land should anticipate more distributed decision-making authority and increased direct access to leadership. Monitor for changes in project approval workflows or partnership engagement styles as the company moves to accelerate its development cycle.
The takeaway
The move to a co-CEO structure highlights a strategic priority on balancing rapid scaling with stable executive oversight. Owners should benchmark their own leadership structures against their growth trajectory to determine if similar decentralization is necessary to maintain service standards.
Further reading
For more on industry leadership trends, visit the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Post and Courier.
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