Nathan Sigworth of Cape Elizabeth is the CEO of CCX, an enterprise software company serving the global pharmaceutical industry.

When you are building enterprise infrastructure for the global pharmaceutical industry, your company can live anywhere. Silicon Valley, Boston or Zug, Switzerland, which is where I was living until recently.

My wife, whose family has roots in Maine, wanted to return for the quality of life. But as a leader of a company, lifestyle alone isn’t enough. The numbers — the talent pool, the economic ecosystem — also had to make sense. Relocating a high-growth tech company to Maine felt like a massive risk. I wasn’t convinced the state had the bandwidth to support global enterprise architecture.

Then, during a spring visit three years ago, I had lunch with Jonathan Bush. We sat at his dining room table looking at the ocean, and Jonathan didn’t give me a standard tourism pitch — I already knew this was the best place on Earth. He gave me the enterprise playbook. He understood that Maine isn’t just competing with New Hampshire or Massachusetts for businesses; it is competing on a global stage for capital, innovation and talent.

Jonathan walked me through the blueprint he used when he built Athenahealth in Maine; literally the paper is framed and hanging on his wall. He talked about the people. He told me the stories of some of the Mainers he hired in Belfast. He started sending off text message intros right then and there, proving that the state possesses a dedicated, high-capacity talent pool with an unmatched work ethic. He shared how I can build a cutting-edge technology hub in Maine that creates high-quality, lasting careers that are good for many families.

He talked through the state’s economic momentum, pointing to the critical work being done by the Maine Technology Institute, the Roux Institute and other leaders across the political and ideological spectrum who were quietly building the state’s future. He painted a picture of a state that was poised to scale.

As we wrapped up lunch, Jonathan offered me the keys to his car. He told me to drive around, explore the area and see it for myself as I thought about bringing my business here. It was a simple gesture, but it signaled immense trust, confidence and a bias for action. It stayed in my mind long after I flew back to Switzerland. He didn’t just sell a vision; he removed the friction. He is a closer.

Today, my company, CCX, is in the process of relocating to Maine. Every time we host a meeting, we are bringing our customers, our partners and our investors to also see what Maine has to offer. We are putting down roots and preparing to hire more talent here because Jonathan Bush took the time to prove that Maine can handle global enterprise. He is the reason our business ecosystem is moving here.

As we look toward the next chapter of leadership in Augusta, we have to be honest about what our state needs. We don’t just need a politician who can manage a budget; we need an executive who knows how to recruit industry. We need a leader who understands how to build a modern, robust economy without sacrificing the soul of the state.

Jonathan Bush has the blueprint because he has already executed it. He has personally created hundreds of quality jobs in Maine, and he is actively recruiting the next generation of business leaders to do the same. Maine is competing for the future, and we need our best closer in the governor’s office.

We are at a pivotal moment to transform Maine’s economy. While not everyone sees eye to eye with Jonathan on every single issue, our state requires a highly specific resume to lead this next chapter — and Jonathan is the only one who has it. After all, Zug, where I moved from, was the poorest canton in Switzerland before forward-thinking leadership turned it into one of the wealthiest tech hubs in the world. That’s what we need here, and why I and so many others I know are supporting Jonathan for governor.