Hartford Business Journal

30 Hartford Business Journal • April 20, 2020 • www.HartfordBusiness.com 2020 POWER 50 Andy Bessette A ndy Bes- sette isn't the top executive of New York-based property- and-casualty insurer Travelers Cos. but he is certainly the face of the company in Hartford. As executive vice presi- dent and chief admin- istrative officer he has myriad duties, including overseeing corporate real estate, administrative services, community rela- tions, event management and sports sponsorships. He's been one of the top players who has helped turn Cromwell's Travelers Championship into one of the PGA Tour's best-run tournaments, attracting some of the world's best golfers, while raising mil- lions of dollars for charity. Put simply, Bessette is the face of corpo- rate civic engagement in Greater Hartford. A UConn graduate, his ties to Connecticut and the region are strong. He sits on several boards, includ- ing UConn and the UConn Health Center. He's also a member of Hartford Hospi- tal's board of governors. He's vice chairman of the Capital Region Develop- ment Authority, which has been responsible for revital- izing downtown Hartford by funding about 1,500 new apartments. As board chair, he was a catalyst in reshap- ing the focus of the Metro- Hartford Alliance into more of an economic develop- ment group. He recently stepped down as chair but still remains active with the Alliance. 9 Luke and Sara Bronin H artford Mayor Luke Bronin and Sara Bronin makeup one of the region's fore- most power couples. Mayor Bronin was elected in 2015 and his first term was defined by two major issues: Convincing the legislature to pass a massive $550-million-plus long-term bailout to help the city avert potential bank- ruptcy, and firing and then hiring a new developer to complete Dunkin' Donuts Park. He won re-election last November, solidifying his power as he continues to get strong support from the business community. He's been credited with stabilizing the city's tenuous finances through budget cuts, renegotiated union con- tracts, and greater state funding. He also convinced the city's three larg- est insurers and taxpayers — Aetna, Travelers Cos. and The Hartford — to donate $50 million over five years to help fund core city services. Mayor Bronin, a Rhodes Scholar and Yale Law School graduate who previously served as general counsel to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and held senior posts in the U.S. Treasury Department, is also a man of great po- litical ambition. He explored a run for governor in 2018 and likely has his eye on higher public office in the future. Sara Bronin, also a Rhodes Scholar and Yale Law School alum, chairs the Hartford Planning and Zoning Com- mission, where she's been credited with reforming the city's zoning codes to make it easier for private development. She is also a licensed architect and law professor at UConn, where she focuses on property, land use, historic preservation, green build- ing and renewable energy law. 10 Mayor Luke Bronin being sworn into his second term by his wife Sara Bronin.

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