Hartford Business Journal

HartfordBusiness.com | February 22, 2021 | Hartford Business Journal 35 which included a virtual NFL Draft telecast. Despite the challenging environment, Pitaro has also focused on growth initiatives, including expanding ESPN's foothold in sports gambling. In September he announced two separate multi-year deals that will link ESPN's web, mobile and app users directly to online sports betting sites run by DraftKings Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Inc.'s sportsbook partner, William Hill. In October Pitaro also received a promotion, adding the title of chairman of ESPN and sports content. As ESPN continues to expand across the U.S. with studios in Los Angeles and New York City, Pitaro has said he remains committed to Bristol, where the company employs thousands of people. DeVaughn Ward Last year the Marijuana Policy Project — the nation's largest pro-marijuana policy organization — hired DeVaugn Ward to serve as its senior legislative counsel in Connecticut. The move came as the prospect of legalizing the use and sale of marijuana for recreational purposes appeared to be gaining momentum in the state's legislature, as neighboring states made similar moves. The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted those efforts in 2020, but 2021 could be a different story, with House Speaker Matt Ritter saying recently that there is a 50-50 chance that legalization passes this year. Gov. Ned Lamont's recent budget proposal calls for recreational pot to be for sale starting in 2022. Ward, a 36-year-old attorney, previously served as the city of Hartford's director of intergovernmental affairs, where he worked as the city's top lobbyist at the state Capitol and the mayor's liaison to city council. In January, Ward told HBJ he will be fighting this session to push a recreational pot legalization bill over the finish line. He's involved in talks over making sure there is social equity in any legalization proposal, including erasing criminal records and making sure minorities have opportunities in the potentially new industry. Rhona Free & Gregory Woodward Rhona Free is president of the University of St. Joseph, formerly a women's college until Free shifted it to co-ed in 2018. She's also recruited some high- profile staffers, bringing aboard former legendary UConn basketball Solving problems fast is Galvin's forte: As ConnectiCare CFO in 2017 he helped the company resolve a financial crisis that wiped out a decade's worth of profits. ConnectiCare is the state's largest HMO and covers almost 80% of those who buy insurance from Access Health CT, the state's health insurance exchange. Challenges ahead for ConnectiCare include pandemic- related losses plus a rebound in claims from care delayed due to the pandemic. The insurer's revenues could also suffer if state Democrats push ahead with plans to set up "public option," government-run health insurance that competes with both private and Access Health plans. Gianquinto was recently appointed president of Anthem's Connecticut business, which is the largest health plan in the state. He has big shoes to fill as he replaces Jill Hummel, a well- respected insurance executive who spent seven years in the same role. Most recently Gianquinto served as president of Missouri Care, Anthem's Medicaid business in Missouri, which he said gained him experience in managing profits and losses and prepared him for his new job in Connecticut. As he works to protect Anthem's wide market share lead in the state, he said one of his top priorities is to advance more value-based contracts with providers that pay doctors and hospitals more based on performance rather than a fee-for-service model. James Pitaro ESPN President James Pitaro has had to lead the Bristol-based sports media company through a challenging past year as the COVID-19 pandemic created significant headwinds. In November, Pitaro announced that ESPN would lay off about 300 workers and eliminate 200 open positions as professional sports, which ESPN covers and broadcasts, saw major disruptions and cancellations amid the pandemic. Part of the cost-savings aimed to reserve cash for greater investment in digital initiatives, where ESPN is focusing more of its attention as people increasingly cut the cord on cable subscriptions. ESPN also spent the year adjusting to broadcasting talk shows and sporting events in the age of COVID-19, first responders in addressing the needs of those who have lost jobs as a result of COVID-19. Two of the region's top nonprofit executives are Foodshare CEO Jason Jakubowski and Sam Gray Jr., CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford. Jakubowski has responded to a huge increase in food insecurity amid the pandemic. In fact, in the early stages of the pandemic demand for food in Foodshare's service area increased overnight by 35%, even as donations and volunteers dropped off dramatically and staff members struggled to adapt to new working conditions. Foodshare's drive-through food pantry at Rentschler Field in East Hartford proved to be a lifesaver, serving tens of thousands of families and delivering millions of pounds of food. Now he's leading a merger between Foodshare and Wallingford- based Connecticut Food Bank. The nonprofits completed their combination earlier this year and will soon unveil a new name for the combined organization, which has an annual budget of about $110 million and 115 employees. Gray is a dynamic CEO who has helped Boys & Girls Clubs launch virtual operations amid the pandemic. Last June, Gray led the groundbreaking on a $21 million new club facility in Hartford's south end, which is expected to debut later this year. Eric Galvin & Lou Gianquinto Coming home to the state to lead major insurers is something both ConnectiCare CEO Eric Galvin and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut President Lou Gianquinto have in common. Now they both share the responsibility of leading their businesses through uncertain times. At ConnectiCare, Galvin acted quickly when the pandemic hit to ensure his company could manage and expand telemedicine coverage and "check in" with customers via telephone to make sure their needs were being met. He also mobilized resources to make sure that the insurer's 700 employees could quickly shift to remote work. been an effective advocate for hospitals when fighting taxes and state funding cuts. Now she's using that expertise to help offset what were expected to be as much as $1.5 billion in losses in 2020 across the state's health systems, while advocating for keeping hospitals open for elective surgeries. She's also helping hospitals as they play major roles in COVID vaccine distribution. With the pandemic pushing into its second year, Jackson will no doubt need all the experience and expertise she can muster. Michael & Shari Cantor Michael and Shari Cantor are another one of the region's foremost power couples. Shari Cantor is a CPA and the mayor of West Hartford, leading one of the wealthiest and most in- demand towns in Greater Hartford. She's spent much of the last year dealing with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and helped launch a successful outdoor dining scene in West Hartford Center last summer that not only helped restaurants survive but thrive. Michael Cantor is co- managing partner of Hartford intellectual property law firm Cantor Colburn LLP, and board chair of Connecticut Innovations, the state's quasi-public venture capital arm. As public and private actors in the state work toward boosting entrepreneurship in Connecticut, Cantor has become a central player bringing both worlds together. He's also a major Hartford cheerleader. As board chair of CI, he's helped the firm become a leading player in funding and promoting Connecticut- based startups. As a leader at Cantor Colburn — which was founded in the 1990s with three attorneys — Cantor oversees an industry-leading patent legal practice employing more than 100 attorneys and 300 total staffers across offices in Hartford, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Atlanta, Houston and South Korea. Sam Gray Jr. & Jason Jakubowski Nonprofits have been hard hit by the pandemic, but they've also been Jennifer Jackson Michael Cantor Shari Cantor Sam Gray Eric Galvin James Pitaro DeVaughn Ward Jason Jakubowski Lou Gianquinto 33 34 35 36 37 2021 POWER 50

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