Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal | May 2, 2022 | wbjournal.com P O W E R 5 0 T E C H N O L O G Y CHRISTOPHER ROY GENERAL MANAGER SHREWSBURY ELECTRIC & CABLE OPERATIONS Residence: Harvard Colleges: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Tufts University Looking into the future, high-speed internet and sustainable energy are going to be the cornerstones of economic development infrastructure, even more so than now. As part of a $30-million expansion at SELCO, Roy is creating symmetrical broadband speeds at the gigabit level or higher, which will be key in attracting new businesses, particularly tech companies, relying on the highest level of internet connectivity. While laying the groundwork for this economic growth, Roy and SELCO are providing internet as a community benefit by partnering with Shrewsbury Public Schools to provide free broadband access for students. On the electricity front, SELCO has developed a power procurement strategy to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the town's electricity by 2032, while still offering lower rates to businesses and residents than investor- owned utilities like National Grid or Eversource Energy. SELCO is further encouraging environmental sustainability by offering commercial and residential electric vehicle rebates, charging station rebates, and rebates for battery lawn equipment, all while implementing a $3.4-million smart meter project. As the leader behind all this strategy, Roy is giving Shrewsbury a competitive edge in attracting all types of new economic development. n What sets the Central Mass. business community apart from the rest of the world? Central Massachusetts offers access to robust infrastructure, leading academic institutions, and attractive communities, providing the ideal environment for conducting business and maintaining a high-performing workforce. n That would have been a different career path: In college, I performed agility drills for an NFL recruiter. BOB MUMGAARD CEO COMMONWEALTH FUSION SYSTEMS, IN DEVENS Residence: Boston Colleges: MIT, University of Nebraska Few companies worldwide have the ability to alter the entire course of human history, particularly our relationship with energy and limited global resources. Yet, the $300-million, 47-acre research and manufacturing facility Mumgaard and his Commonwealth Fusion Systems are opening in Devens this fall will seek to do just that. Using its SPARC fusion machine developed at MIT, CFS is seeking to make nuclear fusion – an emission-free technology with no waste products – a commercial reality and the default energy source on Earth. Founded in 2018, Mumgaard has already raised $2 billion in investments toward the effort and counts industry titans like Bill Gates among its investors. The ambitious project, which would make Devens the manufacturing center for the next wave of electricity generation, seeks to create a SPARC machine by 2025 that creates more energy than it takes in. By 2030, Mumgaard plans to have that technology hooked up to the electric grid. n What sets the Central Mass. business community apart from the rest of the world? CFS conducted a nationwide search for this site, and we chose this location for a number of reasons that include a growing innovation hub, access to talent, and proximity to our research collaborators at MIT. n An oceanic adventurer: I used to be a competitive bluewater sailor. UDIT BATRA PRESIDENT & CEO WATERS CORP., IN MILFORD Residence: Wellesley Colleges: University of Delaware, Princeton University Batra took over leadership of Waters Corp., a $2.7-billion laboratory equipment manufacturer, in September 2020 and began to implement a three-phase transformation program to help the company regain its commercial commentum, strengthen leadership and performance management, and align the Waters portfolio for growth. In 2021, Waters grew sales 18% and hit an operating margin of 30%, helping its stock price outperform life science tools peers, the S&P 500 Health Care Index, and the S&P 500 Index. Despite heading a global company with 20% of its 7,800-employee workforce based in Central Massachusetts, Batra remains engaged locally. He co-hosted a roundtable with State Sen. Eric Lesser (D-Springfield) to bring together leaders from labor, higher education, vocational schools, and government to build short- and long-term solutions to the labor shortage, seeking to drive talent and economic development to the region. Life sciences and biotechnology has emerged as the marquee industry in Central Massachusetts, and in a short period of time Batra has cemented himself as a leader not only in his industry, but throughout the region's economy. n What sets the Central Mass. business community apart from the rest of the world? Waters was founded more than 60 years ago, and as a global company we have remained headquartered in Central Massachusetts because of access to a pipeline of talent from some of the nation's finest trade schools, colleges, and universities, all within a state that supports the life sciences industry like no other. n Philly fan: While I've lived in Massachusetts for years, I root for the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and Eagles (NFL) – teams I became fond of during my time as an undergrad at nearby University of Delaware. PHOTO | COURTESY OF COMMONWEALTH FUSION SYSTEMS

• Cover