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B2 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | OCTOBER 30, 2023 C – SUITE |2023 AWARDS W illiam "Bill" Lee is the chairman of e Lee Company, a 75-year-old fami- ly-owned manufacturing business. Prior to July 2023, he was also the president and CEO of the company. In his current role, Lee is concentrating on long-range strategic issues, shareholder relations and corporate governance topics. In his prior role, he was responsible for all aspects of the company's management. He is a tireless advocate for family businesses. What have been your biggest professional accomplishments over the past year? My biggest professional accomplishments center around the recognition and promotion of talented people. I have received great satis- faction in seeing the way the organization has developed over the years, with so many people being able to realize success beyond what they ever thought was within them. In what ways are you involved in the community? I've been involved in numerous community organizations, including being a founder of the Shoreline Foundation. I have been a member of the board of e Guilford Savings Bank for over 20 years and currently serve as chair. Stewarding a commu- nity bank like GSB is immensely rewarding due to the bank's importance in the entire community. On the job Guiding business principle: Say yes! I have always tried to seize opportunities, even if they weren't readily apparent at the outset. I have attended many meetings that I wondered if they would be worth my time, only to uncover a great opportunity. I encourage people to get out of their comfort zone, expend a bit of extra energy and make their own opportunities. Best way to keep your competitive edge: I have been a lifelong learner. Early in my career, I attended a 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' conference and have lived by the 'Sharpen the Saw' motto. Keep up to date and learn new skills. Best business decision: Joining e Lee Company. I had a career in banking, then started my own consultancy. It was clear that I was going to have a difficult time leveraging my energies as a sole practitioner, and the nature of what I was doing didn't lend itself to significant expansion. Joining e Lee Company opened me up to a much larger organization where I could fully utilize my skills. Worst business decision: Approving a new product development that was a bit outside our traditional practice. So far, the best thing to be said for it was, it was a 'learning experience!' Biggest missed opportunity: ough I worked summers at the company, I joined the business after my father had his stroke and I didn't get the chance to work with him inside the business as an adult. Goal yet to be achieved: My greatest business goal is to see the company thrive as a fami- ly-owned business through the generations. at has to be earned every day so it can never really be considered permanently achieved. Personal touch in your office: A wall of photos I took while in the Galápagos Islands. Personal side City of residence: Guilford Favorite way to relax: Anything to do with being outside Hobbies: Boating, golf, tennis/pickleball, hiking, family Last vacation: Short cruise to the eastern end of Long Island Favorite movie: "Top Gun: Maverick" e car you drive: Ford Explorer Currently reading: Wall Street Journal every day. Not much time for books. Favorite cause: Lee Company Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for the spouses and children of Lee Company employees Second choice career: Board member for family businesses Recognizing top C-suite leaders W hether it's been navigating remote or hybrid employ- ees, trying to get people back to the office, confronting chal- lenging economic conditions, keeping customers happy, finding new growth opportunities or refocusing efforts on diversity and inclusion, leaders face tough decisions on a daily basis. As part of Hartford Business Journal's 2023 C-suite Awards, we recognize top executives who have made significant contributions to their organizations over the last year. We've identified leaders who stood out for their commitment to excellence to various stake- holders, including investors, employ- ees and the broader community. Our winners this year range from CEOs of large private companies to nonprofit leaders, CFOs, chief market- ing officers and a host of other C-suite positions. In this special section we also honor a longtime Connecticut executive — William Lee, the former CEO and now chairman of Westbrook family-owned manufacturer the Lee Companies — who has made a lasting impact on the business community with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In terms of methodology, the busi- ness community was invited to nomi- nate C-suite executives, and winners were selected by HBJ's editorial staff. We'll be honoring all of our winners at a special event, Nov. 28, at Farming- ton Gardens. We hope you can attend. If not, please join us in recognizing and congratulating these top local leaders. Greg Bordonaro Editor Hartford Business Journal William Lee Chairman THE LEE COMPANY Size of organization: $400M-plus in annual sales, 1,200 employees Education: Georgetown Preparatory School; Bachelor's degree in economics, Connecticut College; MBA in finance, University of New Haven LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS William Lee ................................B2 C-SUITE AWARDS Peter Arn ....................................B3 Jeff Bravin ..................................B3 Foster Charles ..........................B3 Robin Sharp ................................B5 Andi Campbell ...........................B7 Brian Montanari .......................B7 Hector Rivera ............................B9 Paul Young .................................B9 David Marcone ..........................B11 Liz Chasse ...................................B11 Teresa Knox ................................B12 Chris Ann Meaney .....................B12 Bryan Cassiday ..........................B13 Stan Jankowski ..........................B13 Mark Raymond ...........................B14 Contents Scan the code to learn more about the event