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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 7, 2025 33 POWE R 50 29 Moy Ogilvie M oy Ogilvie is the Hartford office managing partner of McCarter & English, which has about 45 attorneys in Connecticut. Ogilvie was named managing partner of McCarter & English's Hartford office in 2018, but held leadership roles before that. She was appointed the firm's diver- sity and inclusion partner in 2017, in charge of coordinating and over- seeing initiatives aimed at recruiting, promoting and retaining women and diverse lawyers. Ogilvie heads DEI initiatives across all 12 of the firm's U.S. locations. Her areas of practice include commercial litigation, representing clients in toxic tort and product liability cases. Ogilvie was appointed by Gov. Ned Lamont to serve on the Connecticut Criminal Justice Commission. In addition, she currently sits on the board of directors of the Connecticut Bar Foundation, Lawyers Collab- orative for Diversity and Hartford Youth Scholars. 31 Frank Micalizzi N ew York-based M&T Bank had a bumpy entrance into the Connecticut market following its 2022 purchase of Bridgeport-based People's United Bank, but the company has been able to stabilize its operations in the state since then. Leading those efforts is Frank Micalizzi, the bank's Bridge- port regional president and head of commercial banking for Connecticut. Micalizzi is responsible for ensuring collaboration across all lines of business and direct community banking activities. Previously, he served as M&T's Tarrytown, New York and Connecticut regional president since 2015. He leads a bank that has one of the largest footprints in Connecticut thanks to its People's United acquisition. As of June 30, 2024, it held $18.8 billion in deposits in the state — the third- largest market share among all banks — and had 118 branches. Micalizzi's bank has also become the state's largest Small Business Administration lender, underwriting 168 loans totaling $19 million in fiscal 2024. Key issues Micalizzi said he will watch this year include what happens with interest rates and prioritizing significant invest- ments in advanced security measures to protect against fraud and data breaches. Micalizzi started at M&T Bank in 2009, and previously served as senior group manager for the Tarrytown, New York middle market group. Prior to joining M&T, he spent 30 years with JPMorgan Chase, holding senior positions, including senior vice president and division manager. "Hartford is home," Ward said in an interview last July. "At age 54, when you finally come home, I don't do that with the intention that I'm headed anywhere else. My focus will be on what do I do over these next three years that earns the confidence of this community and this board to say: 'We want Larry to be here a bit longer.'" Ward arrived as the university — a pillar of the greater Hartford commu- nity for decades — was navigating its way out of a rough financial patch. It had been forced to hire a financial consultant in December 2022, after failing to meet the required debt service coverage ratio on more than $133.6 million in bonds used for campus improvements and to refinance debt. The school was back in compli- ance with bond requirements by the time Ward took the helm. But improving finances remains one of the top objectives of his new admin- istration. Growing enrollment and improving campus culture are other core goals. The recent debt taken on by the university gave it tools it can use for growth. That includes a new academic building for advanced engineering and health professions, renovated student housing and more. Ward is focused on improving academic and career outcomes, and growing ties with area industry and government leaders. In January, UHart announced new undergraduate programs in financial technology and neuroscience. 30 Drew Andrews D rew Andrews runs the largest CPA firm headquartered in Connecticut — Hart- ford-based Whittlesey, with about 170 employees. Andrews is well-known in Hart- ford's business community and is a major backer of the city, having led the relocation of his firm to down- town in 2013. Under his leadership as managing partner and CEO since 2008, Whit- tlesey has evolved from a local firm with a single office to Connecticut's largest independent CPA firm. This growth involved increasing revenue more than fourfold, expanding from one to three offices across two states, and integrating four firms via acquisition into the organization's culture. Andrews oversees the firm's business operations and provides internal leadership. One of his key focuses over the past year has been embracing new technology that increases efficiency and workflow, including automation and artificial intelligence. "We have to automate processes and stay ahead of technological advancements," Andrews told the HBJ last September. "I'm not just looking at what's coming down the line next year, I'm looking at 10 years down the road. The firms that don't modernize will become obsolete." Andrews is a graduate of Bryant University and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is also an active philanthropist and has held leadership positions with local nonprofits. His guiding business principle is: "Do the right thing, and good things will happen." 28 Rhona Free R hona Free has been an important change agent for the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford. When she started as president in 2015, USJ was an all-women's college. In an effort to boost enrollment, she quickly pivoted the school's strategy and welcomed the first male undergraduates in 2018. The move has paid off. In order to accommodate growing enroll- ment, Free last year announced plans to offer student housing in downtown Hartford. She also recruited Hall of Fame former UConn basketball coach Jim Calhoun to launch USJ's men's basketball program, and has over- seen the creation of new academic majors in engineering science and esports, among others. During her tenure, Free also led the consolidation of USJ's health- care programs onto the school's West Hartford campus; significantly expanded athletic programs and facilities; and completed numerous capital projects to enhance student life, campus accessibility and educational training facilities, including studios, classrooms and laboratories. Free came to USJ from Eastern Connecticut State University, where she served as vice president for academic affairs from 2007 to 2013, and provost from 2013 to 2015. She taught economics at Eastern for 25 years before becoming an administrator.