Hartford Business Journal

30 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 7, 2025 POWE R 50 1 5 Andrew Agwunobi D r. Andrew Agwunobi has returned to UConn Health in a big way, after leaving his role at the helm of the healthcare system in early 2022 for a stint as an executive at health insurer Humana. He found the work at Humana inter- esting, but his commute to Boston via Amtrak was difficult. Also, he missed UConn Health, where he had worked since 2018. So, when his old job opened back up, he applied. After an extensive national search, Agwunobi last summer was selected to lead UConn Health for a second time. UConn Health includes a network of physician offices and John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington, along with UConn's biomedical research depart- ment and medical and dental schools. Since returning, Agwunobi has embarked on an ambitious plan to move UConn Health — a public entity with 6,104 employees — toward a model that is less dependent on state funding. Agwunobi told the Hartford Business Journal that the shift — driven, in part, by a need to stem UConn Health's longstanding deficits — could involve a number of public-private partnerships to help generate more revenue and reduce costs. Despite the challenges, Agwunobi said UConn Health's financial perfor- mance is improving, driven by strong growth in patient revenue, which totaled $957.5 million in fiscal 2024, nearly double what the health system gener- ated in 2020 ($511 million). Agwunobi is a pediatrician by trade who earned an MBA from Stanford Busi- ness School, and served as interim pres- ident of the University of Connecticut. 17 Jay Williams J ay Williams is leading the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving in an important milestone year — its centennial celebration. To kickstart its year-long commem- oration, the foundation in January launched a new $2.9 million "Greater Together Community Funds invest- ment," which will provide $100,000 to each of the 29 communities within its geographic footprint for grantmaking and endowment support. The goal of the program, Williams said, is to provide funding to local communities that are most knowledgeable about the needs of their residents. In all of 2024, the foundation awarded $55 million in grant funding — the second-largest amount in the organization's history. Since arriving at the Hartford Foundation in 2017, Williams has significantly lifted the profile of the organization, which sits on a $1-billion community fund. Williams has gained notoriety as a key community leader. His focus has been on supporting programs that dismantle structural racism, achieve equity and improve social and economic mobility in the region. Williams, a former mayor of Youngstown, Ohio, has served on the boards of the MetroHartford Alliance, AdvanceCT and is a member of the Governor's Workforce Council. Prior to joining the foundation, he served as U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for economic devel- opment, where he led the federal economic development agenda for the United States. 16 Montez Carter F or Montez Carter, president and CEO of Trinity Health Of New England (THONE) since October 2022, the past few months have been busy. Carter is leading a reorganiza- tion of THONE, the third-largest hospital operator in Connecticut. It operates St. Francis and Mount Sinai Rehabilitation hospitals in Hartford, St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs, along with Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. THONE's Connecticut operations reported $1.76 billion in operating revenue and an operating loss of $60.8 million in fiscal 2023, the second straight yearly loss, according to data from the Office of Health Strategy. The recent changes included eliminating the position of presi- dent at St. Mary's Hospital in Water- bury and appointing Dr. Robert Roose to the new role of president of THONE's community hospitals, overseeing facilities in Waterbury, Springfield and Stafford Springs. THONE also recently entered into a deal with Vituity, the nation's largest physician-owned medical partnership group, to manage emer- gency medicine and hospitalist services at its Connecticut acute care hospitals. Carter began his career as a phar- macist, then moved into leadership roles within Michigan-based Trinity Health's organization. He served as president and CEO of St. Mary's Health Care System in Georgia before starting in his current role. 14 Mark Rayha M ark Rayha stepped up to the president's office at Electric Boat in December 2024. The Groton submarine yard, long one of the most prolific hirers in the state, has seen a gentle decline in its new job numbers over the last few years, and Rayha has said that there will be a further pause for part of this year because of ongoing supply chain issues. However, it's still projecting to hire 3,050 people in 2025, and the yard's once-in-a-generation expansion is serving as a major catalyst for growth in eastern Connecticut. The workforce — which currently stands at around 22,000 between Groton and the company's other facility at Quonset Point, Rhode Island — is needed to support the ongoing Virginia class program, and construction of the new, larger Columbia class submarines, as well as overhaul work on older Los Angeles class boats. Rayha moved to Connecticut from Virginia, after a 30-year career with Electric Boat's parent, General Dynamics. The Michigan native joined GD Land Systems in 1989 at the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant and spent 17 years there. Then from 2006 through 2014, he worked at General Dynamics corporate headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia, rising to staff vice president of financial planning and analysis. In late 2019, he got the call to move to Groton, at first as EB's vice president of finance, then chief operating officer before taking the president's office. NomiNatioN DeaDliNe: July 18, 2025 Honoring the top-performing C-suite level executives in the state of Connecticut Major Sponsors AwArds EvEnt dAtE: october 9, 2025

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