The ROI Influencers Power List 2020: Executives

By
Robert F. Russo
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George Norcross, Ralph Izzo, Don Ghermezian, Kevin Conlin and Tony Coscia appeared in our Top 30 rankings.

Adenah Bayoh
CEO
Adenah Bayoh and Cos.
Franchises, restaurants, mixed-used affordable housing complexes … all of these things make her a prominent businessperson. The example she sets for other immigrants in underserved communities is just as important.


Thomas Brostrøm
CEO
Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind
He is overseeing the huge wind farm off the coast of Atlantic City that will bring thousands of jobs — and hopes of a clean energy future. What’s more, Brostrøm himself has said the feels this will be the first project of many, meaning New Jersey is in position to be a national leader on wind.


Anthony Calandra
CEO
Calandra Enterprises
Best bread in Jersey? Sure. We’ll agree. And we don’t even have to ask the more than 500 accounts it has around the state. But this family-owned company is far more than a bakery. Restaurants, hotels, apartment buildings … the expansion of this more than 800-employee business is a lesson for all entrepreneurs.

 

Mark Clouse
CEO
Campbell Soup Co.
Iconic Jersey company is vital to the Camden economy. Clouse needs to fix it — and that may mean breaking it apart a bit. A heavy load, for sure.


Gary Dahms
Chairman and CEO
T&M Associates
He not only oversees one of the biggest and most important civil engineering firms in the state, he makes sure his team is active in the community. Serves as second vice chair of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.


Thomas Doll
CEO
Subaru of America
His decision to stay in New Jersey (when some other car makers have not) should not be overlooked. Same can be said for the company’s role in helping to revitalize Camden.


Jim Fakult
President
JCP&L
Continues in his work to upgrade and modernize the infrastructure surrounding one of the state’s most important utilities. And continues to make sure JCP&L plays a big role in the overall well-being of the state, serving as first vice chair of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, among a host of efforts.


Ken Frazier
Chairman and CEO
Merck
He’s the head of one of the biggest pharma companies in the world — even with the recent announcement that it is spinning off some of its units. There’s no question Frazier is a force in business across the globe; many just wish he and Merck would be more personally involved in state business issues.


Alex Gorsky
CEO
Johnson & Johnson
When you’re the biggest health care company in the world, people (read: lawyers) tend to come after you. J&J continues to face obstacles on all sides, including the opioid crisis. The company’s logo is ubiquitous at events statewide, but many wish Gorsky himself would be more visible in the Garden State.


Josh Harris/David Blitzer
Co-founders
Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment
The New Jersey Devils season isn’t going the way they had hoped. (Jury is still out on the Philadelphia 76ers.) But their influence in the business community up and down the state continues to grow, as they relish their role as strong corporate leaders and citizens.


Joe Jingoli
CEO
Joseph Jingoli and Son Inc.
He’s the head of one of the biggest construction companies in the state, involved in the ownership of too many properties to name (including the Hard Rock in Atlantic City) and on numerous state economic development boards – but it is his philanthropic work in the community (in both the inner cities and on his farm) that truly sets him apart.


Jill Kaplan
President NY/NJ
United
Kaplan continues to figuratively build bridges with the New Jersey business community — as well as help the airline build a better airport. As the New Jersey head of the state’s sixth-largest employer, she has made it her mission to make the Garden State a priority for the now-booming global company. 


Ralph LaRossa
Chief operating officer
PSEG
His recent promotion at Public Service Enterprise Group means a few more added responsibilities for one of top executives at the state’s biggest utility. Being the longtime chairman of Choose New Jersey increases LaRossa’s visibility and influence statewide.


Nadine Leslie
CEO
Suez North America
She’s a newcomer — having just assumed the CEO role last fall. But she heads a utility that is becoming more and more important. And she is determined to have Suez play a more prominent role in the New Jersey business ecosystem.

 


Charles Lowrey
CEO
Prudential Financial
Lowrey is not a familiar face on the New Jersey networking scene, but the work Prudential does throughout the state — especially in Newark — cannot be overstated. Its commitment to the Brick City is routinely noted by many.


Mitch Livingston
CEO
NJM Insurance
Livingston, now comfortable in the role he took over in the spring of 2018, is helping one of the state’s best-known companies expand its offerings — while maintaining its longtime position as a solid corporate citizen in the state.


Brian Neuwirth
President
Unex Manufacturing
He is the leader of a family-owned engineering and logistics firm that is more than 50 years old. And he serves as the chairman of the board of trustees for the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.


Cheryl Norton
President
New Jersey American Water
She’s only been in the role a year and she’s already having statewide impact as member of the Choose New Jersey board. She gets the role that utilities play in economic development — and is eager to show New Jersey American Water is ready to be a partner.


Marjorie Perry
CEO
MZM Construction & Management
She continues to set an example for others — and it has nothing to do with being a female leader in a male-dominated sector. Perry, the chair of the board of overseers at her alma mater, New Jersey Institute of Technology, inspires by being a tell-it-like-it-is tough leader and executive.


Suuchi Ramesh
CEO
Suuchi Inc.
When she kept her tech-driven manufacturing apparel company in New Jersey, it was a big win for the state — and the more than 100 employees her company has in Carlstadt. She is the type of entrepreneurial leader the state needs more of. 


Michael Renna
CEO
South Jersey Industries
Renna is making a push to make the company more relevant in more parts of the state, but the decision to move corporate headquarters to Atlantic City was huge for that area. Active in the community, including a stint as chair of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey.


Carlos Rodriguez
CEO
ADP
The business acumen he shows while leading one of the state’s biggest companies is impressive. But it is his commitment to diversity and inclusion — truly making sure ADP mirrors the state in which it is headquartered — that may be the ultimate example of his leadership.


Rick Taylor
CEO
Konica Minolta
Taylor led Konica Minolta’s desire to build its workforce and presence in New Jersey — its U.S. headquarters are in Ramsey — and now he is helping the company in its transition to one that helps companies build workplaces of the future.


Bob Unanue
CEO
Goya
He’s the head of the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the country, an important institution in Hudson County and New Jersey — and he intends to maintain that role. That was the word he gave after news reports said he was shopping Goya in a deal that could have fetched billions.


Hugh Welsh
President and general counsel
DSM North America
DSM North America, headquartered in Parsippany, is a global science-based company in nutrition, health and sustainable living. More than that, it lives the mission of being a sustainable and environmentally conscious company.

Click below to see who landed in the Top 30 spots on the ROI Influencers Power List 2020:

Here’s the most powerful people in 13 industries:

And to read how a political scientist made the call on who was named No. 1 on the list, click here.