A global chairman for a services organization, a former chair of the Nuclear Energy Institute, the head of one of the most powerful banks in the world, the former leader of a Fortune 500 energy company and the current boss of a global provider of AI-powered cybersecurity. Well-known N.J. leaders Persichilli and Izzo to be joined by Di Sibio, Gutierrez, Heaney and Voccola
The impressive accomplishments of all of the above – current and former CEOs of some of the most important companies in the state and the country – make up the incredible list of new Board of Trustees at Hackensack Meridian Health.
Amazingly, they may not be the most noteworthy addition.
Former N.J. Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, who rose to statewide prominence for her role during the pandemic – following a long career as both a nurse and a hospital CEO – also is among the group of six that Hackensack Meridian Health CEO Bob Garrett will announce today.
She will be joined by:
- Carmine Di Sibio, former Global Chairman and CEO at EY;
- Mauricio Gutierrez, former CEO of NRG Energy;
- Mike Heaney, currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Deutsche Bank USA;
- Ralph Izzo, former chair and CEO at PSEG;
- Fred Voccola, currently serves as CEO of Kaseya.
A seventh new member, who is still in the approval process, is expected to be added by the end of the year.
It’s a collection of talent that few boards anywhere will be able to match.
Garrett feels the incoming group is unique in the state’s business ecosystem for two reasons:
- Its size: A number of vacated seats combined with current members being elevated to emeritus status gave HMH a chance to reimagine the board with one effort;
- Its diversity: Aside from being proven leaders, they all bring unique skillsets.
Garrett, always seemingly one step ahead, said the diverse nature of the group will be instrumental in leading the system into the next generation of service.
“A lot has been written about changes in health care organizations and organizational structures post covid, as organizations try to position themselves for the future of health care, but I don’t think you can do that without reimagining governance as well,” he said.
“What we’re doing here is unprecedented.”
Current Board Chair Keith Banks is eager to have them in the group.
“Their expertise and commitment to our mission will be invaluable as we continue to grow and evolve,” he said.
And while each of the new additions have stunning resumes, Persichilli certainly will draw the most attention.
She earned the nickname “The Women Who Needs Know Introduction” during Gov. Phil Murphy’s must-watch news conferences during the pandemic.
Persichilli showed her knowledge and empathy that came from years of training as a nurse – and her eye for organization and business, which came from being a CEO at two hospitals: Capital Health East in Trenton and University in Newark.
Garrett feels her unique skillset will be a big addition.
“It’s really important to have clinical expertise on health system boards,” he said. “We have to always remember what our mission is. And as we’re making decisions at the board level, we have to make sure that that clinical perspective is always heard.”
Her background in leadership and merger and acquisitions will be called on, too.
“When we consider future partnerships, she certainly will be an asset,” Garrett said.
Persichilli, who received her nursing diploma from the St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in 1968, graduated from Rutgers University in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science in nursing. She obtained a Master of Arts in administration from Rider College. She is one of the founding members of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute.
Here’s more on the other new board members:
Di Sibio: The former EY Global Chairman and CEO, one of the largest professional services organizations in the world, he led the execution of the organization’s global strategy until reaching the mandatory retirement age June 30. (The next day, Di Sibio joined as an independent director on the boards of PayPal and Prudential.)
Di Sibio is a member of the board of Focusing Capital on the Long Term to encourage a long-term focus in business that can drive inclusive growth. He plays an active role in the World Economic Forum, having served as a member of its International Business Council, and has been actively involved in developing a core set of metrics to help standardize disclosures around ESG.
Di Sibio earned a BA in Chemistry from Colgate University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Among other boards, he serves on the boards of the Foundation for Empowering Citizens with Autism and Family Promise.
Gutierrez: He served as CEO of NRG Energy, on the country’s premier competitive power companies, from December 2015 until November 2023. He joined the company in 2004 and helped build NRG from a regional wholesale generation business into a national, Fortune 500 energy company. Previously, he held the positions of chief operating officer and EVP of commercial operations, overseeing all commodities trading. He had also held several senior positions at energy merchant Dynegy and consulting firm DTP in Mexico City.
Gutierrez serves on the boards of Chipotle, Drexel University and Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose. He has also been a member of the Business Roundtable, Electric Power Supply Association and a board member of NRG Energy and NRG Yield (Now Clearway Energy). He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the Universidad Panamericana and two master’s degrees – one in mineral economics from the Colorado School of Mines and one in petroleum economics from the French Petroleum Institute.
Heaney: He currently serves as Chair of Deutsche Bank USA, and Deutsche Bank Trust Company. Additionally, he serves on the Board of TP ICAP in London as Senior Independent Director, and a member of Risk, Renumeration and Nominating / Governance committees.
In 2017, Heaney was chosen as the inaugural Chairman of the Fixed Income Market Structure Advisory Committee at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and served in this capacity until June 2021. In addition, he serves on Lafayette College’s Board of Trustees.
Heaney worked in the Financial Services industry spending the majority of his career at Morgan Stanley, both in their New York and London offices. He retired after 28 years at the Firm, most recently serving as the Global Co-Head of Fixed Income Sales and Trading Division. Heaney was a member of Morgan Stanley’s Firm Operating Committee and Firm Management Committee.
Heaney attended Lafayette College and in 1986 received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He received his Executive MBA in Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University.
Izzo: Well-known throughout New Jersey business circles, Izzo served as chairman and chief executive officer of Public Service Enterprise Group from April 2007 through December 2022 and the company’s president since October 2006. Prior to that, Izzo was president and chief operating officer of Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G). He held several executive positions within PSEG’s family of companies, including PSE&G senior vice president – utility operations; PSE&G vice president – appliance service; PSEG vice president – corporate planning; and PSE&G vice president – electric ventures.
Izzo is the former chair of the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Board of Governors of Rutgers University, and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. He is currently a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee. He is on the board of directors of the Bank of New York Mellon, TerraPower LLC., Ovintiv Inc. and CMS Energy. He also currently serves on the boards of the Argonne National Lab, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, the Liberty Science Center and CERES.
Izzo received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in mechanical engineering and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in applied physics from Columbia University. He also received a Master of Business Administration degree, with a concentration in finance, from the Rutgers Graduate School of Management.
Voccola: He is the CEO of Kaseya, the leading global provider of AI-powered cybersecurity and IT management software for managed service providers and small to midsize businesses. Under Voccola’s leadership, Kaseya grew from $85 million in revenue to $275 million in under three years.
Prior to joining Kaseya, Voccola served as president and general manager of Yodle’s Brand Networks Division, providing digital and market automation solutions to small and medium businesses. In 2016, Yodle successfully was sold to Web.com. Prior to that, Voccola was president of Nolio, Inc., a devops SaaS company, where he drove 100% year-over-year growth and successfully sold the business to CA Technologies. Voccola also co-founded and served as president and CEO of Trust Technology Corp.
Voccola holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. He also serves on the Board of the Riverview Medical Center Foundation.
