Inside the Corner Office

In this episode, we sit down with Antoinette Hays, PhD, RN, President of Regis College. Dr. Hays reflects on her remarkable 40-year career—from her early days in nursing to leading one of the region’s top institutions—and shares how those experiences have shaped her approach to higher education leadership. She highlights Regis’ growth under her tenure, including the expansion of its nationally recognized nursing program, innovative workforce development initiatives, and support for neurodiverse students, while also addressing challenges facing higher education and healthcare training. As she prepares to retire, Dr. Hays looks back on the accomplishments she’s most proud of and shares her perspective on the future of Regis and the next generation of leadership.

In this episode, we sit down with Maura Sullivan, CEO of The Arc of Massachusetts. Maura shares her journey to leadership and the experiences that drive her advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She highlights The Arc’s work—from programs like Operation House Call to expanding employment opportunities and supporting caregivers—and reflects on key policy challenges impacting the disability community, while emphasizing how we can all help advance inclusion and opportunity.

In this episode, we catch up with Alexis Steel, President of the St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children. Alexis reflects on her journey to leadership and the Center’s long-standing mission to support women and families across Boston. She shares how the Campaign for Women & Children is helping shape the organization’s next chapter, how today’s funding pressures are impacting human services, and what it meant to host a New England Council Fellow—all while highlighting how our community can continue to strengthen opportunities for those who need it most.

In this episode, we catch up with Christopher Pyne,Executive Vice President of Unum Group. Chrisreflects on his long career with Unum and shares insights into the wide rangeof services the company provides across New England and the country. We alsodiscuss how Unum is leveraging AI and emerging technologies to better supportcustomers and drive innovation.

In this episode, we catch up with Dr. Melissa L. Gilliam, President of Boston University. Dr. Gilliam became BU’s eleventh president in July 2024 and brings an impressive background spanning medicine, public health, interdisciplinary research, and higher education leadership. In this episode, we learn more about her path from physician to interdisciplinary researcher to university leadership, as well as her priorities as BU’s new president, the university’s work in convergent research, AI, and the arts, and how Boston University is partnering with government and industry to drive innovation and economic impact across the region.

In this episode, we catch up with Kathleen C. Marchi, CEO & President of Samaritans, Inc., headquartered in Boston and serving our region for the past 50 years. Kathy has had an impressive career in non-profit leadership here in New England, and has overseen remarkable growth at Samaritans. In this episode, we learn more about the services this organization offers in our communities and how you can support their important, life-saving work.

In this episode, we catch up with Bob Rivers, Executive Chair and Chair of the Board of Directors, Eastern Bankshares, Inc. and Eastern Bank. In a wide-ranging conversation, Bob reflects on his incredible, four-decade career in the banking industry, and about Eastern Bank's incredible growth under his leadership. We also talk about the bank's work to support New England's gateway cities, address regional housingchallenges, and support a diverse workforce.

In this episode, we catch up with Dr. Elizabeth Chilton, President of the University of New Hampshire, who reflects on her first year leading the Granite State's flagship public university. President Chilton also highlighted UNH's incredible economic impact in the region, and how federally funded research on campus is leading to cutting edge new technologies and innovations.

In this episode, we sit down with Tess Kuenning, President and CEO of the Bi-State Primary Care Association. As Tess marks an incredible 30 years at the helm of the organization, we talked about her early career as a nurse—including four years spent working in Nepal—her transition into public health, and the tremendous growth Bi-State has experienced under her leadership. We also discussed the critical challenges facing Community Health Centers in New England today, from workforce shortages to recent federal budget decisions that threaten essential services like Medicaid and SNAP. Tess offered her insight on how these changes will impact some of the most vulnerable populations in our region, and how CHCs are adapting to meet evolving community needs—including mental health and rural healthcare access. 

In this episode, we sit down with Richard Davey, CEO of the Massachusetts Port Authority. We discussed the latest developments at Logan Airport, Worcester Regional Airport, and the Port of Boston, as well as the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on the port, and the urgent need for federal investment to modernize our air traffic control system.

In this episode, we sit down with John O'Brien, recently appointed CEO of JERA Americas. John discussed his early career in the Massachusetts Legislature, where he served in the State Senate, as well as JERA Americas' expanding footprint in New England. He also shared his insights on how the shift in priorities under the new administration could impact federal energy investments moving forward.

In this episode, we sit down with the President of Emmanuel College, Dr. Beth Ross. President Ross shared her path to the presidency, where she had a front-row seat to Emmanuel’s incredible growth over the past 25 years.  President Ross also highlighted how Emmanuel works to prepare students for the workforce through internships and partnerships with local employers, and shared her thoughts on the importance of the federal Pell Grant program, and changes at the federal level that can impact higher education.

This month’s episode of “Inside the Corner Office” is now available!  In this episode, we sit down with 2024 New Englander of the Year, Retired Brigadier General Jack Hammond of Home Base Program. We had a great conversation about General Hammond’s impressive military career and how it led him to the helm of Home Base, and incredible organization that supports veterans and their families as they grapple with the “invisible wounds of war.” The General also shared some updates on Home Base’s expansion, both here in New England and in other parts of the country, and offered his advice to the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

In this episode, we sit down with Mark Peters, Ph.D., President and CEO of The MITRE Corporation. The MITRE Corporation is a not-for-profit global technology company that operates research and development centers worldwide. It has one of its two headquarters in Bedford, Massachusetts, in New England.  Mark shared more about his impressive background in nuclear energy and national security and highlighted how MITRE partners with the federal government to provide ground-breaking research on issues ranging from cybersecurity to artificial intelligence to blue technology.  

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Steven R. DiSalvo, President of Endicott College. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talked about how he has drawn upon his business background to lead Endicott to incredible growth, and about some of the challenges that college presidents face in the current environment. We also got his thoughts on President-elect Trump’s plan to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, and what that would mean for colleges and students alike.  

This month’s episode of “Inside the Corner Office” is now available!  In this episode, we sit down with Lisa Wieland, New England President of National Grid. Lisa is one year into her role as the New England President of National Grid, after serving for many years as the CEO of Massport.  We had a great conversation about Lisa’s own impressive career, and about her role leading one of our region’s largest electric utilities. We discussed some of the company’s investments to improve the region’s energy systems, as well as their work to increase efficiency and sustainability. 

In this episode, we sit down with Jean Yang, President & CEO of Vinfen. Headquartered in Cambridge, Vinfen is a provider of community-based services for people with mental health conditions, disabilities, and life challenges. In this conversation, Jean shared more about Vinfen’s work to serve some of the most vulnerable members of our society and about the critical importance of investing in community-based services to expand access and decrease costs.  

In this episode, we sit down with Gordon Reid, President of Stop & Shop. Gordon talked about his career as well as some changes that the popular supermarket chain has recently announced. As September marks Hunger Action Month, he also discussed Stop & Shop’s steadfast commitment to combatting food insecurity and hunger in the communities it serves.  

In this episode, we sit down with Angela Bovill​, President and CEO of Ascentria Care Alliance. Angela discusses her passion for solving some of the most pressing challenges facing our communities and finding innovative ways to support the most vulnerable members of our society. She also talks about how Ascentria is stepping up to support immigrants and refugees in New England, and how the organization is supporting its own employees amid workforce shortages.

In this episode, we sit down with William F. Doyle, Executive Chairman of Novocure. Bill shares his impressive career history and the story of Novocure’s founding and growth in New England.   He also discussed the region’s incredible innovation ecosystem, and how Novocure is working to ensure that patients have access to their life-saving technology.

In this episode, we sit down with Lesli Suggs, President and CEO of The Home for Little Wanderers. Lesli discusses her career path in social work, which led her to her current role leading the oldest child welfare agency in the US. She also talks about some of the critical challenges that the organization is working to address, from children’s mental health challenges to youth homelessness.

In this episode, we sit down with Timothy J. Barrett the President and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston. Tim discussed the history and evolution of the Federal Home Loan Bank System, and highlighted the Bank’s many innovative initiatives aimed at addressing the housing crisis in New England, and making home ownership more attainable for all our region’s residents.  

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Eric Dickson, the CEO of UMass Memorial Health, based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Dr. Dickson shared his unique career path, from serving in the military to pursuing a career in emergency medicine and leading Massachusetts’ third-largest healthcare system.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Grace Wang, President of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Wang shared her vision for the university’s continued growth and success and highlighted the school's incredible work on issues ranging from AI to robotics. She also discussed WPI’s diversity and inclusion efforts, and how higher education can advance economic equity.

This month’s episode of “Inside the Corner Office” is now available!  In this episode, we sit down with Eric Slifka, President & CEO of Global Partners. Eric shared the family-owned company’s incredible history, from its founding by his grandfather some 90 years ago, to its continued growth in the 21st century. Eric also discussed the historic transformation underway in the energy industry, and how his company is adapting and evolving to continue to serve its customers while also working toward clean energy goals.  

In this episode, we sit down with Gary Gillheeney, Sr., President & CEO of Organogenesis, the Canton, Massachusetts-based leader in regenerative medicine. Gary talked about his impressive career and successful tenure as CEO of Organogenesis, and we learned more about some of the ground-breaking products the company has developed, and how they are improving the lives of thousands of Americans.    

In this episode, we sit down with Melissa Smith, the Chair, CEO, and President of WEX, a global leader in financial technology solutions, headquartered in Portland, Maine. Tune in to learn about Melissa's unique career path as well as WEX's incredible growth under her leadership, and how new technologies–ranging from electric vehicles to artificial intelligence–are impacting the company.

In this episode, we sit down with Brooks Tingle, the recently appointed President and CEO of John Hancock. Tune in as we delve into John Hancock's groundbreaking approach to life insurance and its commitment to fostering wellness and longevity. Jim and Brooks also discuss the company's compelling mission to champion diversity and inclusion, and why they see these efforts as an essential business imperative.

In honor of National Disabilities Employment Awareness Month, this special edition of the program features a conversation with Jo Ann Simons, CEO of Northeast ARC, and Jim Cassetta, President of WORK Inc., two prominent disability advocacy leaders in the region.  Together, they delve into their personal motivations for championing the rights of individuals with disabilities and shed light on the vital contributions these individuals make to the regional workforce. The discussion also highlights both organizations' supportive initiatives to empower workers with disabilities and their employers.

Tune in as we catch up with Dr. Iva Morse, Head of Global Strategic Accounts & Services at MilliporeSigma, the global life sciences company headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts. In this episode, we had a fascinating conversation about Dr. Morse's own unique background and career path and discussed MilliporeSigma's initiatives in reinforcing supply chain resilience and promoting workplace diversity and inclusion. We also explored the thriving innovation ecosystem of New England in the life sciences sector.

This month’s episode of “Inside the Corner Office” is now available! Tune in as we catch up with Jeffrey Thielman, President & CEO of the International Institute of New England. In this episode, we learn more about Jeff's unique career path and his passion for working with the immigrant and refugee community. Jeff discusses the important role that immigrants and refugees play in the New England economy and how these populations can fill gaps in the region’s workforce. He details the programs and services that the International Institute of New England provides to help create opportunities for immigrants and refugees to be successful, and in particular, their efforts to support the region’s large Haitian population, as well as recent refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. Don't miss this insightful conversation highlighting the importance of inclusivity and empowerment in our community.

Tune in as we catch up with Rob McCarron, President of AICUM. Rob discussed the economic impact of the higher education sector in our region, the need for mental health services on college campuses, and the importance of the Pell Grant in expanding access to college education.

Tune in as we catch up with Richard Burke, President and CEO of Fallon Health. Richard discussed Fallon Health's work to advance health equity, combat food insecurity, and provide comprehensive care to seniors throughout the region.  

Tune in as we catch up with Pam Eddinger, President of Bunker Hill Community College. Pam discussed the important role that community colleges play in ensuring that our region has the workforce we need to continue to grow and thrive, and how we can continue to expand access to the valuable education and training that these schools provide.

This month’s episode of “Inside the Corner Office” is now available! Tune in as we catch up with Priscilla Sims Brown, the CEO of Amalgamated Bank. Priscilla shares with us her own unique background and career path, highlights Amalgamated Bank’s history, and outlines the bank’s innovative approaches to closing the racial wealth gap, preventing gun violence, and combatting global climate change. Priscilla also discusses Amalgamated's recent expansion into the Boston area.

Tune in as we catch up with Kevin Tabb, M.D., the President and CEO of Beth Israel Lahey Health. Dr. Tabb shares his own career path, Beth Israel Lahey’s initiatives to provide top-notch #medical care to patients in New England, and the impact of #workforce shortages on the #healthcare sector.  

We’re thrilled to welcome Chris Palmieri, the CEO of Commonwealth Care Alliance. Headquartered in Boston, Commonwealth Care Alliance is an integrated healthcare system that serves individuals with significant needs.