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Monday, September 04, 2017

Saul Kaplan, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER

Saul Kaplan

If the goal is to develop markets start by developing talent. If you want to accomplish the most amazing things focus on developing the talent of amazing people. Mentoring and coaching are the most important leadership roles. Innovation starts by surrounding yourself and connecting with the best talent. If you want to attract the best talent develop a reputation as the best talent developer.

Put growth opportunities for others ahead of your own. Put growth opportunities for others ahead of your organization and your community. If you put developing talent first you will attract the best talent. If you consistently encourage and prepare talented individuals to grow into the best opportunities, wherever they are, you will become a talent magnet. People who want to get better will want to work for, with, and near you. If you prioritize talent development people will trust their talents to you.

When talented people move on to other great opportunities dont think of it as a hole you need to fill. Dont think of it as a transition inconvenience or a burden to take on additional tasks while filling a role. Be proud when people you mentor go on to new opportunities. High potential people will seek you out if you have a track record of celebrating and supporting the success of others. Talent development is self-fulfilling.

Too many managers think only about the work that needs to be done and how to keep people focused on the task at hand. When employees leave organizations its viewed as a management challenge. The difference between a manager and a leader is managers try to hold on to people assigned to them at all costs and leaders try to develop people assigned to them at all costs. Leaders encourage new personal and professional development opportunities for their best people even if they are outside of the organization. Leaders who build a reputation for talent development always attract the best people.

Its the same for community leadership. Communities should worry less about brain drain and worry more about building the capacity for talent development. Communities should worry less about company incentives for job creation and more about investments in education and workforce development. Differentiate your community by its commitment to talent development. Dont worry if talented people move on to explore opportunities in other communities. Encourage it. Stay focused on making your community the best it can be at helping its citizens be the best they can be. Talent development is the best economic development.

Success is defined not by accomplishments in the market but by the accomplishments of the people around you. If you attract the best people and focus on their personal development they will accomplish amazing things. There is nothing more personally rewarding than contributing to the talent development of others. If you want to innovate, start with talent development.

Saul Kaplan is the Founder and Chief Catalyst of theBusiness Innovation Factory (BIF).Saul shares innovation musings on his blog atIts Saul Connectedand on Twitter at@skap5.

Paul OReilly, Newport Restaurant Group

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

You may not know the name, but you have probably tasted the food. Paul O'Reilly oversees maybe the largest and most diversified restaurant group in Rhode Island. In a state loaded with great restaurateurs, O'Reillys collection is impressive: Castle Hill Inn; TRIO and 22 Bowens Wine Bar & Grille; the Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar; the seasonal Smokehouse Caf; the Boat House; Waterman Grille; Hemenways Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar; and seven Papa Razzi locations.

In 2014, his Newport Harbor Corp. sold nearly 4 acres on the waterfront known as the Newport Yachting Center for tens of millions.

Stephanie and Lincoln Chafee, Philanthropist and former Candidate for President

(2013 Ranking: 2)

No one fell more in the rankings over the past two years than the Chafees. The fall in influence was driven by an embarrassing failed campaign for the Presidency that started poorly with a focus on the metric system and went downhill from there.

Make no mistake about it, Lincoln Chafee could have been a significant force in Rhode Island and national politics at the conclusion of his term as Governor. He had close ties to the Obama White House and left the office far less scathed than former Governors like Ed DiPrete or Don Carcieri.

The Chafees stay in the rankings because of two factors. They are good at comebacks and the Chafees are wealthy, and Stephanie's side of the family (Danforths) are in the 1% of the 1%. Back in 2006, Roll Call magazine ranked Chafee as the 9th richest member of Congress.

The husband and wife team's combined wealth is estimated at between $150 million and $200 million.

Bready Family, former CEO Nortek/former CEO of Nabsys

(2013 Ranking: 10)

The Breadys - father Rick and son Barrett - are two of Rhode Islands most ambitious and accomplished entrepreneurs. The past couple of years have been a mixed bag for the Breadys, as Barretts Nabsys collapsed after raising upwards of of $40+ million. It should be noted that the younger Bready had left the firm before it shuttered.

The father, Richard, hosted a major fundraiser for President Barack Obama in 2014 at his nearly $20 million mansion, named Seafair.

Neil Steinberg, President, Rhode Island Foundation

(2013 Ranking: 21)

Under Steinberg, the Rhode Island Foundation has been reinvented from a sleepy charity to a dynamic innovator. Not every move has worked, but their has been no shortage of effort to spark and fund improvements to Rhode Islands quality of life and economy.

Today, the Foundation is deeply involved in the community narrative. Its peer organization the Champlin Foundation continues to operate in a cloak of secrecy.

The former Fleet banker was an unlikely innovator, but the Foundation is now sparking a dizzying array of initiatives. With assets pushing towards $800 million, the Foundation is the largest grant making organization in Rhode Island.

Ned Handy, President and Chief Operating Officer, Washington Trust

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

In 2013, it was a bit of a hiring coup d'tat when Joe MarcAurele recruited Handy to join Washington Trust as President and Chief Operating Officer. Previously, he had 18 years at Citizens Financial Group, and was President of Citizens Bank Rhode Island and Citizens Bank Connecticut.

His Connecticut connections have been part of Washington Trust's Connecticut growth.

The Brown University graduate serves on a range of boards including Rhode Island Foundation, Crossroads Rhode Island, Delta Dental of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Hospital Foundation, Providence Foundation, Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy and Salve Regina University.

Charlie Townsend, CEO of Aloha Partners II

(2013 Ranking: 48)

Ever tap into the wireless on an airplane? The provider is almost always Gogo and Townsend is on the Board of the company. Rhode Islands Townsend is everything wireless. He sold Aloha Partners for $2.5 billion.

Now, Townsend is the General Partner and CEO of Aloha Partners II. Aloha Partners is the 8th largest owner of wireless spectrum in the United States, and holds wireless licenses in 12 of the top 50 markets. He has served on the Board of Directors of CTIA The Wireless Association since 1988.

Townsend is a Virginia and Harvard MBA grad.

Myrth York, Political Influencer, Investor

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

She was arguably the King-maker in the last two Mayoral campaigns helping both Angel Taveras and Jorge Elorza win office, but in both cases once in office she has lost influence over each of them. The three-time Democratic nominee for Governor has been the titular head of the progressive wing of the Democratic party in RI for decades.

The former State Senator from the East Side went all in for both Gina Raimondo and Jorge Elorza and she won big.

Recently, she scored an appointment to the Beacon Insurance Board as a part of a Chafee-Raimondo agreement.

York has been the Chair of the Zoning Board during the tenure of Providence Mayor Angel Taveras. The changes to zoning on Federal Hill under the York leadership of the Zoning Board have been widely scrutinized.

York is seen as a mentor to Brett Smiley, the City of Providences Chief Operating Officer.

Mark Meiklejohn, President and CEO, BankRI

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

The bank that keeps going and growing was originally a premier regional business bank, and is now taking on all comers for consumer business.

Meiklejohn joined BankRI in January 2006 as the Director of Commercial Banking. He took over for Merrill Sherman and has changed the culture of the bank.

The former Fleet and Citizens executive has become a force in the community. He was recently the past President of the RI Bankers' Association and serves on the Boards of the United Way, Providence Chamber of Commerce, the RI Public Expenditure Council and as a Trustee for both the Providence Foundation and YMCA of Greater Providence.

Jonathan Savage, Shectman Halperin Savage LLP

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

Savage and his partners have built one of the largest firms in Rhode Island. As other corporate firms have merged, paired back and shifted focus to Boston,

Shechtman Halperin Savage have staffed up and filled the void. He has built his practice on serving as receiver or Special Master on many of the biggest busts in RI: Landmark Medical Center, The City of Central Falls, LJ Crane & Rigging, Nestor Traffic Systems, Inc., American Biophysics Corporation, and Marathon Construction, Inc.

Now, as Chair of the Airport Corporation he has focused on reversing the trend of smaller and smaller annual passenger counts by bringing in new airlines, expanding the airport and upping the marketing.

Merrill Sherman, former BankRI President and now Consultant

(2013 Ranking: 23)

Once rumored to run for Mayor of Providence and for Congress, Sherman has become a close confidant to Governor Gina Raimondo. Today, she is the Principal at Sherman Consulting and serves as special master on foreclosure cases.

She served on Raimondos transition team and shortly there after was appointed to Chair the Board for the multi-billion Clean Water Finance Agency.

Sherman sits on several boards including Brookline Bancorp, Inc.; Brookline Bank; Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Rhode Island and Rhode Island School of Design.

Dont be surprised to see Sherman make a run for elected office in the future.

Angus Davis, CEO and Founder of Swipely

(2013 Ranking: 46)

Davis may be Rhode Islands most successful and experienced technologist and he not even close to hitting 40 years-old.

He founded TellMe Networks -- and sold it to Microsoft for $800 million. Now, Swipely, is pilling up the accolades. The company founded in 2009, has raised $40.5M and landed over 3,000 customers.

Combined the company has "sales under management" of over $4 Billion

He has been tapped for most every tech award by Forbes and Fortune - a big win by Swipely would be a big win for Rhode Island.

Paul Choquette Jr., Vice Chair, Gilbane, Inc.

(2013 Ranking: 19)

Like family member Tom Gilbane #38, their is no decay in influence, but the engagement in Rhode Island has diminished. Choquette has served on most every major board including Lifespan, the Brown Corporation, Trinity, and the RI Economic Development Corporation. It is the latter of those appointments and the vote for 38 Studios loan guarantee that is the blemish.

He was a football star at Brown, and legal counsel to then-Governor John Chafee in the early 1960s.

But, make not mistake about it, the family's wealth and the company's influence has only increased, it's just their desire to play in the Rhode Island sandbox has decreased.

Tom Gilbane, Jr., CEO and Chairman, Gilbane, Inc.

(2013 Ranking: 33)

The Gilbane familys wealth and influence is growing, but the companys move to Boston has made the them more and more a regional and national player.

Gilbane and Paul Choquette have been two of the leaders in growing Gilbane from a strong regional construction force to a national firm over the past four decades.

In 2014, when GoLocal ranked the 9 wealthiest families in New England, the Gilbanes came in at #7 based on Forbes Data: With a net worth of $1.4 Billion, the family is ranked as the #147 wealthiest family in America.

Richard Baccari, Churchill and Banks

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

Baccari has had a tumultuous couple of years. The mega-developer has put together a massive collection of successful projects throughout the region, but not without great effort and some pain.

In 2014, he was cleared of Federal conspiracy and bribery charges relating to the North Providence Municipal corruption probe.

In early 2015, Baccari announced that he would be handing over the reins to the development company to his son, Richard, Jr.

The portfolio of retail, office, residential and commercial are many of the best known properties around the region. He continues to be a major force in Rhode Island.

Mark Pelson, PCI Private Equity

(2013 Ranking: 44)

Pelson is a quiet leader in business and politics. His relationship with the infrastructure of private equity in the state and his close relationship with Governor Gina Raimondo puts Pelson in a unique power position. He served on Raimondos transition team.

He has served as Chairman of Lambert's Cove Acquisition Corporation since its inception. He is a partner in several Providence Equity funds where he has served on numerous corporate boards.

Pelson has served on the Board of Overseers of Children's Hospital Boston and as Chairman of The Wolf School in East Providence.

Donald Sweitzer, Chairman, IGT Corporation (formerly GTECH)

(2013 Ranking: NEW)

There is the outside game and the inside game, and Sweitzer is very good at the inside game. In a company that has changed CEO a number of times, moved headquarters, been acquired by an international concern and rebranded, he continues to play his roll as top political adviser to the global gaming company.

Sweitzer is an ambassador for the Company when interacting with global customers, current and potential partners, and government officials, says his corporate bio. Additionally, Sweitzer advises IGT's CEO on government affairs and general business matters.

Prior to joining GTECH way back in 1998, he was a national Democratic consultant.

Michael Mahoney, CEO Boston Scientific

(2013 Ranking: 26)

Link:
Kaplan: Happy Labor Day - GoLocalProv