Edward Manzi, Jr. has been leading Fidelity Bank since 1997 and has the distinction of being the longest-serving CEO at a Massachusetts community bank, helping to shape the Central Massachusetts business landscape. Last year alone, Fidelity extended more than $270 million in credit to businesses in the area, including in April when it loaned $30 million to Sudbury clean energy firm Gridwealth for solar projects in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
When Manzi started at Fidelity, the bank had $139 million in assets and five branches. Now, as of June, the bank has $1.4 billion in assets, with 14 branches and 151 employees. The bank is trying to stay up on technology and continue to modernize. As part of that, it’s investing in more people and systems to help its clients navigate the new world of digital banking.
Manzi pulls strings behind the scenes by serving on numerous boards in the area. He is the founder and chairman of the Worcester nonprofit Shine Initiative, whose mission is to combat discrimination and to destigmatize mental health conditions in youth. He’s a member of the boards of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Care Central VNA & Hospice in Gardner and Webster, and a member of the audit committee for the United Way of North Central Massachusetts.
How should professionals best use the power they wield? “Business professionals should recognize the privilege that comes with the power they have and strive to use it for the betterment of all stakeholders. The principles of conscious capitalism reject the idea that business success must come at the expense of others.”
Tongue twister master: Manzi grew up in Webster and was a lifeguard at Memorial Beach for a number of years. He can accurately recite Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.
