WBJ Staff

Even before leading the second largest bank headquartered in Central Massachusetts, Michael Welch was already making huge impressions on Greater Worcester.

As market president of the largest Central Massachusetts bank – with $7 billion in local deposits across 27 branches – Edwin Shea sits atop the biggest opportunity to shape the region, by financing business ventures and donating to nonprofits.

Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham is a key leader – perhaps the leader in Central Massachusetts – in guiding businesses to better diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.

Few professionals in Central Massachusetts have their hands on as many levers of power as Michael Angelini, giving him a unique ability to make deals happen, arrange connections between powerful people, and mentor up-and-coming leaders in the community.

John and his wife Jeanne Esler are dedicating their time and money to address systematic racism throughout the country through their Esler Family Foundation.

With the power of the national company Hanover Insurance Group and its $5 billion in annual revenues behind her, Kimberly Salmon directs community giving throughout Greater Worcester.

As the leader of the largest caregiver network in Central Massachusetts, at 1,205 physicians, Dr. Shlomit Schaal straddles the world of academia and research, seeking to improve both.

At the nexus of higher education and life sciences, UMass Chan Medical School has undergone tremendous growth in the last year under Dr. Michael Collins’ leadership.

In influencing the future of the workforce, Luis Pedraja is one of the most powerful stakeholders.

Since taking the reins of Worcester’s second-largest private college two years ago, David Fithian has aggressively expanded Clark University’s presence and character within the Worcester community.