Boston’s 50 Most Powerful People: The List
⬆︎ 21. Maura Healey
Massachusetts attorney general
A former Harvard basketball co-captain, Healey wasted no time in swatting down a Partners HealthCare merger—even though her mentor, Martha Coakley, approved of it. Will this powerhouse have to choose her battles as she becomes more politically savvy?
Read more about Maura Healey.
➡︎ 22. Roger Berkowitz
President and chief executive officer, Legal Sea Foods
Berkowitz’s baby may be one of Boston’s biggest national consumer brands, but the Legal empire—don’t call it a chain—is still making waves here at home, anchoring restaurants in many up-and-coming neighborhoods.
➡︎ 23. Arthur T. Demoulas
CEO, Market Basket
Outfoxed by relatives in the boardroom, Arthur T. engineered a stunning comeback, regaining control of the Tewksbury-based chain in a $1.6 billion settlement. Rallying the loyalty of 25,000 employees and customers, he’s become Boston’s unlikeliest folk hero.
⬆︎ 24. Steve Samuels
Chairman and principal, Samuels & Associates
Eyeing the Fenway of the ’90s, developer Steve Samuels thought he could transform a wasteland into a thriving residential neighborhood. Two decades and several billion dollars later, he’s putting the finishing touches on the stunning turnaround.
➡︎ 25. Joseph Aoun
President, Northeastern University
With ruthless efficiency, Aoun has continued Northeastern’s march up the college rankings: It’s now among the most competitive schools in the Northeast. Driven by metrics, Aoun has flexed the university’s muscles in a relentless quest for a bigger footprint.
⬆︎ 26. Stephanie Pollack
Massachusetts secretary of transportation
A brilliant, wonky, and progressive veteran of Northeastern’s Dukakis Center, Charlie Baker’s most unlikely appointee survived the winter from hell, but now faces an even more daunting task: fixing a debt-crippled MBTA.
⬆︎ 27. Robert Lewis Jr.
President and founder, the BASE and the Boston Astros
A tireless advocate for inner-city kids, Lewis left the Boston Foundation to run a program that combines baseball and academics. It’s an organization his BFF Charlie Baker loves to talk about, priming Lewis for bigger roles.
➡︎ 28. Anne Finucane
Global chief strategy and marketing officer, Bank of America
Her title speaks volumes, but it’s just the beginning of her influence. In charge of rehabbing the bank’s image after the financial crisis, she also chairs its charitable foundation, which will give $2 billion over 10 years.
⬆︎ 29. Andrew Dreyfus
President and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Dreyfus was one of the key architects of the state’s 2006 health reform law—the model for Obamacare. Now his focus is on controlling costs by rewarding health outcomes, a radical shift. If he succeeds, look for others to quickly follow suit.
⬆︎ 30. Linda Dorcena Forry
State senator, First Suffolk District
Her second year hosting Southie’s St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast cemented her role as the political face of New Boston. And she’s half of Dorchester’s top power couple; hubby Bill Forry is editor of the Dorchester Reporter.
