Monday, August 17, 2026

TOPICS

One Last Thing

Gloria Duchin Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of metal ornaments, jewelry and accessories founded in 1979 in East Providence. The company employs 150 Rhode Islanders during peak manufacturing season. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELY

Evolve, and quickly, for success

In 2008, it became clear to me if we were to sustain our business during the shock and awe of the Great Recession, we...
Fifteen years old when she started her company in 2009, Ava Anderson is on a mission to educate consumers about harmful chemicals in personal care and home products. Here, she explains why continuous learning is key to growth and success. / PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Always keep learning

I have been fortunate to grow up with powerful personal and business mentors, including entrepreneurs I've been privileged to meet throughout my travels. One...
Martha Sheridan has been engaged in destination marketing and development in Rhode Island for more than two decades, a passion that stems from her lifelong love of her home state. / PBN PHOTO/STEPHANIE ALVAREZ EWENS

Clear contact supports execution

At the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, our purpose is to benefit Rhode Island's economy through leisure travel and by booking conventions and...
Robert Padula started in the insurance business 46 years ago with a college degree in hand and military service behind him, thinking that all he needed was hard work to get ahead. He joined Gencorp Insurance in 1969, becoming CEO in 1985. He has learned there is a lot more to it. / PBN PHOTO/STEPHANIE ALVAREZ EWENS

Trust, loyalty are foundational

My first sale was a policy for a childhood friend and his wife. The resulting commission was less than $10, of which the firm...
President and CEO of Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island since 2008, Diana Franchitto took on the same role for Visiting Nurse Home Care subsequent to their 2012 affiliation. But her focus has always been on the organizations' clients. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Inspire and engage

Every successful leader understands the need for certain skills: strategic thinking, innovative vision, the ability to execute well and to be a driver of...
The CEO of Narragansett Bay Insurance Co. has taken the coastal homeowners insurer from $172.8 million in revenue in 2012 to $240.3 million last year. The company's success is due to the processes and procedures its people follow, as he explains. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Focus on what you do best

At Narragansett Bay Insurance Co., we have a simple, clear reason for being – to provide peace of mind to responsible homeowners living in...
Peter M. Marino joined Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island as president and CEO in September 2014. Neighborhood's membership has since grown by 25 percent. Below he shares the "secret recipe" behind such growth and the years of success that preceded it. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Mission-driven leadership

Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, which ranks fifth highest in the nation for quality amongst its peers by NCQA, consistently delivers high-quality, cost-effective...
Since buying The Claflin Co. in 1976, Ted Almon has taken it from near closing to a $200 million medical-products supplier that employs more than 200. This week, however, it isn't growth that he's focused on. / PBN PHOTO/STEPHANIE ALVAREZ EWENS

Securing the future

Like many of my baby boomer peers, I have been thinking lately about my eventual retirement and hoping that the company I have been...
Thomas A. Lawson took over from Chairman and CEO Shivan S. Subramaniam at the beginning of 2015. Here Lawson sets out to break the myth that the only way to succeed in business is to change jobs every few years. / PBN PHOTO/STEPHANIE ALVAREZ EWENS

People are best investment

Recently, a newly hired 23-year-old employee said to me, "in college we're taught if you don't get promoted within two years of taking a...
Lester Schindel has a keen sense of what is to come in Rhode Island health care delivery. Here he shares four key ways our state's health care paradigm will need to change to address population health management. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

A changing landscape

I'm fortunate to lead a health system that is a joint venture of two respected Rhode Island hospitals – Roger Williams Medical Center and...
- Featured Event -

Latest News