C-Speak: The Language of Executives

Christina Gordon’s pivotal “aha moment” surfaced during a college class on at-risk children.

“We discovered research had shown that the strongest variable for success for a high-risk child was maternal education,” Gordon recalls. If women were educated, their “children would have better lives.”

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Gordon, CEO and co-founder of the nonprofit Women’s Foundation of Boston, exp...

A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and assistant district attorney, Marty Meehan defines his background and path to higher education as “nontraditional.” 

Today, Meehan is nearly a decade into his presidency of the University of Massachusetts, following eight years as chancellor of UMass Lowell, his alma mater. 

“From my vantage point, UMass is one of the most important institutions in Massachuse...

As CEO and president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, James Rooney has witnessed significant shifts in Boston’s business community, and the chamber, over the past decade. 

Biotech is now a leading industry. AI is becoming the default technology application for many organizations. And the chamber’s board and staff are more diverse. 

The Chamber’s board decided that “Before we talk about others in their corporate boards diver...

Eneida Roman aims to help close the opportunity gap in Massachusetts. 

“We're talking about investing in the Latino community,” said Roman. “This is an investment because economic prosperity of the Latino community is American prosperity."

Roman is the president and CEO of Amplify LatinX, a nonprofit focused on helping Latinos in Massachusetts and beyond attain not just wealth but influence. The org...

At creative agency Arnold, says CEO George Sargent, designing marketing campaigns – whether with large brands or growth companies – comes down to listening and becoming immersed in the client’s culture.

That’s how Arnold’s campaigns for PNC Bank, Progressive and others have brought companies’ brands to life.

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Sargent discusses one client with whom Arnold has had an 18-yea...

For Lisa Wieland, president of National Grid’s New England business, today is the best time to work in the evolving energy sector.

“To be at the heart of the energy transition is a pretty exciting place to be,” she said. The company’s goal, “is to build out the future grid while also balancing the need to ensure that we continue to support and enable economic development, not only here within the city but across the common...

Creating an inclusive, equitable workplace and “workforce of the future,” says Dr. Anne Klibanski, is imperative for any organization with a goal of delivering patient-focused health care. 

“I think one of the most important lessons for all hospitals is to think about the local community,” says Klibanski, president and CEO of Mass General Brigham – which, she notes, “needs to look first at how to leverage what we have to c...

For Brooke Thomson, president of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the statewide business advocacy organization’s mission is clear.

“We are here to help businesses succeed. We know that when our businesses are strong, when our economy is strong, we can hire more people, we can pay great wages, people can have a good quality of life and do the things that they want to do,” Thomson says.

In this episode of the PNC C...

What drives innovation? Andrew Bialecki, CEO and president of Klaviyo, says it’s people willing to take chances and “embrace the willingness to be wrong.”

“If you surround yourself with a lot of other ambitious, thoughtful people, you're just naturally going to want to try things,” says Bialecki, one of the company’s co-founders. “At Klaviyo, we're not afraid to take risks.”

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Biale...

The Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund’s goal, says Dr. Makeeba McCreary, is to raise $100 million to support nonprofit leaders of color. 

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, McCreary, president of the fund, delves into how the organization is disrupting the philanthropy sector.

 McCreary, born and raised in Boston’s South End, launched her career in service to others, which included working in shelters, and t...

The New England Aquarium, says president and CEO Vikki Spruill, is far more than a tourist attraction. 

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Spruill details the scope and significance of the 54-year-old institution’s contributions – research, education and advocacy, among others – to Boston and far beyond the city limits.

As the leader of a marine-based nonprofit with a workforce of 290 and two campuses, Spruill is passionate ...

Robert Lewis Jr. will never forget Boston’s desegregation busing crisis in the 1970s – an intensely volatile period during which his home was firebombed. 

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Lewis, now Nicholas President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and a longtime community leader, reveals how the unrest became the genesis for his purpose. Lewis, who was 16 when his East Boston home was targeted, vowed “to...

As president and CEO of Meet Boston, Martha Sheridan’s job is to position Boston “as one of the premier destinations in the world.” 

On this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Sheridan details how she and her 501(c)(6) organization – that markets the Boston area as a destination for meetings, conventions and leisure visits – accomplishes that goal.

“if we don't invite them, they're not going to come bac...

Perhaps there’s no one better to lead the academic institution ranked No. 1 in entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report than a serial entrepreneur who developed a small Utah business into a national franchise brand.

On this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Stephen Spinelli, Ph.D., details “the intersection between business” and Babson College, where he is president. Spinelli’s entrepreneurial journey began right...

For Sarah Iselin, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts, being raised by parents who led “lives of service” has had a huge impact on her career choices – including her current executive role with a mission-driven, not-for-profit health care plan.

“Our new mission is to show up for everyone like they're the only one,” says Iselin on this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast. “And our core values are (to) be the...

The arts’ contribution to the state’s GDP is significant, says Michael Bobbitt, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The sector in Massachusetts is a $27.2 billion industry, Bobbitt says on this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast. That’s based on a 2021 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report. 

“We know that arts are great for supporting people's health needs and their education needs, but also gr...

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Glynn Lloyd has a passion for advancing entrepreneurship and community.
Lloyd is executive director of Mill Cities Community Investments (MCCI), a community development finance institution that helps to provide capital “where traditional capital usually doesn’t get to,” historically redlined communities of “fol...

If you’re in need of advice on how to emerge from corporate devastation, Rob Hale, CEO and president of Granite Telecommunications, has plenty to share.

In 2002, Hale’s thriving company, Network Plus, went bankrupt during the stock market crash. “That morning (Feb. 4) when we went bankrupt, that equity, which was $1.4 billion, officially finally became zero, never to return,” he recalls.

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Ha...

Dr. Kevin Tabb’s self-described “eclectic background” includes service in the Israeli military, completing medical school and a residency, and roles in health care IT on the east and west coasts in the U.S.  

Over the years, he’s witnessed an evolution in patient care that he notes, “will always be needed in hospitals, but more and more care is provided outside of the four walls of the hospitals.” 

“We're rapidly moving towards ...