J. Christopher Collins: Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Unum Group, Worcester

Collins

Write a Comment

Unum, the Tennessee-based provider of employeebenefits and disability insurance, had a long history in Worcester as the Paul Revere Life Insurance Co. before Unum acquired it. Those deep community roots earned Unum a Corporate Citizen of the Year Award in 2009 from the Worcester Business Journal.

Even though Unum is based out of state, the Worcester operation reflects a charitable largesse and level of civic participation that respects that's rare even for native companies. The company also has a noble reputation for treating its employees — 700 of them in Worcester — well and offers generously flexible schedules.

Other Fortune 500 companies may treat locations other than their corporate headquarters as distant outposts. But Collins and Unum's other local employees have a strong and shared sense that their company has a great stake in, and responsibility for, Worcester, and much of the credit for that stance goes to the quiet but effective Collins.

In a bold move, in 2009, Unum decided to remain in downtown Worcester at a time when many other firms were bailing out. The company signed a 17-year lease in a newly constructed building in CitySquare, the 12-acre mixed-use development.

IN THE COMMUNITY Collins has been at the leadership table for some time at several area non-profits. He and his brother Michael co-chaired the 2010 annual campaign for the United Way of Central Massachusetts.

Joseph Salois: CEO, Atlas Distributing Inc., Auburn

John Prosser: Chairman, Seven Hills Foundation, Worcester

James Paulhus: President and CEO, UniBank for Savings, Whitinsville

Michael O'Brien: City Manager, City of Worcester (Until Jan. 5, 2014)

Tim Murray: President and CEO, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce

Jim McGovern: U.S. Rep., Worcester

Charles Monahan: President, MCPHS University, Worcester

David ‘Duddie’ Massad: Chairman, Commerce Bank & Trust, Worcester

William Manley: Founder and CEO, Calare Properties, Hudson

Gordon Lankton: Founder, Museum of Russian Icons and Gallery of African Art, Clinton

Warner Fletcher: Partner, Fletcher Tilton, Worcester

Gerald Fels: Trustee Emeritus, Nichols College, Dudley