Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

July 9, 2018

The Power 50: Kate Sharry

KATE SHARRY, LIA

Owner & president

Group Benefits Strategies, Auburn

Residence: Shrewsbury

College: Syracuse University

Sharry's role as a business leader in Central Massachusetts was solidified in January when she was named the chair of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, just the third woman to hold that position. Sharry joined Group Benefits Strategies, a company helping businesses and municipalities with health insurance, benefits and other needs, in 1994 and bought the company from her father in 2012. She takes great pride in implementing solutions that don't shift costs to employees and retirees. Sharry donates her time to women's leadership initiatives and has served on the Worcester Business Development Corp., Worcester Homeless Youth Task Force and Planting the Seed Foundation.

What advice would you give up-and-comers? I would tell my younger colleagues to find a mentor, build a circle of trusted partners and ask for guidance when needed. Step outside of your comfort zone every day, even if it's just a little bit, and you're bound to grow both personally and professionally.

Runs more than just meetings: I've run 20 half-marathons, one full marathon, and compete in sprint and Olympic distance triathlons. I swap out my high heels for running shoes whenever I can.

Read about the WBJ’s 2018 Power Players:

Retail

Harry Kokkinis, Table Talk Pies

Steve Rotman, Rotman’s Furniture & Vystar

Ernie Herrman, TJX Cos.

Michael Dundas, Sira Naturals

Ralph Crowley Jr., Polar Corp.

Christopher Baldwin, BJ’s Wholesale Club

Amy Lynn Chase, Crompton Collective & Haberdash

Food & Culture

Robb & Madeline Ahlquist, Worcester Restaurant Group

Troy Siebels, The Hanover Theatre

Karim El-Gamal, Rail Trail Flatbread Co., New City Microcreamery, Less Than Greater Than

Eric, Sam & Jack Hendler, Jack’s Abby Brewing

Lynn Cheney, Lettuce Be Local

Sandy Dunn, DCU Center

Higher Education & Nonprofits

Ann T. Lisi, Greater Worcester Community Foundation

Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, College of the Holy Cross

Javier Cevallos, Framingham State University

Michael F. Collins, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Jill Dagilis, Worcester Community Action Council

Dr. David A. Jordan, Seven Hills Foundation

Laurie Leshin, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Corner Office

Kate Sharry, Group Benefits Strategies

Tina M. Sbrega, GFA Federal Credit Union

John C. Roche, The Hanover Insurance Group

Elaine Osgood, Atlas Travel

Michael P. Angelini, Bowdtich & Dewey

Susan Mailman, Coghlin Electrical Contractors

Edward F. Manzi Jr., Fidelity Bank

Manufacturing

Dinesh Wadhwani, ThinkLite

Ravi Vig, Allegro Microsystems

Nobuhiko Tamura, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals

Daniel McGahn, AMSC

Michael Mahoney, Boston Scientific

Jeannie Hebert, Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce

Valentin Gapontsev, IPG Photonics

Chris Coghlin, Coghlin Cos.

Health care

Kevin O’Sullivan, Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives

Kurt Isaacson, Spectrum Health Systems

Tarek Elsawy, Reliant Medical Group

Jeffrey M. Welch, Saint Vincent Hospital

Eric Dickson, UMass Memorial Health Care

Holly Chaffee, VNA Care

Richard P. Burke, Fallon Health

Economic Development

Ann K. Tripp, Opus Investment Management

Robert Walker, RA Ventures

Yvonne Spicer, City of Framingham

Cliff Rucker, Worcester Railers Hockey Club

Sherri Greene Pitcher, Fidelity Bank

Timothy P. Murray, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce

Anthony Consigli, Consigli Construction Co.

Jennie Lee Colosi, E. T. & L. Corp.

Sign up for Enews

WBJ Web Partners

Related Content

0 Comments

Order a PDF