NJBIZ Conversations

Following the recent worldwide technology outage, many businesses could be forced to deal with unexpected changes to their insurance coverage, among other repercussions. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Lowenstein Sandler Partner Lynda Bennett, chair of the firm's Insurance Recovery Group, explains what business owners and executives should watch for and what they can do to mitigate the har...

Angelo Genova, the founder and chairman of top New Jersey law firm Genova Burns, discusses development in Newark and other urban areas, the legal business in the state and the past few tumultuous months in New Jersey politics.

A lot of business leaders worry about finding and hiring qualified employees. The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825 is doing something about the labor shortage. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, IUOE Local 825 Business Manager Greg Lalevee describes the genesis of its apprenticeship program with Hudson County Community College, how it works, and what participants and the u...

This edition of NJBIZ Conversations continues a series of mid-year assessments from leading executives around the state. Pete Dontas, who leads commercial banking in New Jersey for Wells Fargo, talks about how 2024 has unfolded thus far and what businesses need to know about what’s coming in the second half.

The 9th Annual Jersey City Summit for Real Estate Investment convened on the Hudson River waterfront at the end of May 2024. NJBIZ was on hand at the summit, and served as a media partner of the event. Topics explored throughout the daylong program included: areas driving investment and development in the city, placemaking, capital markets, operations & design, emerging neighborhoods and more....

Sax LLP Partner Eric Lewandowski, who serves as the firm’s Transaction Strategy and Transformation leader, offers his assessment of where private equity has been most active, the factors driving dealmaking and the outlook for the second half.

Caldwell University President Jeffrey Senese, who took on the role in July 2023, talks about his efforts at the university this past year, what the school and the higher education system in general can do to make college more affordable and the role of the university president during such tumultuous times.

Anthony Attanasio's experience with transportation and infrastructure issues is deep and wide. Before founding Hawk Strategies, a Somerville-based consulting and marketing firm, he held senior roles at the center of policymaking in New Jersey. Here, Attanasio talks about his consulting work now, what the state's priorities should be, particularly with regard to NJ Transit, and what New Jerseyans c...

Mama’s Creations rebranded from MamaMancini’s last year to highlight its move beyond prepared Italian foods — for which the company and its founder, Daniel Mancini, had become widely known. Under CEO Adam Michaels, Mama’s Creations is on course to do just that in a big way. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Michaels discusses how the East Rutherford-based company plans to expand, what sort o...

For more than 80 years, Siciliano Landscape Co. operated as an independent, family-run business. The company is now part of Mariani Premier Group – a much larger business – but the family continues to run it. Karen Siciliano, a former Wall Street banker, is still in charge after selling to Mariani. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Siciliano talks about the sale, how it unfolded and what the...

Brendan Heegan, the founder and CEO of Secaucus-based Boxzooka – an ecommerce fulfillment technology provider – and Tom Behnke, the company’s senior vice president for sales and marketing, explain the ramifications of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and how the Northeast region is coping.

Karthik Krishnamurthy, CEO of Basking Ridge-based software engineering company Ascendion, discusses what artificial intelligence can do for businesses, how Ascendion helps clients use the technology and how to address the questions that arise around the deployment of AI.

The 4.8 magnitude earthquake that jolted New Jerseyans on April 5 was mild by the standards of the world’s most seismically active areas, but it was enough to startle most residents. In this special edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Whitney Boykin, an associate with DeSimone Consulting Engineers, explains how buildings and other structures are designed to withstand earthquakes and other hazards and...

Chris Porrino is a former state attorney general who now chairs the Litigation Department at Roseland’s Lowenstein Sandler. Earlier this year, Gov. Phil Murphy added yet another entry to Porrino’s resume: chair of the state Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission. In this episode of NJBIZ Conversations, Porrino talks about the work of the commission and how it will affect businesses, what’s...

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind CEO Joris Veldhoven talks about the challenges facing offshore wind developers, addresses the opposition and lays out a course for the future.

Schone Malliet – former Marine Corps pilot, salesman and banker – is the founder of Winter4Kids, a nonprofit organization based in Sussex County that offers vulnerable kids the opportunity to experience winter in a new way, with lessons, better nutrition and, most important, fun. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Malliet talks about how he came to establish Winter4Kids, what it took to get t...

Northwind Group founder and Managing Partner Ran Eliasaf talks about firm's activities in New Jersey, discusses the state of the lending market and assesses the overall strength of the commercial real estate space.

Cyndie Williams, the executive director of the Carpenter Contractor Trust, talks about her introduction to and career in carpentry, the resources available for young women considering careers in the industry and the state of the industry and labor movement.

Chubb Senior Vice President of Risk Engineering Services Erik Olsen – who specializes in property protection risk engineering and complex evaluations for industrial and commercial facilities, and property conservation for large properties and construction – describes many of the dangers businesses now face, including threats created or exacerbated by climate change, and what can be done to protect...

Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water, describes how the company pitches itself to voters about potential acquisitions, how the infrastructure work is going and what its charitable arm is up to.

T&M Associates Chairman and CEO Gary Dahms discusses the progress being made on New Jersey's infrastructure – including the Gateway project, billed as the most important work in the country – the outlook for development and his role as chairman of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. 

In this special edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Hackensack Meridian Health CEO Robert Garrett describes his new role as chair of the World Economic Forum's Health and Healthcare Community, the time he spent in the annual conference in Davos, Switzerland, and how the health care industry must evolve to meet urgent global needs.

Last year, Valley National Bank moved into a new headquarters building in Morristown, bringing more than 600 employees to its new base. Valley President Tom Iadanza is now talking about what's next for Valley, as well as the factors driving the economy and how the banking industry in general – and Valley in particular – is responding.

Scott Rudder founded the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association in 2016 as the leading trade group for New Jersey cannabis businesses. And he's getting into it himself, opening Township Green Dispensary in Riverside. Here, he talks about the development of the industry in the state, the sorts of policy changes needed to encourage growth and what he thinks the future holds.