2022 Annual Meeting
Celebrating 45 years of fostering innovation, economic prosperity,
& job creation in the Commonwealth
The Massachusetts High Technology Council’s 2022 Annual Meeting
As the region’s premier gathering for leaders from business, government, and academia, the Massachusetts High Technology Council’s Annual Meeting offers invaluable perspectives on current priorities and emerging issues that will drive the health and robust growth of Massachusetts’ innovation economy now and in the future.
The Council celebrated 45 years of fostering and preserving innovation, economic prosperity, and job creation in the Commonwealth on Tuesday, May 24 at its 2022 Annual Meeting with the generous support of presenting sponsor PTC.
Hosted at the Seaport Hotel, the luncheon event featured:
Keynote address from Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker
Presentation of the 2022 Ray Stata Leadership & Innovation Award to Massachusetts Institute of Technology President, L. Rafael Reif, Ph.D.
Remarks from innovation scholar Neil Thompson, Ph.D., Director of the FutureTech Research Program at MIT’s Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, on deeper trends in technology that complement our MassVision2050 initiative
Comments from Council Chair Robert Reynolds, CEO & President of Putnam Investments, and Council Directors Catherine Kniker, EVP & Chief Strategy Officer at PTC, and Navjot Singh, Ph.D., Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company
Election of Directors, Executive Committee & Officers
2022 Annual Meeting Highlights
Opening Remarks
Presenting Sponsor PTC opened the meeting with remarks from Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Catherine Kniker, who highlighted the importance of the Council’s work in securing a bright future for Massachusetts:
“For us to continue to really thrive and grow as a Massachusetts headquartered company, we need an organization like Mass High Tech Council to do the work that it’s doing, whether that’s making Massachusetts a great place for businesses to thrive via the policy work, or it’s ensuring that Massachusetts continues to be a great place for a diverse pool of educated talent and workers,” said Kniker. “I want to applaud the work that you are doing and the sense of community that you are creating.”
Election of Directors, Executive Committee & Officers
The Annual Meeting agenda also included the election of the Council leadership team for the upcoming year, conducted by Michael Kendall, Council Secretary and Director, and Partner and Co-Chair of the Private Equity Group at the global law firm Goodwin Procter.
Council members re-elected Board Chair Bob Reynolds, Vice-Chair John T.C. Lee (CEO, MKS Instruments), Secretary Michael Kendall (Partner, Goodwin Procter), Treasurer William Ribaudo (Partner, Deloitte), and President Chris Anderson in their respective Officer roles, and the eight leaders on the Executive Committee—William Achtmeyer (Chairman, Managing Partner, Acropolis Advisors), Aron Ain (CEO, UKG), Udit Batra (CEO, Waters Corp.), Lee, Stephen Pagliuca (Co-Chairman, Bain Capital), Reynolds, Jane Steinmetz (Managing Principal, EY), and Corey Thomas (CEO, Rapid7, Inc.).
Members also re-elected 31 incumbent directors and elected the following five new directors:
Julie Chen, Ph.D.
University of Massachusetts Lowell
About
Julie Chen is currently UMass Lowell’s Vice Chancellor for Research & Economic Development and a professor of mechanical engineering. She was named Chancellor of the nearly 18,000-student national research university in May 2022, a role she will assume for the academic year.
As the Chief Research Officer, Chen directs UMass Lowell’s nearly $95 million research enterprise, which also includes industry partnerships, technology transfer, startups & innovation, core research facilities, and economic development programs. She has facilitated numerous innovative collaboration models that bring together industry, government, and academia. As a member of the Executive Cabinet, Chen has helped lead the implementation of the 2020 Strategic Plan, resulting in an expansion and modernization of physical infrastructure, the recruitment of outstanding faculty and students, increases in retention and graduation rates, advances in diversity, equity and inclusion, and historic growth of revenues from research, online programs and the endowment.
She was the 2010 Technical Program Chair for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition and served in several leadership roles on the Congress Steering Committee, Nominating Committee, and in her technical division.
Chen has served on many editorial boards, advisory committees, and review panels for journals and federal agencies, including NSF, the National Institutes of Health, the National Academies, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense. Based on her expertise in materials, nanomanufacturing, and advanced manufacturing, she has testified before Congress and represented the United States in several international workshops.
Chen serves on the board for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and the MassTech Collaborative, as well as on the Massachusetts Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative and the Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force.
A strong advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, Chen serves as the co-lead for the university’s Council on Social Justice and Inclusion. Additionally, she was one of the co-principal investigators on a $3.5 million NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant to help support and elevate women faculty in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines at UMass Lowell.
Chen received her PhD, Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in mechanical engineering where she was a student athlete and academic all- American. In 2019 she was awarded an honorary degree from Queens University Belfast and is a recipient of the U.S. Army Public Service Commendation Medal – its fourth-highest civilian honor – in recognition of her leadership in developing the innovation ecosystem.
Chen and her spouse, Susu Wong, reside in Wilmington.
Brent Chrite, Ph.D.
Bentley University
About
Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite is an experienced higher education leader with a background in global economic and business development. He was named the ninth president of Bentley University in 2021 and previously served as the president of Bethune-Cookman University. As the president of Bethune-Cookman University, Dr. Chrite led the institution though one of the most challenging periods in the institution’s history. During his tenure, he led the university through an accreditation review that strengthened institutional governance and fiscal integrity and secured continued accreditation while eliminating deficits and achieving institutional stability. Dr. Chrite also served as the dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver and as the dean and professor of management at the Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Chrite has assisted public and private sector enterprises, policymakers and higher education institutions in individual and institutional capacity building efforts in emerging and post transition markets across the globe. His work has been aimed at strengthening private sector development, enabling environment creation and entrepreneurism toward the reduction of poverty. Dr. Chrite has worked on behalf of the World Bank Group, the U.S. State Department, the Eurasia Foundation and others to strengthen economic conditions and improve business education across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Dr. Chrite is currently an independent director at Gordon Food Service, a privately held $18B North American enterprise, where he chairs the risk committee and at AVESPA, a revolutionary photobioreactor-technology company. He holds a PhD from the University of Michigan, MS from the University of Missouri-Columbia and BA from Michigan State University.
Grace H. Lee, Esq.
People's United Bank
About
Grace has combined over twenty-five years of public and private sector leadership experience in Massachusetts. As Regional President, Grace is responsible for the coordination of the region’s strategic development and growth through its community banking activities that advance the bank’s localized focus to deliver more value for customers, businesses, and communities.
In addition to her responsibilities as Regional President, Grace also manages the Government Banking & Finance division for the New England area. Grace joined People’s United Bank in August of 2014 from Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellot, LLP, where she was Special Counsel and Vice Chair of the Public Finance Group.
Previously, Grace was General Counsel and First Deputy Treasurer of the Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General from 2003 to 2011, where she managed the operations of the State Treasurer’s Office (“Treasury”) and was responsible for managing the Treasury’s legal affairs. Notably, while at the Treasury, Grace was instrumental in the passage of the legislation that established the Asian American Commission and served as the Commission’s first Executive Director.
Prior to joining the Treasury, Grace was with Morgan, Brown & Joy, concentrating her practice in employment discrimination, labor law and commercial litigation. Grace’s other public sector experience includes her work as a civil rights attorney for the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, and an assistant district attorney, Chief of the Civil Rights Division, for the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Mike Plisinski
Onto Innovation
About
Michael Plisinski is the chief executive officer of Onto Innovation and has over 25 years of semiconductor capital equipment experience. He previously served as the chief executive officer and member of the board of directors for Rudolph Technologies since 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Plisinski served as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Rudolph Technologies since October 2014 and was the vice president and general manager of the data analysis and review business since 2006 when Rudolph Technologies merged with August Technology Corporation. From 2004 to 2006, he was August Technology’s vice president of engineering and its director of strategic marketing for review and analysis products from 2003 to 2004. Mr. Plisinski joined August Technology as part of the acquisition of Counterpoint Solutions, a supplier of optical review and automated metrology equipment to the semiconductor industry, where he was both president and sole founder from 1999 to 2003. Mr. Plisinski has a Bachelor of Science in computer science from the University of Massachusetts and completed the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School.
Chris Zannetos
Covered Security
About
Chris Zannetos is an entrepreneur, education activist, and high tech leader with deep experience in cybersecurity, privacy, and business process automation. As a serial entrepreneur, Chris founded three successful companies including Covered Security, the world’s first personal security assistant, where he is the CEO and co-founder. Covered Security’s app uses habit creation science combined with the automation of IT security solutions to motivate and empower users to strengthen their online security. Prior to Covered, he was the CEO and co-founder of Courion, a market-leading Identity & Access Management software company, reaching $40 million in revenue, over 200 staff members and global expansion. Before that, Chris was a member of the team which founded Onsett International, a strategic IT infrastructure consulting company.
A passionate believer in STEM education as a powerful tool to drive economic advancement and battle generational poverty, Chris founded STEMatch-a non-profit that brings companies and schools together to make Science, Technology, Engineering and Math opportunities more accessible to marginalized communities, which has already served more than 700 Boston Public Middle School students.
Zannetos earned his bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and his master’s degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
We express our deepest gratitude to our departing directors Laurie Leshin; outgoing President of Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Jacqueline Moloney, outgoing Chancellor of UMass Lowell; Patrick Sullivan, President, Massachusetts and EVP Commercial Banking at People’s United Bank, a division of M&T Bank; and Ed Mackey, Executive Vice President of Global Operations at Boston Scientific. All have been standout leaders within their respective institutions and extremely engaged in the Council’s mission.
Council Chair Robert Reynolds Discusses Key Priorities During Chairman’s Remarks
“This organization is powered by the energy, ideas, and unyielding commitment of leaders across business, academia, and government,” said Council Chair Bob Reynolds, CEO and President of Putnam Investments. “The engagement of these accomplished leaders across the innovation, research, and professional services spectrum has been a potent formula in positioning Massachusetts as a focal point of technology, progress, and an engine of economic growth.”
The Council’s 22nd Board Chair emphasized the importance of having a competitive tax environment, along with a state government that invests in impactful economic development, to help spearhead growth and future opportunities for the Commonwealth, especially in this environment of high inflation, rising interest rates, and volatile financial markets.
Reynolds also spoke about the important work being done through the Council’s Diversity, Equity & Opportunity Initiatives, stating that the creation and support of programs that encourage and bolster talent development and diversity and inclusion efforts and build a strong educational foundation are critical factors in driving long-term success in Massachusetts. He highlighted the work being done in those areas, including:
Women in Leadership, a program that support the recruitment and advancement of women, led by 2022 Annual Sponsor PTC and Knowledge Partner McKinsey & Company
Black Representation & Equity, an initiative focused on supporting social mobility and increasing diversity within our workforce by widening the top of the talent funnel, led by 2022 Annual Sponsor Waters Corporation and Bain & Company
The School Series, a program dedicated to addressing educational opportunity gaps, led by 2022 Annual Sponsor Analog Devices
MassVision2050, a new, forward-looking initiative designed to place Massachusetts at the forefront of the global dialogue on new technologies and their societal impact, supported by McKinsey & Company
Reynolds concluded by stating: “I am incredibly excited and optimistic about the future of our Commonwealth. As mentioned, we have a host of levers within our reach to set a course that offers tremendous promise. When the leaders in this room and across this organization work together in united cause, there is really nothing we can’t accomplish. I look forward to continuing this very important journey with all of you, for the benefit of our great state.”
MassVision2050 Project Overview
To mark our 45th year of successfully influencing public policies that support a tech economy and skilled workforce that is the envy of the nation, the Council launched MassVision2050, a sustained, multi-year collaboration between private, public, and academic leaders to generate bold ideas for Massachusetts’ future.
“As a part of MassVision2050, over the next six months, we plan to go on a journey,” said Council Director and McKinsey & Company Partner, Nav Singh. “We plan to convene a lot of experts that are right here in this room to talk about what is happening in this space…how and where can we lead, and how do we get started on those paths?”
From life science and pharmaceuticals to higher education and asset management, Massachusetts is recognized globally as a leader in a plethora of spaces within the innovation ecosystem. However, as Nav pointed out, we must think about other areas in which we can become not only known for but where we can be the number one leader worldwide. MassVision2050 will explore the areas of possibility, and the results will be compiled into a report.
The initiative kicked off in April with a webinar focused on blue tech, climate resilience, and the potential of the global blue economy featuring Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution President and Director Peter de Menocal, Analog Devices Chief Technology Officer Dan Leibholz, McKinsey & Company Partner Rory Clune, and MITRE Chief BlueTech Strategist, Nick Rotker. The next program will take place on Thursday, June 23 at 3:00 PM ET and will focus on cyber security, infrastructure, and resilience. RSVP today to hear from UKG Chairman and CEO Aron Ain, Rapid7 Chairman and CEO Corey Thomas, McKinsey & Company Partner Justin Greis, and Director of the Cyber Infrastructure Protection Innovation Center at MITRE, Mark Bristow.
Innovation Scholar Neil Thompson, Ph.D. Dives into the Economic & Technical Foundations of Progress in Computing
Guest speaker Neil Thompson, Ph.D., director of the FutureTech Research Program at MIT’s Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, laid out the disruptive history and exponential growth of computing, as epitomized in Moore’s Law. Thompson touched upon Richard Feynman’s theorized trajectory for nanotechnology—a roadmap that we’re starting to get to the end of, which is sometimes called the end of Moore’s Law—and Ray Kurzweil’s chart, often dubbed the most important chart in human history, depicting the different eras of computing there have been over 110 years.
While speaking about the research he is directing at MIT on the economic and technical foundations of progress in computing, he shared findings from a survey he conducted that asked some of the most advanced computing users in the United States how big of an advantage it would be if they were given a moderate advantage of computing over their competitors:
2.6% of people said that wouldn’t give them much of a competitive advantage at all
15% said this would give them a small competitive advantage
26% indicated it would be a moderate competitive advantage
55% said it would give them a very large competitive advantage
“This is them telling us very clearly that if I can out-compute my competitors, then I can out-compete them,” Thompson said before addressing the major shift of economics.
“We should expect a whole bunch of firms to start thinking about specializing what they are going to do, and in fact, that’s exactly what’s starting to happen,” he explained. “Tech giants are rushing to develop their own chips, and here’s why. More businesses will be creating their own chips in 2022. This is starting to happen. Now, what’s interesting is if you read these articles, they’ll say something like, oh, it’s more energy efficient, and it’s more this and it’s more that, and that’s all true. But that was always true, 20 years ago that was true. The difference is that it’s no longer advantageous for us to all be on this thing we now want to specialize individually.”
While highlighting the changing nature of technology and the large impact the evolving landscape will have in the innovation ecosystem, Thompson focused on underlying trends that many are not paying attention to but are very important and will become increasingly more so moving forward.
“What’s starting to happen now is that as we design these specialized chips, you really want to design your software to take advantage of what the specialized chip can do,” Thompson explained. “We’re starting to get these silos. One of them, for example, is in artificial intelligence, and particularly in deep learning, which is one flavors of artificial intelligence.”
He continued by addressing the implications these changes have on leaders: “If you are the CEO of a technology firm, or you’re a CTO, and you’re starting to think about, well, how is this going to change what I do on a daily basis? I think what’s going to happen is that companies are either going to need to bring in more expertise or they’re going to need to give up more control.”
As we move towards these specialized computers, a whole different level of expertise is needed. One option Thompson shared is for institutions to build their own chips from the ground up by designing and integrating it all. “That’s a big change in what a firm would actually need to do and the kind of expertise they would need to hire.”
Another option Thompson pointed out is to say, “well, if people are going to build these silos, maybe I can just sit above them right and, and I can use software as a service. That could be a nice option, but of course, you are in a sense, giving up some control. So, the question is, as a firm, do you want to do that?” One of the possibilities of taking this route, however, is that “you end up sort of on a platform where everybody is going up, and it’s a little hard to get your own competitive advantage when doing that.”
Before wrapping up, Thompson mentioned that, when thinking about the large arc of where technology is going, not everyone is going to get computing improvements in the way they have in the past. “If you look at what happens when these universal processors, like CPUs, get better and better over time, it’s like a rising tide lifting all boats. It didn’t matter if you weren’t paying any attention to hardware. If Intel knew that there was going to be a big market, and they invested a whole bunch of money to improve the chip, you ended up buying that chip and getting better performance. You could just think about this at the level of okay, this whole thing is getting better, what is my particular application going to do to harness that in a way that gives me some advantage and gives me some benefit to the consumers?” Thompson explained. “Well, now we’re in an era that is more akin to building skyscrapers. If you have a lot of money that you’re willing to invest, if you’re willing to build specialized chips, there are going to be some areas that go up really high. But, if you don’t invest, if you don’t pay attention, you’re going to be on this much lower pace of progress than the universal processors, and then you’re basically going to be back at sea level. And suddenly, we haven’t thought about exactly what our chips are as being a source of competitive advantage, but we really need to.”
Key Takeaways
Moore’s Law, fueled by miniaturization, drove enormous improvements in computing power that had a big impact on tech building firms—but it’s now slowing down and changing the economics of chips, leading us to specialization
Tech giants are already racing to develop their own chips, and more and more businesses will do the same in 2022 and beyond
Computing is becoming more siloed; companies will increasingly need to integrate into hardware and bring in more expertise, or they’re going to have to give up control
As we move towards these specialized computers, a whole different level of expertise is needed, meaning there will be a big change in what a firm would need to do and the kind of expertise they would need to hire if they decide to build their own chips
If you are not paying attention to the evolving landscape, there’s an increasing risk of being left behind
Baker Delivers Final MHTC Keynote Address as Governor of Massachusetts
In early 2015, shortly after Charlie Baker was sworn in to his first term as Massachusetts Governor, he joined us for the Council’s Annual Meeting, as he has each year since, to discuss key issues facing Massachusetts citizens and employers. He joined us again this year to deliver his final keynote address as governor of Massachusetts.
“Thank you all for everything over the course of the past seven and a half years. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the role of this organization and the work that’s been done,” Governor Baker said. “The presentation that Neil [Thompson] did speaks to the standard I expect at the High Tech Council, which is you folks are always playing what I would describe as a data-driven, forward-looking game on almost everything you work on, and it makes an enormous difference.”
Over the past eight years, our private sector economy has driven job growth and state tax revenue collections to record levels. Yet, the future will hold many new challenges and opportunities for the Commonwealth and for the private sector’s capacity to maintain and continue to drive investment and job growth.
“The Commonwealth has never had the kind of resources that we have now. Ever,” Governor Baker stated. “I just want to say, on behalf of the people in Massachusetts, thank you for all the work that everybody in this room and many others did over the course of the past two years to make that possible.”
He continued: “We filed a $700 million tax cut plan in January because we felt the people of Massachusetts deserve to get back some of the revenue that they helped generated over the past several years. A piece of the overage we got in tax revenue in April could fund that tax package. Let me repeat that; our entire tax plan could be paid for, twice, not with April tax revenue, but with how far over our estimate April tax revenue actually came in. We are having our second year of double-digit increases in revenue above expectations.”
As the data aggregated in our 50-State Competitiveness Dashboard shows, Massachusetts’ tax environment ranks 40 out of all 50 states. During a time where barriers to exit high-cost states are lower than ever, our historically high tax burdens pose a grave risk to the Commonwealth’s competitiveness, despite having the highest concentration of tech workers in the nation.
“I really do hope between now and the end of this legislative session, I have a chance to sign a significant tax cut for the people in Massachusetts because they’ve earned it. Connecticut has already done it. New Jersey is planning to do it. New Hampshire has done it. Many other states around us and around the country are in a very similar position to the one we’re in and they are giving money back to the people who made it possible. We need to be doing that as well.”
As Massachusetts gets ready to elect a new Governor in 2022, the Council is committed to ensuring the working to ensure the welcome mat remains in place for businesses and their employees.
Council members had a few words to share with Governor Baker ahead of his remarks. And as Tom Colatosti, CEO of keynote speaker sponsor Oasis Systems, said during his introduction of the governor: “If Tom Brady can unretire, certainly the governor can unretire. I cannot see Massachusetts being in a better place in four years. It’s not too late, Governor. You can do it.”
Dr. Rafael Reif Honored with 2022 Ray Stata Leadership & Innovation Award
The Council proudly presented the Ray Stata Leadership and Innovation Award to outgoing Massachusetts Institute of Technology President L. Rafael Reif, Ph.D. for his leadership in strengthening the school’s research and innovation programs and contributions to sustaining the region’s influence in artificial intelligence and discoveries in computation.
In his decade of leadership at MIT, Reif has pursued an expansive vision, guided by the idea that research universities should not only excel in research and teaching, but should also strive to serve as engines of innovation and economic growth. As part of his aggressive agenda to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, including a popular new minor in entrepreneurship and innovation, Reif has made it a priority to equip the next generation of innovators with the tools, and the creative community, to drive their ideas to impact.
About the Ray Stata Leadership & Innovation Award
Ray Stata, founder of Analog Devices and co-founder and first president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council, served continuously as a member of the Council’s board of directors for 40 years until his retirement in 2017. He served in various Council leadership positions and earned a global reputation as a dedicated and successful industry leader and ardent advocate for cultivating talent and investments in research and innovation. His many academic and philanthropic engagements reflect these qualities.
Award Selection Criteria
In recognition of the 40th Anniversary of the Massachusetts High Technology Council in 2017, Council directors initiated the “Ray Stata Leadership and Innovation Award,” to be awarded from time to time to a leader currently active in Massachusetts who exhibits: 1) the key leadership qualities possessed and demonstrated by Ray Stata; and 2) the commitment to the core beliefs and fundamental values of the Council. The ideal candidate will model as close as possible Ray’s example. Ray Stata represents a leader of superlative talents and grace.
Award Recipient
L. Rafael Reif, Ph.D.
President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
About
Since July 2012, Rafael Reif has served as the 17th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he leads MIT’s pioneering efforts to help redefine the future of higher education. A champion for both fundamental science and MIT’s signature style of interdisciplinary, problem-centered research, Dr. Reif is driving initiatives to accelerate high-impact solutions to the urgent challenges of climate change and pursuing an aggressive agenda to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.
In education, Dr. Reif’s central focus has been the development of online learning. The findings of his Institute-wide Task Force on the Future of MIT Education spurred rapid adoption of blended learning models in MIT classrooms, inspired the creation of new forms of credentialing such as the MicroMasters, expanded educational access for learners around the globe, and equipped MIT to respond to COVID-19 with a quick pivot to remote learning.
In May 2021, he and his leadership team mobilized MIT’s strengths to address the climate crisis through “Fast Forward: MIT’s Climate Action Plan for the Decade.” Distinctive elements include MIT’s Climate Grand Challenges, an ambitious initiative to accelerate breakthrough ideas for tackling and adapting to the impacts of global warming, and the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium, which unites leading companies in piloting and adopting climate solutions at scale and across industries.
Dr. Reif has made it a priority to equip the next generation of innovators with the tools to drive their ideas to impact. In October 2016, MIT launched The Engine, a venture firm specially geared to help new ventures turn “tough technologies” into innovations that address humanity’s great challenges. Dr. Reif has led a suite of further activities to make MIT the most stimulating and supportive academic environment in the world for innovation, including extensive campus makerspaces, a new minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the recently announced MIT Morningside Academy of Design. Under his leadership, MIT has also spearheaded the decade-long transformation of Kendall Square into a central force in Greater Boston’s biotech and innovation economy.
In October 2018, in response to the ubiquity of computing and the rise of AI across disciplines, he announced the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing, the most significant reshaping of MIT since the 1950s. He also led the creation of MIT.nano, a world class facility for nanoscience and engineering research; these toolsets are central to the national strategy for reasserting US leadership in semiconductors and micro- and nanoelectronics.
A member of the MIT faculty since 1980 and the inventor or co-inventor on 13 patents, Dr. Reif has served as director of MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratories, as head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and as provost. He serves each year as an advisor to first-year undergraduates.
Closing Remarks
Innovative, sustainable, and impactful talent strategies that support social mobility among underrepresented segments of our community and that stress STEM careers and improved effectiveness of our education delivery systems, are critical and remain on the High Tech Council’s priority list.
To close out the 2022 Annual Meeting, President Chris Anderson announced the relaunch of a critical talent strategy through a new partnership between the Council, Monster, and Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program, to educate employers on the value of US military veteran hiring. The TechVets initiative will provide resources and expertise for transitioning military as they begin their civilian careers. The partnership will focus on two critical aspects of veteran hiring:
Training and credentialing of employers
Education and job-search preparation for veteran candidates
We’re excited to reinforce this commitment to the men and women who serve our nation, and we will provide more information about how to get involved and about the kickoff event, which will take place at Fenway Park later this year, in the coming weeks.
With our 45th Annual Meeting in the books, we extend our deepest gratitude to each of our sponsors for their support. The data-driven mission and leadership of the Council, our members, and partnering organizations will continue to focus on shaping and contributing to investment and job growth across the Commonwealth.
2022 Annual Meeting Speakers
Governor Charlie Baker
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
About
Governor Charlie Baker was sworn in for a second term as the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on January 3, 2019, after a first term focused on moving Massachusetts forward through bipartisan, results-driven leadership.
Governor Baker has used public private partnerships to spur economic development, reformed the state’s regulatory environment, and delivered critical tax relief by doubling the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Ensuring Massachusetts continues to be a national leader in education, Governor Baker has made historic investments in K-12 education, increased support for vocational and technical schools, and expanded early college opportunities for high school students.
Governor Baker has put Massachusetts at the forefront of fighting the opioid and heroin epidemic, doubling spending on prevention, education, treatment, and recovery and signing two major bills that have served as models for other states.
Confronted with the challenges of rising energy costs and a changing climate, Governor Baker has taken nation-leading steps to diversify the Commonwealth’s energy portfolio, safeguard residents, municipalities and businesses from the impacts of climate change, and secure progress toward greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Governor Baker has spearheaded long overdue reforms at the MBTA that have led to significant improvements to operations and finances, and put the T on track to spend more than $8 billion on infrastructure over the next five years to improve riders’ experience.
Prior to his election, Governor Baker was a highly successful leader of complex business and government organizations, serving as a cabinet secretary to both Governor William Weld and Paul Cellucci, and leading Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, as CEO, from the brink of bankruptcy to one of the nation’s highest ranked health care providers.
Raised in Needham, Governor Baker and his wife Lauren reside in Swampscott, and are the proud parents of their three children, Charlie, AJ, and Caroline.
Neil Thompson, Ph.D.
Director, FutureTech Research Program, MIT Computer Science & AI Lab
About
Neil Thompson is a Research Scientist at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and a Visiting Professor at the Lab for Innovation Science at Harvard.
Neil is also an Associate Member of the Broad Institute, and was previously an Assistant Professor of Innovation and Strategy at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he co-directed the Experimental Innovation Lab (X-Lab). He has advised businesses and government on the future of Moore’s Law and have been on National Academies panels on transformational technologies and scientific reliability.
Neil did his PhD in Business and Public Policy at Berkeley, where he also did Masters degrees in Computer Science and Statistics. He has a masters in Economics from the London School of Economics, and undergraduate degrees in Physics and International Development. Prior to academia, Neil worked at organizations such as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, Bain and Company, The United Nations, the World Bank, and the Canadian Parliament.
Robert L. Reynolds
CEO & President, Putnam Investments MHTC Board Chair
About
Mr. Reynolds is President and Chief Executive Officer of Putnam Investments and leads Putnam’s Operating Committee. In addition, he is President of The Putnam Funds. Building upon a distinguished 30-year career, Mr. Reynolds has revitalized Putnam through strong, sustained investment performance, new products designed for today’s market challenges, and thought leadership on the future of retirement and workplace savings. Respected as an industry statesman, Mr. Reynolds is regarded as a driving force of innovation and progress in institutional and retail financial services.
In addition to his Putnam responsibilities, Mr. Reynolds is Chair of Great-West Lifeco U.S., one of the nation’s top providers of retirement savings products and services, life insurance, annuities, and executive benefits products. Prior to joining Putnam in 2008, he was Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Fidelity Investments. Mr. Reynolds’ accomplishments have earned multiple industry honors over time. He was named Fund Leader of the Year at the Mutual Fund Industry Awards in 2010 for the strategic improvements he initiated at Putnam. The following year, under the leadership of Mr. Reynolds, Putnam was honored as Retirement Leader of the Year for initiatives and innovative solutions in the workplace savings arena. Mr. Reynolds has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from PLANSPONSOR magazine for popularizing employer-sponsored 401(k) plans.
Mr. Reynolds serves as a Director on several not-for-profit boards, including the Concord Museum, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation. Additionally, he serves as Chair of the Boston Advisory Board of the American Ireland Fund and National Council Co-Chair of the American Enterprise Institute. Mr. Reynolds is an Executive Committee Member of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce; Member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness; Chair of the Massachusetts High Technology Council; Member of the Chief Executives Club of Boston; Member of the Massachusetts General Hospital President’s Council; Director and former Chair of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership; and former Chair of the West Virginia University Foundation.
Mr. Reynolds earned a B.S. in Business Administration, Finance, from West Virginia University, where he also received an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration and a Distinguished Alumni Award. In addition, Mr. Reynolds is a recipient of the Boston College President’s Medal of Excellence and the Manhattan College De La Salle Medal.
Christopher Anderson
President, Massachusetts High Technology Council
About
Christopher R. Anderson is president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council, Inc. Before becoming president in January 2001, he served as vice president and general counsel for the Council. He joined the Council in 1984 and is responsible to the Board of Directors for the successful development and implementation of public policy programs and initiatives in Massachusetts and in Washington, D.C. that help make Massachusetts the world’s most attractive place to create, operate, and expand technology businesses.
Mr. Anderson is directly involved in resolving conflicts and advocating positions on a broad range of state and federal public policy, legislative and regulatory issues. Those issues include tax and fiscal policy, energy, education, workforce training, environment, and health care. In January 2006, Mr. Anderson was appointed to serve as a member of the state Board of Education (BOE), the nine-member panel that oversees state K-12 education policy. From November 2006 through August 2007, he served as Chairman of the BOE, an appointment designated by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
In December 2003, he became president of the Massachusetts Defense Technology Initiative, a public-private partnership that led the Commonwealth’s successful efforts to preserve Hanscom Air Force Base and Natick Soldier Systems Center through the U.S. Defense Department’s 2005 Base Closing process. In January 2009, Mr. Anderson was named to the Hanscom Air Force Base Honorary Commander program, which is designed to create deeper ties between the Air Force and the New England region and to increase public understanding of the Hanscom AFB and Air Force missions. The honorary commander program pairs community leaders with center and wing leaders to forge relationships and uses creative, unique activities to immerse honorary commanders into the wings; Mr. Anderson will serve as the honorary commander for Hanscom’s 653rd Electronic Systems Wing until 2011.
Mr. Anderson graduated from Lexington High School in Lexington, MA. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Notre Dame, and a law degree from Suffolk University School of Law.
Affiliations:
- American Bar Association
- Boston Bar Association
- Business Advisory Council, Bentley College
- Dean’s Advisory Committee, Suffolk University Law School
- Gigot Center Advisory Board, University of Notre Dame
- Honorary Commander, 653rd Electronic Systems Wing, Hanscom AFB, MA
- Massachusetts Board of Education, Member; Chairman 2006 – 2008
- Massachusetts Port Authority Security Advisory Council
Catherine Kniker
EVP & Chief Strategy Officer, PTC; MHTC Director
About
Catherine is EVP and Chief Strategy Officer at PTC, responsible for overseeing key strategic functions—including Corporate Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Corporate Marketing. She brings her strong business acumen, excellent systems thinking, and technology savviness to this role.
Joining PTC in 2016, Catherine began as Chief Revenue Officer for the company’s fast growing IoT and AR business units and then managed PTC strategic global alliances including those with Microsoft, Rockwell Automation, Ansys, Global Systems Integrators, and software and hardware technology companies. In 2019 she also began leading our Mergers & Acquisition team, spearheading the acquisition of Arena Solutions—the largest acquisition in PTC history.
Prior to PTC, Catherine successfully held numerous strategy, corporate development, and go-to-market leadership roles. She was Chief Channel Officer & VP at Constant Contact, Owner and President at CHB Group, SVP of Corporate Development & Marketing at Candela Corporation, and SVP Marketing, Enterprise Services at Level 3 Communications.
Catherine earned a M.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a B.S. in Computer Systems from the University of Limerick in Ireland.
Navjot Singh, Ph.D.
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company; MHTC Director
About
Nav serves as the managing partner of our Boston office and leads the state and local work for our Public Sector Practice in North America. He is also a leader in our Life Sciences and Strategy & Corporate Finance Practices, with a focus on innovation. Nav brings deep business expertise in strategy, innovation, operations, business development, and risk to all his client engagements. An expert in the use of Six Sigma methodologies for product development and process design, Nav holds 15 patents.
He works with pharmaceutical companies to enhance R&D productivity, with contract-research organizations to strengthen performance, and with private-equity players that invest in a variety of science- and medicine-intensive areas. He also works with public-sector organizations to refine strategy and operations.
Nav spearheads McKinsey’s knowledge initiatives on R&D productivity in the pharmaceutical industry and leads our Center for Asset Optimization. His recent government work has included helping regulators, states, and cities enhance their performance across the board. He has served as the Chair of the Board for the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and the Chair of the External Advisory Board of University of Minnesota, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. He also hosts Imagine Get-Togethers that convene cross-sector leaders on cutting-edge topics, such as synthetic biology, commercial applications of drones, the future of space exploration, and the impact of aging.
Before joining McKinsey, in 2001, Nav was a laboratory manager at General Electric, where he helped to design manufacturing processes and to develop new polymetric materials and nanomaterials.
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