🔒Leaders make lasting impact beyond the boardroom

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Hartford Business Journal does a fair number of awards, but one that tends to resonate most with readers is our Lifetime Achievement Awards.

That's because annually our honorees are leaders who have made lasting impressions not only on their own organizations, but also on the broader business community.

This year is no different.

HBJ's 2016 Lifetime Achievement Awards honor a wide-ranging group of corporate and educational executives.

They include John Lundgren, who recently stepped down as president and CEO of Stanley Black & Decker after more than a decade at the helm of the New Britain hand- and power-tools maker.

Lundgren's influence has extended beyond Connecticut and his name will forever be engraved in the company's history as the person who engineered Stanley Works' much acclaimed $4.5 billion acquisition of Black & Decker in 2010.

Outgoing University of Hartford President Walter Harrison is another Lifetime Achievement Awards winner. In an era when the average college president lasts about seven years on the job, Harrison is an exception.

When he retires next year, he will have spent nearly two decades as UHart's president, which represents a third of the time the university has existed. His accomplishments have been many, ranging from revamping the private school's campus to stabilizing its finances and growing its endowment.

Jeffrey Glazer may not be a household name in the Greater Hartford business community, but he's had enormous impact.

The CEO of Insurity Inc., which specializes in making and selling software and services for property and casualty insurers, has been with the company since its 1980s founding. After going through a series of mergers and acquisitions over the years, Insurity has grown into an international organization, operating in more than 100 countries with more than 1,000 employees and valued at $500 million.

Finally, Liberty Bank CEO Chandler Howard has been one of Connecticut's top community bankers. Under his watch, Liberty Bank's assets have more than doubled from $2 billion to $4.5 billion.

The Middletown lender has also been rated one of the top places to work in Connecticut for several years running.

In our seventh installment of the Lifetime Achievement Awards our winners come from both the private and nonprofit sectors. They each demonstrate how hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence and the community can translate into professional and personal success.

As you read their individual profiles join us in congratulating them for their many accomplishments. We'll celebrate their success Wednesday, Nov. 2, at a breakfast at the Bond Ballroom in Hartford.

Also, it should be noted that this year's winners were largely chosen by HBJ's editorial team. While we did solicit reader nominations, our staff made their own picks and ultimately chose the winners based on who made the most significant impact on their organization and the broader business community over at least a decade of service in a top leadership position.

Next year we will continue to accept reader nominations so we encourage you to nominate worthy candidates.

– Greg Bordonaro Editor

These leaders are being recognized for their lasting impact: 

Jeffrey Glazer: Hard work, family values drive Glazer's career

Walter Harrison: Harrison's love of learning shapes university president tenure

Chandler Howard: Volunteerism roots direct Howard's corporate Culture

John Lundgren: Stanley, Black & Decker Deal tops Lundgren's CEO accomplishments