David Lehman and Peter Denious are the two most important figures in state government responsible for economic development and attracting new businesses to Connecticut.
Lehman, a former Goldman Sachs executive, is the commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, in charge of the state’s overall economic development strategy and policies.
Denious, a former private equity exec, is the CEO of AdvanceCT, a not-for-profit entity that serves as the state’s business recruitment arm.
Over the past year, Lehman and Denious have helped spearhead efforts to attract several new companies to Connecticut, including Digital Currency Group, an investor in bitcoin and blockchain technology companies, which is moving its headquarters from New York City to Stamford with a pledge to create 300 jobs in exchange for up to $5 million in state aid.
Lehman and Denious have said they see Connecticut as a good landing spot for other companies involved in blockchain technology. They’ve also worked to land data center operators in the wake of new incentives recently adopted by state lawmakers to woo that industry.
Other companies that recently announced plans to relocate to Connecticut include: specialty components manufacturer ITT Inc., which is moving its headquarters to Stamford from White Plains, N.Y.; iCapital Network, a fintech company, is moving to Greenwich from New York; and tobacco giant Philip Morris International is relocating its headquarters to Stamford from New York.
During the pandemic, Lehman has also been a top adviser to Lamont, and he’s led efforts to shift the state’s economic incentives strategy toward a performance-based, “earn-as-you-go” model, meaning employers won’t reap state incentives until they create a certain number of jobs, or make a certain level of investment.