2021 New Jersey Business Thought Leaders Volume 2

Supreme Court, Congressional Advisor to the US State Department and White House Assistant to President George W. Bush.
President and CEO, RWJBarnabas Health
Barry H. Ostrowsky is President and Chief Executive Officer of RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive university health care system. He was a key part of the RWJBarnabas health system for three decades, having joined Saint Barnabas Medical Center in 1991 as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. In 2016, with the merger of Barnabas Health and Robert Wood Johnson Health System, it took its current title. Ostrowsky is Co-Chair of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and serves on the Boards of Directors of PSEG, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, and Public Media NJ, Inc.
Owner / Operator, McDonald’s Restaurants
Celestina S. Quintana came to the United States from Spain at the age of 10. She grew up in Newark with eight siblings. After graduating from East Side High School, Quintana worked as a dental assistant for 15 years. At 28, she opened a clothing store with two friends called “Impulse” in Harrison. She then moved the store to Newark as sole owner. In 1992, Quintana opened its first McDonald’s restaurant in North Bergen. Through constant expansion, she now owns and operates, along with her daughter Jessica Quintana, 11 restaurants in Jersey City, Newark, Irvington, East Orange and Parsippany. Its restaurants employ more than 500 people.
President and CEO, South Jersey Industries
Mike Renna is the President and CEO of South Jersey Industries (SJI), one of New Jersey’s largest energy companies, serving more than 700,000 natural gas customers in 14 counties through its South Jersey Gas utilities and Elizabethtown Gas. Under his leadership, SJI (a company spanning over 100 years) now operates one of the most modern, reliable and resilient power distribution systems in the country. Last spring, SJI released a comprehensive plan to eliminate the company’s carbon footprint, reduce energy use and costs for customers, and advance the state’s clean energy goals. and the region. Renna and SJI are at the forefront of this transformation, committed to delivering safe, reliable and affordable clean energy for better today and tomorrow.
Global Managing Partner, Prager Metis
Lori A. Roth, CPA / ABV, CFF is the Global Managing Partner of Prager Metis International and the Co-Managing Partner of Prager Metis CPA. In his role, Roth oversees the day-to-day operations of the firm and provides advice to office managing partners and service leaders. As a member of the firm’s leadership team, she plays a key role in developing strategic goals and policies, monitoring performance and driving growth. It enables team members to achieve organizational goals while maintaining a flexible, transparent and diverse environment. Roth is a member of AICPA and NJCPA and holds board positions at NJBIA and Unchained at Last.
Adopt the technology: To ensure that team members are on board, it is essential that they understand the benefits and values that the use of technology has for themselves, our customers and our business. Having a skilled IT team in place to oversee implementation and resolve issues is also essential, as are initial and continuing education programs.
Managing member, SobelCo
Alan Sobel is a CPA and a Managing Member of SobelCo, a New Jersey-based accounting and consulting firm serving entrepreneurial businesses, nonprofits and high net worth clients. His expertise is strategic and tax planning for mid-market companies. Sobel is a director of the board of directors and chairman of the audit committee with Cytosorbents, an emerging medical device company. He is also the past president of the NJCPA, a 2020 NJBIA recipient Leonard C. Johnson and was a leader in the development and adoption of the NJ Alternative Business Income Tax, saving businesses approximately $ 500 million in taxes per year.