She is one of the top commercial business bankers in Northern New Jersey, with more than two decades of experience helping to support privately and publicly held middle-market companies. Finnegan brings expertise in cash flow modeling, credit analysis, industry research and skillful review of corporate financial statements, but her greatest asset has been her innate ability to connect with clients and understand their needs.
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She leads major community‑health initiatives across New Jersey for the state’s leader in charity care and the service of the underserved. Grewal-Virk helps build and implement programs that address health equity, food insecurity and access to care, including RWJBH’s successful Food “Farmacy” program. She also holds numerous influential public roles, including serving as the state’s co‑chair of the Gateway Development Commission.
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She oversees the state’s largest electric and gas utility, guiding operations for 2.5 million customers while driving major infrastructure and clean‑energy initiatives. And while she prefers the spotlight to be on her work, her journey is a tale worth telling: Hanemann rose from engineer to become the utility’s first woman to lead its operations, known for managing multibillion‑dollar construction programs and championing diverse and high‑performing teams.
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She guides Prudential’s incredible philanthropy and social‑impact strategy, overseeing more than $62 million in annual grants, community partnerships and shared‑value initiatives. But she’s so much more than that. Harris is a leading voice in the company’s Inclusive Solutions work, which focuses on expanding economic opportunity, financial mobility and equitable growth. Her influence extends beyond Prudential through board roles with Living Cities and the Newark Trust for Education.
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She has been the driving force behind New Jersey’s life sciences ecosystem for more than three decades – someone with incredible influence and impact in one of the state’s most-important sectors. Hart worked with industry leaders to launch BioNJ in 1994, then became an advocate for innovation and patient‑centered policy in the state and country. She serves on numerous state commissions focused on science, technology and economic growth.
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She is one of the nation’s foremost crisis‑communications strategists, advising CEOs, global brands and public figures across the U.S. and abroad. When key people and key companies get in trouble, they call Karen. And while most of that work is done confidentially, Kessler has another very public role, serving as a commissioner on the N.J. Motion Picture & Television Commission.
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She is one of the most highly regarded and impactful leaders in the state. As CEO of Inspira Health, she has expanded services, strengthened community partnerships and elevated patient experience since 2020. Her prior roles include senior executive positions at RWJBarnabas Health and Children’s Specialized Hospital, along with statewide leadership on major boards and policy bodies, including serving as chair of the State Chamber.
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She is one of the most influential and creative marketing executives in the state, having spent decades shaping Withum’s brand, voice and national visibility — including the major “Power in the Plus” initiative featuring firm employees. A longtime champion of Women of Withum and a nationally recognized AAM Marketer of the Year, she will retire at the end of the month. Her legacy will live on.
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She leads one of the nation’s top accounting and advisory firms as CEO of Prager Metis, directing more than 100 partners and a global team of 600 professionals while steering the firm’s growth and strategic initiatives. A veteran audit, assurance and valuation expert, Roth previously served as global managing partner. She also chairs the New Jersey Business & Industry Association’s board of trustees, underscoring her influence across the state’s business community.
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She leads NJBIA, the state’s most influential employers’ organization, driving policy that strengthens affordability, competitiveness and workforce development. A vocal advocate for women in the workplace, she launched NJBIA’s Women Business Leaders Forum, one of the state’s premier platforms for advancing women’s leadership. Siekerka also serves on major boards, including Choose New Jersey, New Jersey Innovation Institute and Junior Achievement of New Jersey.
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She is widely respected for prioritizing underserved communities and advancing patient‑centered, whole‑person care. More importantly, she is widely regarded as the leader who helped turn a struggling safety-net-focused Bergen New Bridge facility into a model of excellence for the state. Under her leadership, the medical center has expanded services in acute care, behavioral health, addiction treatment and long‑term care and, most recently, a greatly expanded ER.
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She is one of New Jersey’s most influential public‑affairs strategists, having built The Zita Group into the state’s largest woman‑founded and woman‑led lobbying firm. Zita guides Fortune 500 companies, major nonprofits and statewide coalitions through complex policy, regulatory and political landscapes. A former legislative researcher and industry lobbyist, she has shaped landmark initiatives and continues to champion women’s leadership initiatives while serving as an inspiration for it.
Click here to read The BINJE’s Best: Top Women in Business issue.
Click here to read: BINJE’s Best Top Women in Business 2026: Dynamic Dozen
Click here to read: BINJE’s Best Top Women in Business 2026: Rising Stars
Click here to read: BINJE’s Best Top Women in Business 2026: A to F
Click here to read: BINJE’s Best Top Women in Business 2026: G to M
Click here to read: BINJE’s Best Top Women in Business 2026: N to Z
Click here to read: BINJE’s Best Top Women in Business 2026: Final Four
A special thank you goes to the gold‑level sponsors of the event celebrating the BINJE’s Best: Top Women in Business: RWJBarnabas Health, PSEG, DEVCO‑Helix, United Airlines, ELEC 825, Prudential Financial, Prager Metis and Spectrum Works.
