NH Business Review will host five senior executives from throughout New Hampshire to discuss their career journeys, including the successes and setbacks that led them to where they are now, during its “Leadership Unscripted” event on Thursday, June 5.
Attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from highly accomplished business leaders at the event, which will take place from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Rex Theatre in Manchester. Tickets cost $49 each (including breakfast) and can be purchased at www.nhbr.com/leadership-unscripted-event.
Participants include JerriAnne Boggis, executive director, Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire; Tom Boucher, CEO and owner, Great NH Restaurants Inc.; Dr. Paul LeBlanc, board chair, Human Systems and “chief bottle washer” and former president, Southern New Hampshire University; Amanda Grappone Osmer, owner, Grappone Automotive Group; and Diane Mercier, former president, People’s United Bank. The event will be moderated by Mike Cote, editor of NH Business Review.
“I can’t think of a better way to kick off a workday than gathering inspiration from this impressive panel of senior executives,” said Mike Cote, editor of NH Business Review. “Guests will have the unique opportunity to hear directly from these highly esteemed leaders as they share their stories, complete with high and low points, of how their careers unfolded and how they were able to ascend to leadership positions.”
JerriAnne Boggis is a writer, educator and community activist who works to correct the historical record on the racial complexity and richness of New Hampshire’s diverse past. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2022 Social Innovation Leader Award in the nonprofit sector by the Entrepreneurs Fund of New Hampshire, the Ona Judge Award by the Human Rights Society in 2021, and named as one of the 10 most influential women of the century in New Hampshire by the Seacoast Press in 2020.
Tom Boucher is a seasoned leader in the restaurant industry. Over his first five years with T-BONES, Boucher demonstrated dedication and leadership, progressing through various roles and ultimately becoming a general manager. As a founding partner of Cactus Jack’s in 1995, Boucher played a role in establishing the restaurant and served as its general manager until 1998. His expertise led him to take on expanded responsibilities as director of marketing and later as director of operations for both T-BONES and Cactus Jack’s. In 2004, Boucher ascended to the role of CEO, and in 2008, he acquired ownership of the company and brought his long-term team of leaders on board as partners to work alongside him. Under his leadership, Great NH Restaurants has successfully expanded to encompass three distinct brands, which include nine restaurants, as well as T-BONES Meats & Sweets, a commissary that enhances operational efficiency, and the nonprofit organization www.FEEDNH.org.
Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc is the board chair for Human Systems, a new AI and education company he co-founded with researcher George Siemens. Until June 2024, he served as president of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). He remains at SNHU as a researcher, writer and advisor. Under the 20 years of Paul’s direction, SNHU has grown from 2,800 students to more than 250,000 and is the largest nonprofit provider of online higher education in the country, and the first to have a full competency-based degree program untethered to the credit hour or classes approved by a regional accreditor and the U.S. Department of Education.
Amanda Grappone Osmer is the fourth generation of her family to own and help operate Grappone Automotive, established by her great-grandparents as a single gas station in 1924. Today, Grappone represents five new car manufacturers with sales, service, and retail and wholesale parts departments. Grappone employs about 375 team members and is located in Bow. In 2017, Osmer launched Leadership Grappone, a nine-month program that seeks out the company’s emerging leaders and challenges them mentally, emotionally and physically to uncover their true leadership potential. Faith and volunteer work are central to Osmer’s life purpose, and she has served on many nonprofit and advisory boards in her career. One project near to her heart is the co-founding of The Dewey School, a nature-based preschool located at Canterbury Shaker Village.
Diane Mercier spent 36 years in banking prior to retiring in 2022. She joined banking as a teller and concluded her career as president of People’s United Bank in NH. Mercier spent the majority of that time specializing in commercial finance in support of business creation and growth, and championing local nonprofits in service of community needs. Mercier continues to be involved with Rivier University in Nashua, the Greater Manchester Boys & Girls Clubs, and has “taken up the Queen City Rotary as a joyful hobby.”
“Leadership Unscripted” is sponsored by Bank of New Hampshire and the Business Industry & Association of New Hampshire.
For more information on the event, visit www.nhbr.com/leadership-unscriptedevent.
