Our annual 25 People to Watch list always is one of the most popular projects of the year. One of the Tampa Bay Business Journal’ s most significant value propositions is introducing our readers and event-goers to the business people in Tampa Bay who we believe are doing exceptional work.
The 25 People to Watch is a slight variation on that. Not everybody on the Watch List is there because we expect great things — sometimes it’s because we know how hot their seat is.
In advance of the 2016 Watch List release, we scored the 25 people we chose to keep an eye on this year. Each photo in the gallery breaks down how we think we did.
Andrew Wright, CEO of Franklin Street
Did we watch him: 3.5 stars
Was he worth watching: 4 stars
Franklin Street had more visitors at Channelside Bay Plaza in 2015 than the retail center had seen in years. That was mostly because of the Tampa Bay’s Lightning’s Stanley Cup Playoff run, played out in large by watch parties that filled the plaza during away games. Lightning owner Jeff Vinik hired Franklin Street to oversee the property while the larger plan for Vinik’s properties downtown take shape. The team hired Adam Vosding away from Publix this year to manage the plaza.
Did we watch them like a hawk? Five binoculars.
Did we completely ignore them? Zero binoculars.
And since hindsight is 20/20, we say if we think they were worth watching at all.
Were they dealmaking right and left? Five binoculars.
Did they hibernate from the business scene in 2015? Zero binoculars.
