Welcome to the 2017 Power 50 list, which ranks the most influential people in the industry.

#48: Bill Smith Jr., Brown & Bigelow (asi/148500)

2016 Rank: 42
Title: President/CEO
Industry Experience: 30 years
Birthplace: St. Paul, MN

Slightly lower peer scores and consecutive years of declining sales drop Smith in this year’s rankings. Going forward, though, history is on Smith’s side as he plots a rebound. Smith heads one of the industry’s keystone companies, which was founded in 1896 and today maintains 18 full-service offices.