SpreadLove In Organizations - Healthcare Leadership

Leadership starts with passion: passion for your purpose, passion for your people, passion to do things well. Adding to this, two philosophies Dr. Jennifer Kherani believes in: "Be a YES person (then figure it out)", and "no job is too small for a big enough person". These are some bits of the incredible chat we had about leading teams from the Emergency Room to biotech and entrepreneurship. Hear Jen's stories and lessons learned moving through her different experiences while always keeping her passion to help patients at the center. "Tackle problems with humility." MEET OUR GUEST Dr. Jennifer Kherani an Emergency Physician and former Head of Clinical Safety at Loxo Oncology. Dr. Jennifer Kherani received her BA in Neuroscience in 2000 from Colgate University, completed her pre-medical post-baccalaureate studies at Columbia University in 2004, and her M.D. from Duke University in 2008.  She subsequently completed her residency training in emergency medicine in the combined Cornell/Columbia program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where she served as Chief Resident in her final year. Until August 2022, she served as Head of Clinical Safety at Loxo Oncology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company.  Jen is also a founder of Summus Global, a subscription-based healthcare advisory company aimed at restoring the human connection between patients and healthcare providers.  Jen is currently serving on the Rye Country Day School (RCDS) Board of Directors (July 2021-current) and is a member of the Medical Committee, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, the Education Committee, and the Marketing and Communications Committee. She also serves on the DukeNY Board of Directors (2018-present), serving as Co-Chair of the Nominating Committee as well a member of the DEI Committee, the Women's Impact Network (WIN) Leadership Counsel (2021-present), and as a mentor on the Reimagining Medicine (ReMed; 2019-present) course. She lives in Rye, NY with her husband, Dr. Aftab Kherani, and their two sons Zayd (grade 5) and Rizq (grade 3).

From leading teams on the front lines to now building organizations with a focus on culture, leadership, clinical innovation, and value maximization, we discussed in this episode with Dr. Dominic Abrams his story and leadership learnings. Dominic defines leadership with 3 words: value, purpose, and belonging. As leaders, we have to create an environment where everyone can be at their best, be part of a community, and feels this deep sense of belonging to constantly deliver on our common purpose for the patients we serve. "Being kind makes a difference on people's day, and life." MEET OUR GUEST Dr. Dominic Abrams Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School. Cardiovascular genetics and cardiac electrophysiology. Dr. Dominic Abrams is Associate Professor, at Harvard Medical School, Cardiovascular genetics and cardiac electrophysiology expert. Dominic specializes in cardiovascular genetics and cardiac electrophysiology at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and is active in both clinical medicine and scientific research. With his team, Dominic provides personalized, multidisciplinary care to individuals and families, and drives novel research strategies in varying aspects of cardiovascular genetic disease. He has developed clinical programs in both the UK and US, focusing on organizational culture, leadership, clinical innovation, and maximizing value to multiple stakeholders. Dominic has developed excellent collaborative relationships with individuals and organizations within the healthcare ecosystem.

Many talks about authenticity in leadership, being true to self, and vulnerability, Lisa Matar exemplifies this leadership style and added to those words "imperfect" leadership. From a childhood spent in bomb shelters to being the first woman serving on the Board of Directors of Innovative Medicine Canada, Lisa summarizes her success through hard work to bring some normalcy to life, and resilience. "Succeeding is easy when it is the only option you have, adversity shapes your identity thanks to resilience". Hear incredible stories, learnings, and how Lisa challenged a system that was not made for her to succeed while challenging her own limits to excel in all she does toward her purpose in healthcare. "Leaders with grit run a successful business, Leaders paying it forward leave a better legacy." MEET OUR GUEST Lisa Matar Global Life Science senior executive. Lisa Matar is a Global Life Science senior executive with more than 25 years of experience leading organizations and driving significant growth, profitability, and launching excellence across the globe. Lisa served as President and General Manager of Eli Lilly Canada from 2013 to February of 2020 and was a member of the North American executive committee at Eli Lilly. Lisa served on the Board of Directors of Innovative Medicine Canada from 2013 until early 2020 and chaired the Ethics and Compliance committee from 2018 to 2020. Lisa currently serves on the boards of Directors of Delphi Diagnostics Inc and Starpax Biopharma Inc. and chairs the compensation and governance Committee of Delphi Diagnostics Inc. a breast cancer diagnostic company with an exclusive license to commercialize SETTM (Sensitivity to Endocrine Therapy) test to guide personalized Breast Cancer Treatment. Starpax Biopharma Inc. is a biopharma/MedTech company that has developed a revolutionary platform for 3D precision delivery of cancer drugs in solid tumors using Magnetodrones TM. Lisa earned a Doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Saint Joseph in Lebanon.

We might not have similar stories though we certainly share a common passion and leadership belief: Leading from a place of love. In this new era and for our teams with newly articulated needs, we need to adapt and build the necessary leadership skills to deliver on our company's purpose and results. For Hope Zoeller, those skills are summarized by listening, being objective, having a versatile attitude, and constantly demonstrating empathy. Hope also shares great tips to lead in our hybrid world and ways to ensure our people feel valued, respected, and engaged for them to thrive. "Lead with LOVE: Listening Ear, Objective Mind, Versatile Attitude, Empathetic Heart." MEET OUR GUEST Hope Zoeller Founder and President of HOPE LLC. Dr. Hope Zoeller is the Founder and President of HOPE (Helping Other People Excel), LLC, a firm that specializes in facilitating leader success at every level of an organization. For over 15 years of her professional career, Hope worked at UPS in various roles including Customer Service, Training and Development, and Employee Relations. For the past 17 years, she has been consulting organizations on leadership development. Hope is also a Professor at Spalding University instructing in the Master of Business Communication program. She has a Doctorate in Leadership Education from Spalding University, a Master of Education in Training and Development from the University of Louisville, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Psychology from Bellarmine University. Hope co-authored with Dr. Joe DeSensi HOPE for Leaders Unabridged Volume 1 and HOPE Leaders in the 2020s…New Issues to Face, New Problems to Solve, New Hope for the Future Volume 2.

A single question Maheen Junaid thinks of daily as she leads her teams in her executive role: "What can we do for patients?" Having this as the true north for a healthcare company and living it is crucial as it ultimately simplifies decision-making. In this episode, Maheen shares her immigrant story, her leadership beliefs, and her learnings building a company from 4 to 1400 employees. Empathy and DEIB are her core leadership elements. And her words of wisdom are so powerful: Become comfortable being uncomfortable. "Home is an environment of inclusivity, acceptance, love, and opportunity for growth" MEET OUR GUEST Maheen Junaid, General Counsel, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Chief Compliance Officer for KabaFusion. Maheen Junaid is General Counsel, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Chief Compliance Officer for KabaFusion, a home infusion pharmacy provider. Maheen holds a JD/LLB from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from MIT. In her executive role at KabaFusion, she is committed to fostering a positive work environment that celebrates diversity and inclusion. She also loves working for an organization that promotes a culture of prioritizing quality and compassionate patient care while being innovative and entrepreneurial. Maheen has also worked in the non-profit sector, providing training and legal assistance for minority communities within the greater Boston area. She is passionate about empowering and enabling marginalized people through advocacy, and support. Maheen was born in Pakistan and was raised in England and Canada. She currently resides in Massachusetts with her family.

"What really matters is impact". Marcello Damiani started with this statement, and we all know now the impact he and his teams at Moderna had on humanity over the past years. He has led teams through those times, delivered on an incredible challenge that became a hope, then a reality: Covid vaccines. Hear him share those stories, his learning, the role of leadership, digital, innovation... From the focus on purpose to the culture and mindset to deliver on it, Marcello gives us great words of wisdom as we continue to navigate times of uncertainty and change. Let's "not be shy to take risks to impact the world"! "A leader alone doesn't serve any purpose" MEET OUR GUEST Marcello Damiani, Chief Digital and Operational Excellence Officer at Moderna. Marcello Damiani is the Chief Digital and Operational Excellence Officer at Moderna, where he builds the technology, processes, and digitization landscape required to advance a new class of medicines based on mRNA science. Marcello has a wealth of experience from both Tech and Life Science companies, with a true passion for making digital a reality. He has 20years experience working in the IT field, with the last 10years being spent in leadership roles for multinational companies in Europe and the USA. Prior to joining Moderna, he worked at diagnostics firm bioMérieux and before that at Motorola. Marcello has a Master of Science degree in Information and Communication Systems Architecture from the University of Toulouse in France, and an Executive MBA through TRIUM.

We have read a lot about leading in crisis. Andrew Bunton has definitely done so, leading his teams during the Covid pandemic and reinventing patient experience in one of the largest retail pharmacies in the US. Hear his thoughts and takeaways also on leading transformations including omnichannel and how focusing on purpose, empowering diverse talents, and helping them grow will lead to exploring the art of possible! "It's not just the output, it is about your people's journey" MEET OUR GUEST Andrew Bunton Vice President of Pharmacy Omnichannel Customer Experience at CVS Health Andrew Bunton is the Vice President of Omnichannel Customer Experience at CVS Health, where he leads the efforts to create a differentiated frictionless pharmacy experience leveraging CVS’ digital and physical assets. Andrew has worked at CVS Health for 10 years, including leading the retail pharmacy’s development and management of clinical services to improve patient adherence, Enterprise Workforce Management where he led all aspects of resource planning, labor budgeting, and scheduling for CVS Health’s retail business, Omnicare, MinuteClinic, and Coram, and Retail Health Services Strategy and New Product Development, where he led all aspects of strategic planning as well as the discovery, design, incubation, and scaling of new business lines. Prior to CVS, Andrew was a Case Team Leader and Consultant at Bain & Company in Boston and a Vice President in the Corporate & Investment Banking Group at Bank of America. Andrew holds a BA from Bates College and earned an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

We all strive to have an impact on this world, to make life better for people, one at a time... Bridget Akinc exemplifies what leading with impact means through her daily work with nonprofit organizations. In this episode, Bridget shares her story, and sobering lessons we can all learn from as leaders leading in moments of crisis serving communities who experienced a much greater degree of loss; loss of lives, jobs, housing, freedom, financials... For her, we can't understand "belonging" if we don't understand being "othered". Belonging is the crucial next step of DEIB and a key component to focus on as leaders. "Take a moment to think and facilitate discussions that bring back humanity in all of us" MEET OUR GUEST Bridget Scott Akinc Chief Executive Officer at Building Impact. Passionate about innovation and finding new ways to work toward solving complex social challenges, Bridget leads Building Impact, a nonprofit organization that engages leading companies and brands in local communities through volunteering and capacity-building. Prior to this role, Bridget led dynamic teams focused on accelerating growth and innovation enabled by technology across multiple sectors including finance, retail, automotive, high-technology, and education. She led strategic consulting and marketing teams for high-growth Silicon Valley-based software companies like BEA Systems and Oracle, as well as leading non-profit organizations like The New Teacher Project. Bridget also serves on the faculty of MIT Sloan, teaching the "Leading With Impact" course I had the privilege to be part of. Bridget is a marathon runner, youth soccer coach, and an avid visitor to national parks with her family.

This episode is special and the last in a series of three. In partnership with ESCP Business School, I’ll be giving the mic to students, the leaders of tomorrow, to discuss with seasoned healthcare executives about their journeys and leadership beliefs. We welcomed in this third episode, Dries Hens, physician, entrepreneur, and co-founder of LynxCare. For Dries, Purpose should be your way of living and it encompasses being "Healthy, Active, and Happy". It is that simple yet complex to achieve. Dries believes in tech as a means to achieve great outcomes for patients., and that the real capital and value of his company is his people. "Technology is a mean to achieve a goal but should never be a goal itself" MEET OUR GUEST Dr. Dries Hens Cofounder of LynxCare Dries Hens is a medical doctor and a successful entrepreneur. Dries knew he did not want to go towards clinical practice but still wanted to remain in the field. He wanted to do more in healthcare, by making the most of all the unexploited data. In parallel to his studies, he began to set up his company: LynxCare Clinical informatics. Dries is currently Co-Founder, Chief Business & Medical officer. Lynxcare transforms medical data into insights for hospitals, physicians, and patients.

Have you ever thought about your networks? The different people who support you in different ways for you to be who you are and achieve your purpose? Glenna Crooks, innovator, author and healthcare expert has defined eight networks in our lives and showed that managing successfully those helps us succeed in improving our health, personal relationships, family life, income, and careers. Glenna also shares her view on leadership in healthcare. When asked to react on the word Healthcare she said: "We need more of both... Health and Care." "Understand the complexity of your people and customers to better serve them" MEET OUR GUEST Glenna Crooks, Innovator, Entrepreneur, and Author. Healthcare, Policy, and Public Health Expert. Glenna Crooks, Ph.D., is a strategist, innovator, and trusted counsel to government and business leaders. In her latest venture, a story told in The NetworkSage: Realize Your Network Superpower, she describes a new way to help people lessen the overwhelm of modern life, address work-life balance, performance, productivity, and family caregiving by better understanding and managing the eight networks that support working adults.  She was the Founder and CEO of Strategic Health Policy International, Inc. solving solved tough health care problems and is known as a “one-woman think tank” with a talent for “organizing chaos” and solving complex problems. She was an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, responsible for a $70 billion portfolio of health programs. As global vice-president of Merck’s Vaccine Business, she expanded US operations to create a global business, tripling vaccine sales to more than $1 billion in under three years.   A graduate of Indiana University, she is a Fellow of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Neuroscience and Society and a Fellow of the Drexel University Center for Population Health and Community Involvement. Glenna has been a member of corporate and non-profit Boards, including American Biogenetic Sciences, Inc., the David A. Winston Health Policy Fellowship, founding Vice-Chair of the Partnership for Prevention, Chairman of the National Commission on Rare Diseases, and a member of the National Council of the Institute for Child Health and Human Development, the Board of Scientific Counselors of the Pediatric Dengue Vaccine Initiative and the Institute of Medicine Committee to advise the Department of Defense on bioterrorism/biowarfare countermeasures. Her many accomplishments earned her recognition as a Disruptive Woman in Health Care and a 2017 Disruptive Woman to Watch. She received the Congressional Exemplary Service Award for Orphan Products Development and is the first civilian to receive the highest award in public health, the Surgeon General’s Medallion from C. Everett Koop. She lives in Philadelphia, is a mu shin Zen artist, donating her works to support children’s special needs, and is the author of six books.