MARCH 2016

Practice Updates
Physician Integration and Leadership Practice: Practice co-leader Christine Mackey-Ross and Leadership Solutions practice leader Richard Metheny will present original research findings at the upcoming ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership in Chicago. The research, conducted by Witt/Kieffer and Hogan Assessment Systems, has led to the creation of customized leadership assessments and a report on predicting physician executive performance. Click here to download the report. (Brief registration required.)

Stop by Booth #419 at the AMGA Conference, March 10-12 in Orlando, and visit the Witt/Kieffer team. Principal and co-practice leader Linda Komnick will be on hand, along with other members of the Physician Leadership and Integration practice.
 
IT Practice: Jim Utterback, Witt/Kieffer IT practice leader, led a focus group titled "Career Growth: the Consumer-Centric CIO" at the CHIME CIO Forum held during the HIMSS16 Conference and Exhibition. The IT practice also represented the firm at a booth during HIMSS, which annually draws a crowd of nearly 40,000 healthcare IT leaders.
 
Education Practice: Members of Witt/Kieffer's Education practice, including practice leader Robin Mamlet, will be in attendance at the American Council on Education's Annual Meeting in San Francisco on March 12-15.

The firm is pleased to exhibit at the Association of American International Colleges and Universities (AAICU) Presidents Conference in Budapest, Hungary on April 21-23. Senior partner Lucy Leske will present a panel on the "turmoil" facing presidents today.
 
WK Advisors: Visit the WK Advisors exhibit at the upcoming Maryland Healthcare Human Resources Association (MHHRA) Annual Meeting in Baltimore on April 14.
Upcoming Events
Diversity Dialogue Award
Witt/Kieffer has been selected a finalist in PR News' Corporate Social Responsibility Awards, in the category of Diversity Communications. The CSR Awards call attention to companies that have clear social commitments and further these commitments through creative communications and outreach. Witt/Kieffer's award submission was built around our ongoing efforts across our practices to further dialogue around leadership diversity. Winners among the finalists will be announced on March 15 in Washington, D.C.


Witt/Kieffer Day of Service
Witt/Kieffer is proud to partner with the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) for our annual Day of Service. Search consultants and staff from our offices across the U.S. will volunteer in the month of April at local Ronald McDonald Houses, helping to serve lunch, clean, garden, or do any other tasks that are needed. In addition, we are holding a fundraiser within our company for RMHC.
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Feature: In Higher Ed, Looking for
Innovative Leaders
In addition to conducting some 200 recruitments annually, consultants in Witt/Kieffer's Education practice make it a point to write about their work -- in an increasingly critical time for higher education leadership:
  • The "hiring process is more high-stakes than ever," practice leader Robin Mamlet noted recently in eCampusNews. Today's leaders must spark innovation and diverse ideas, she adds.
  • In an article for College Planning & Management, Robin discusses the rise in "incubator facilities" and how campuses seek leaders to help build hubs of academic and research experimentation.
Senior partner Dennis Barden has been tracking changes in advancement leadership:
  • "Most institutions think they need extensive managerial experience, but they really need leadership -- which is very different," he writes in the latest issue of CASE Currents.
  • In HigherEdJobs, Dennis counsels advancement professionals on job search best practices and how to "create career karma."
Senior partner Lucy Leske writes and speaks frequently on the need for institutions to cast a wide net for exceptional leaders:
  • U.S. institutions are increasingly looking abroad for top administrators, she tells University World News.
  • And in BizEd, Lucy discusses the broad pursuit of innovative deans to "keep business schools in business." 
As higher education shifts, we will continue to keep a close watch on leadership trends.
Thought Leadership
Preparing Tomorrow's Health IT Leaders
IT practice leader Jim Utterback
 recently wrote in For the Record magazine that the supply of healthcare IT leaders is not meeting the demand. In this article he gives examples of the education and training that top HIT leaders will need to ensure success in the future. As he says, they should be prepared to "share their value on a daily basis."
From Outsider to Team Member: The Evolution of the Healthcare Legal Counsel
As the healthcare industry continues to change, so have the legal needs of hospitals and health systems. In a new trend perspective, Werner Boel describes this change, which he began noticing about ten years ago. As the need for legal services in healthcare increases, so has the likelihood of hospitals and health systems hiring in-house counsel. Werner shares the challenges and benefits of this model and recommends ways for attorneys to prepare for these new roles.
The Expanding Role of Managed Care Organization COO
In an article for Managed Healthcare Executive, Stephen Kratz and Donna Padilla explain the increasing similarity between the roles of CEO and COO in managed care and health insurance organizations. The two reviewed leadership profiles from recent recruitments to understand the transitioning COO role. Although COOs continue to fulfill their traditional responsibilities, many also tackle CEO-like tasks, such as seeking new business partners and implementing fresh strategies.
Career Corner
Find Solid Footing in a Shifting Career Landscape As David Boggs points out in his introduction to this piece, many industries, including healthcare and higher education, are currently undergoing massive change. It can be difficult to navigate the shifting landscape and stay a step ahead as industries evolve. In this blog post, David suggests five practices to remain an integral contributor to your organization in the midst of changing times.
 
Careers in Nonprofit Sports Organizations
For business professionals looking to work in the sports industry, it seems like the best option would be to go after the big names, such as professional leagues or athletic apparel companies. As Greg Santore explains in his article for Front Office Sports, there are other options that will bring just as much invaluable experience in this field: nonprofit sports associations. Greg looks at the benefits of working for these organizations, as well as the career skills future leaders need.
Blog Bits
In the fall of 2015, Witt/Kieffer released results of our fourth major healthcare leadership diversity survey, in a report titled "Closing the Gap in Healthcare Leadership Diversity: A Witt/Kieffer Study." In the report, we focused on racial/ethnic diversity, but the data we collected also highlighted issues in gender diversity. This blog post reveals the difference in opinion of male vs. female executives regarding progress toward gender diversity in healthcare.
  
College presidents are under the microscope more than ever before, as are candidates for new presidencies. It's a different day and age, notes Javier Cevallos, president of Framingham State University in Framingham, Massachusetts. While each institutional leader has a honeymoon period to start, college and university presidents must always be on their best behavior and work closely and collaboratively with students and campus leaders to achieve their long term objectives.
 
2016 will be a year full of change and transitions for healthcare leaders. As someone who has worked with many healthcare CEOs in the past year, Andrew Chastain is able to identify some of the top concerns these leaders have for the new year and beyond. In this blog post, he summarizes a few of the 16 questions he believes forward-thinking CEOs should address as they plan for the future of their organizations.
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Witt/Kieffer Growth
Jane Grdinovac is a senior associate in Witt/Kieffer's Leadership Solutions practice and is based in Kansas City, MO. Jane brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in leadership development, high potential identification, succession planning, performance management and large-scale employee selection.

Mindy Steiger is a senior associate in the firm's Life Sciences practice. Mindy has more than 10 years of executive search experience and identifies top level executives in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics industries. She is based in Cleveland, OH.
 
Daniel Young is a senior associate in the firm's Healthcare practice. Dan has more than 10 years of senior-level recruiting experience in healthcare systems and hospitals and is based in Houston, TX.
 
Sarah L. Zielke is a consultant in Witt/Kieffer's Healthcare practice. She has nearly 20 years of recruiting and consulting experience in the healthcare, education, and nonprofit industries. Sarah is based in Oak Brook, IL.

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