For David J. Cook, MD, MHA, FAHA, life is about learning. Learning, he says, comes from seizing upon opportunities for new experiences that force him outside of his comfort zone. Dr. Cook holds a B.A. in Biology and Philosophy from Lehigh University, an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee, and an M.D. from Jefferson Medical College, with residency and fellowship training at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He was an anesthesiologist and faculty member at Mayo who…
Witt/Kieffer senior partner Dennis Barden recently chatted – via the Google Hangouts video service – with Higher Ed Live’s Rob Zinkan about the recruiting of college presidents in this time of great challenges within higher education. Having participated in dozens of presidential searches in recent years, Barden had plenty of insight to share over the course of the 45-minute interview.
Today’s college presidency is such a tough job, Barden notes, that it’s almost “irrational” that individuals would pursue it. Those…
By Nick Giannas
In an information age, the critical importance of information security is just becoming fully realized. The most vigilant organizations in the private and public sector are vulnerable to cyber-threats, as we have seen, and it is well known that healthcare data and information will be a target for hackers and other criminals in the future.
Not surprisingly, the position of healthcare Chief Information Security Officer has mushroomed in significance. It’s a true executive-level position, I recently told Rajiv…
By Zachary A. Smith, Ph.D.
Sometimes described as a “dog-and-pony show” or likened to speed dating, the interview process for senior-level executives in academia is demanding and often imperfect. After many years in higher education, first as a campus administrator and now as a recruiter, I’m no stranger to either side of the search process.
Recently I had the opportunity to share thoughts on The Best Higher Education Search Committees in an article for the Chronicle of Higher Education. It…
The growing number of clinicians making their way to the C-Suite — to Chief Medical Officer, Chief Clinical Officer, and other roles — has been noted many times here on the Witt & Wisdom blog. (See, for example, “Health System Leadership: Seeking Physician Executives with Business Acumen.”) This trend is not slowing down and was the focus of the cover story of Health Leaders Magazine’s May issue. Kudos to that publication for a lengthy, well-researched,…
By Andrew P. Chastain
Healthcare CEOs are experiencing an expanding workload as the industry continues to change, making it challenging to “steer the ship while scanning the horizon for threats and opportunities.” It is unrealistic to think that one person can capably juggle all the responsibilities while serving a wide range of constituents. One solution for CEOs is to engage a chief of staff to serve as their “right hand.”
Though common in politics and the corporate world, a chief of…
Each spring, Witt/Kieffer employees give back to their communities in a firm-wide “Day of Service.” This year, consultants and staff across the U.S. took time out of the office to honor and support military and veterans organizations for a day.
Fourteen groups at different Witt/Kieffer sites participated over the course of two weeks, dedicating time and resources to the following organizations:
For Reggie Pearson, the climb to the executive suite in healthcare – and his current position of Vice President of Operations for MedStar Georgetown University Hospital – had its roots in military service. Since that time, Pearson has learned about the importance of vision in leadership. (“Nothing great has been achieved without vision,” he says.) He has also learned that the vision and skills of one person will not translate to success without the collective energy and skill of…
By Robin Mamlet
Women in higher education leadership roles often find themselves alone at the top with few, if any, female peers. The reasons for this are many and complex. Of the many factors that limit women from moving up in the ranks, two should be easy to resolve: how candidates present themselves in job interviews and how search committees interpret those interviews.
I sit in on a few dozen interviews for academic president, provost, or cabinet-level positions every month, and…
By Suzanne Teer
It is part of my job to give career advice to executives. While my ultimate responsibility is to employers – that is, our firm’s clients – I enjoy supporting professionals and connecting them with the right positions.
Many of the people I speak with are unfamiliar with the precise role of a search consultant in a recruitment. For this reason I recently wrote down some advice for job candidates on working with recruiters regarding the application, initial screening…