Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Trendsetters within Senior Living, Several Important Executives Reveal Careers throughout the world Serving Seniors


Being the software executive in the further along in years living business takes much more visionary leadership skills, economic climate expertise, strategic operational discovery, and a gift which isn't organizational management; it draws passion. And, more often absolutely nothing, it's a passion that has been around for many months.

"Very few people just go inside this position, " mentions Joe Mikalajunas, president of information Greensboro, North Carolina-based Bell Older Living. Most senior living executives "start in the same place-in a community, serving seniors-and then work their away the corporate ladder. " Put on the kicker, Mikalajunas invests, "We all have a passion for serving seniors. It's hard to realise success in this industry exclusive of that passion. "

Passion is truly the many characteristics Mikalajunas has in common with the eight other industry leaders-each who participated in exclusive an interview with Assisted Living Executive-who happen to be named Trendsetters in Elderly Living for 2009.

Thilo Best
Chairman/CEO
Horizon Natural spring Retirement Communities
Tampa, FL

Industry health benefits: Although Best technically entered a in 1987, his first experiences (at Prudential Insurance carrier of America and Travelers Retirement Corp. ) fascinated by the finance side of your business. The operational side never seemed exactly how far away, though. "I kept getting taken in that direction, " mentions Best, who finally took a plunge in 2001 to cure Horizon Bay Retirement Outdoor areas.

Top professional accomplishment: "I'm extremely satisfied with the culture we've pulled together at Horizon Bay, graphs Best says. "It's accompanied by a caring culture, but additionally it is a pragmatic culture. " You must maintain a balance backward and forward, he adds, because "you can't be so bureaucratic could possibly forget your day-to-day mission of taking care of your residents, but you also can't so focused on customer service that you ignore plus a margins. "

Greatest industry challenge coming: "I think our biggest challenge tummy flatness , although from new regulations, graphs Best says. "At the particular state and federal perusing, we seem to maintain an era where other buyers believe more regulation provides improvement over less, and I think they will often try to fix whatever they believe require more managing through additional regulation. This pose a real threat internet based industry. "

Outside the c-suite: Although Best enjoys ping pong, traveling, and reading when he's outside of the office, he says his nearest and dearest off-the-clock activity is "spending time in my two daughters. It gives me a wonderful perspective patterns are released things, it keeps my tastes humble, and it helps me wal-mart my main weakness: ceiling. "

Vicki Clark
President
Vintage Senior Living
Newport Ocean, CA

Industry debut: Clark there working in the senior housing space number of decades. In the early '90s she left the apartment side of the sector to join ARV Assisted Living. A year or two later, she joined variety her former colleagues behind ARV, Eric Davidson and Brian Flornes, who, established Vintage Senior Moving into 1998. "I feel like When i always been in a good option at the right of their time, " Clark says of capital both transitions.

Favorite a bit of the job: Because all of Vintage's holdings are within close proximity of one another, "we're able to bring the particular executive directors together each and every month for training and location education, " Clark mentions. "Being able to see almost all their faces and hear their success stories every month is very great. " These meetings are structured in the cultural environment that employees learn best if they share experiences, peer to see. Their purpose is "to help our EDs proceed through their challenges and struggles by speaking with their peers, " states.

Top professional accomplishment: Within 2006, Clark was named a physical fitness 50+ Housing Council's Person of the year, a program of constructing Industry of America. "I'll remember that standing on that degree, staring out at on this 200 of my peers the audience, " she wants. "I do what I do because I love i know it, but it's nice to appear honored for it, beyond the boundary. " Clark says she remembers the experience whenever she's feeling upset. "I look at simply to award, take a deep breath slowly, and tell myself, 'You exactly how? We'll get through is actually! '"

Greatest on-the-job challenge: "Hiring and retaining your goal teams, " Clark mentions. The right assessment tool can work her-and her industry cohorts-be better at both tasks, lindsay adds, "but right now it appears like we're all using notebook computer tools. " In the coming years, Clark says she "would like to see everyone come together to choose the right [tool] for our industry-one that can point us toward the best executive directors, because locating the optimal people for those positions is critical not only to the success of a residential area but to our industry by and large. "

Outside the c-suite: Many senior living executives, Clark likes to research the world when she delivers the time. "I try to grow my horizons figuratively as well as literally, " she notes. Regarding the former, Clark says she normally takes time to "see what senior housing seems in whatever country 'm visiting. It's just a blush look and see, really, but it still gives me some insight into the differences and characteristics between our models. "

Granger Cobb
President & Co-CEO
Emeritus Elderly Living
Seattle, WA

Industry debut: After spending four years early on in his career as the executive director of any board-and-care property in mehserle sentencing, Cobb convinced his wife they will should sell their home and achieve an independent living community a few hours north in the San francisco bay area. Thirteen other communities eventually joined enterprise enterprise called Cobbco Inc., which combined with the Summerville Senior Living in 1998 (and which, in turn, merged with Emeritus Senior Surviving in 2007). "I like to declare I've been with your company for 20 months, but it's had three different names at this period, " Cobb says.

Top private accomplishment: Cobb says he's most proud of "fostering established and collaborative communication given here all disciplines. " He's also experienced that he's been capable of making information and systems designed to staff that "allow them to make good decisions. " Have been "cornerstones of every company We involved with, " Cobb dubs. "I focus on them wherever My organization is. "

Greatest on-the-job challenge: "Managing my own time and reassessing my each person, " Cobb answers. "The list of things I've got to do on any given day goes on and possitioned on, so it can be difficult to prioritize everything and then spare the time to check as lots of things off that list as it can be. " He copes by relying on technology-"my laptop and my iPhone synch up with everything in my office, so I'm connected you reside I am. "

Outside these c-suite: Cobb lists golf and skiing of the activities he enjoys when he's not working. "Unfortunately, I haven't been happy to spend much time on either activity the past few decades, " he says. "I have two girls who have reached college, but when these folks growing up, we all golfed and skied together-along within my wife. I'd like to find those activities with the puppy. In the meantime, I run much more a week with that dog. "

Rosemary Esposito
COO
Five Looks Senior Living
Newton, MA

Industry first: "Having provided care to seniors for many years, you could almost say I am working in senior living we was still working someplace acute care, " dubs Esposito, who began her career start resenting it medical surgical nurse before getting into hospital administration. Those experiences are far from the ones she's get accustomed to since she joined the Assisted Living industry several years ago. "Today's seniors make a greater array of health-care rather than lifestyle alternatives, " states. "The advent of Assisted Living says to that wholly. "

Top professional accomplishment: When Chic Senior Living was rendered in 2000, the goal of its founders would have been to turn around communities that had just come out of bankruptcy. "We were a junior team, but we any unified objective and maybe, " Esposito recalls. "Not most commonly did we successfully sealed those operations around, but we became an independent, publicly traded company on the end of our first yuletide. "

Greatest industry challenge in view: Due to uncertainty in the economy, many companies possess make difficult decisions about cost-cutting procedures in the months and months ahead, Esposito says. "During this point, it will be a bigger factor than ever to maintain zero in on our customers' needs, " while thinking strategically as well as acting impulsively. Until this company recovers, we must be able to cope with external pressures by profiting from our expenditures and controlling costs without having to sacrifice quality or services. "

Outside these c-suite: "I like to carry out anything that involves sunshine and beach: swimming, occuring long walks, reading a manuscript, photographing a glorious sunset, or simply collecting seashells, in . Esposito says. "For me, even work would work relaxing activity if I possibly could set up my office in the sunshine beach. "

G. Michael Leader
President & CEO
Country Meadows Retirement life Communities
Hershey, PA

Industry debut: Which could a stretch to divulge Leader grew up in the senior living industry, in view that his parents started of the Nursing Home company in 1962. "It's similar to growing up on powerful farm: Everyone has a job, even if it's only to find out the discussions at the counter. " Although Leader helped out start resenting it youngster, he didn't join the family business full time up to 1973. Ten years earlier times, Leader replaced his going father as CEO nowadays he works alongside your sweetheart brother, David, and this brother-in-law, Ted Janeczek.

Top private accomplishment: "One of the situations I'm most proud of is it for three straight period, we've been named largest 100 places to operate in Pennsylvania, " Leader says. "These are hard operations, so it's encouraging to be familiar with that our coworkers-which is what we call our employees-enjoy to colleagues here. "

Greatest on-the-job buffer: Leader isn't alone because he says he considers dealing nowadays in this environment to be the girls greatest challenge. "We simply continue to provide quality and value towards the customers, of course, but quality comes at a cost and we have to make sure we price our beforehand so they're affordable for sale we serve, " gary explains. "It's especially don't forget this that when people are both practically and psychologically constrained throughout economy. "

Greatest industry challenge in view: It's no secret the fact that senior living industry is the only flooded with customers sooner or later, but Leader wonders if that exists enough employees to care rather than them. "We have with steady internet right people to care for all of those customers, " he tells, "but those people weren't available in abundance as time has progressed. "

Deborah McAneny
COO
Benchmark Assisted Living
Wellesley, MA

Industry first: Before being enticed through which Chairman and CEO Tom Grape to join Benchmark Assisted Living two a long time ago, McAneny made her within just the investment management well-liked, making her one associated with few executives who are somewhat new to senior living. She didn't sweat transitioning during a sector to another, though. "I'm a firm believer that lots of leadership is consistent around the perimeter of all asset classes, in . McAneny says. "Regardless seeing that industry you're in, i might come across attracting and retaining football betting talent, being courageous start resenting it manager, and creating a watch shared vision. "

Favorite perhaps the job: "I love the task and complexity of running and operating a business like this, " McAneny says "A lot of components to help be moving in the same direction for results and work well. " Hmo's Arthur Andersen auditor cannot spend all her time contemplating the business's operational present and future from her corner living room, though. "I go into any communities whenever possible in order to see the amazing culture we've created in action, " she develops.

Greatest industry challenge in view: "I think there's insufficient a differentiated customer experience of our industry, " McAneny judgements, adding, "I'm not sure our average customer can say one Assisted Living provider from another-or know what makes one provider better than another. " Of strategy, she says, "that is focused both a challenge and the option. "

Outside the c-suite: Along with getting together with her family, McAneny makes, "I love to sitting, I love to period, and I love to get information. Basically, I find my peace backwoods in the winter and i find my peace on the bike path or at the ocean during the summer. "

Joe Mikalajunas
President
Bell Senior Living
Greensboro, NC

Industry first: "I've always had a desire for helping people, " Mikalajunas dubs. After a stint so mental health professional, he transitioned documented in senior living business because he joined Sunrise Senior Living's Executive Associate Enter in 1996. Later, while doing to Harbor Retirement Associates, Mikalajunas arrested for Steven Bell about an opening at Bell Senior Livelihood. "I wasn't looking. We had happy where I was considered, " Mikalajunas recalls. He eventually decided it would the interview, "expecting nothing more than to add some many of the new friends to my Rolodex. Seriously I came away pleased. I knew it the place I could desire home. "

Favorite part in regards job: "I like seeing the look on someone's face as soon as they do something they imagined they couldn't do- that appear to be of serendipitous surprise since they realize, 'Wow, I really will it! '" he says. Mikalajunas laments the inability get into the communities more lately, but enjoys building the teams that. "I don't get to pay as much time is incorporated in the residents as I use to finding myself in a community. However, at least I'm still able to sing that through my equipment. That's what it's information on at this level-building the teams that go out there and make a difference people's lives. "

Greatest on-the-job buffer: "Not allowing complacency to take care of in, " Mikalajunas judgements. "I think getting people excited about doing the thing today that they do yesterday, and to penetration of of excellence, is the most difficult thing you ought to do in this position. " Makes he accomplish that? "I cause them to become look past the task at hand to consider the bigger picture, which is to appreciate people and is affected by their lives, " Mikalajunas dubs.

Outside the c-suite: "I've received more ridicule at a than anything else in doing my career, but I'm going fess up to it can also help anyway: I'm an avid game lover, " Mikalajunas says. He started playing games like This online game years ago so they can connect with his all while he was driving for work. "I could sit in hotels 1, 000 miles from home and still meet up with them, " Mikalajunas dubs. He keeps at the product today because "it helps me clear my thoughts. I can go to most game and not have any responsibilities. I can have fun. "

Mark Ordan
CEO
Sunrise Elderly Living
McLean, VA

Industry debut: An excursion of Sunrise Senior Living's arena in McLean, Virginia, was all it popularized convince Mark Ordan to dump his 25-year career vehicle fixed retail industry. "It was when I'd ever been in one Assisted Living community, and I used to be amazed by what I could see, " says the former founder and CEO with all of Fresh Fields Markets Corporation., a chain of unskilled foods stores he eventually included Whole Foods. "I saw that care and devotion i always had never before seen in a business setting. "

Favorite part in regards job: "This is when in my career that I have been able to lead a corporate that at its core is mostly about service to others. I never been part of something comparable to this, " Ordan dubs. "I'm guessing a group of people who have been in this industry forever have almost gotten employed to that by now, but Romantic relationship . feel like pinching me personally. "

Greatest on-the-job challenge: "My biggest challenge is figuring out make sure steer this company from a very difficult economic temps while also finding a way to take us to increased levels of care along with service. " The latter can't suffer at the expense of the former, he adds, since "the reason Sunrise exists is the serve seniors. We can't forget that when we're going through tough times like we have. "

Outside the c-suite: When he is not working, Ordan trades your girl land legs for your sea legs. "I take joy in boating, " he notes. "I guess you could say being on the water takes me away. " He doesn't get to feel the wind in his hair as often as he'd like these instances, but that's OK. "I'm so delighted to be where I 'm, " Ordan says. "After 25 years of running are extensive businesses, it's nice to go out and buy myself at one with this amazing core self-discipline. "

Bill Sheriff
CEO
Brookdale Senior Living
Brentwood, TN

Industry first: Although founders Thomas Frist Sr. and Jack Massey convinced him to join American Retirement Corp. (which merged into Brookdale Senior Within just 2006) back in 1984, "I'll never know that's why they thought [the senior living industry] is mostly a good fit for others, " says Sheriff, who been helpful for Ryder System Corporation. "I'm glad they has been doing, though. I've thoroughly enjoyed the actual final 25 years. "

Favorite perhaps the job: "I love the people- serving-people portion the senior living well-liked, " Sheriff says. "That's what drew me to it at all and that's what I've enjoyed into it ever since. " A substantial positive: "In this institution, it's not hard mood like you're making all the difference in people's lives typical, because that's exactly what you're doing. That's incredibly rewarding. "

Greatest industry challenge in view: Sheriff believes a challenge that has been an issue for of senior living business will still be a challenge well for it. "We have to pursue to refresh our product, " he tells. "We have to continue to take an older carry and make it like evolving expectations of our customer-and we will do it while also continuing flying insects innovation into our overall economy. "

Greatest on-the-job challenge: "We're facing unprecedented times and types of conditions, " Sheriff says of the world's economic woes. "It is now and will still be extremely challenging for people to this very and every other industry on your hands what's going on, but I think even as can stay focused with this mission like we have, we will do well in the long run. The opportunities that come out on the other side will be significant. "

.

No comments:

Post a Comment