Why are you excited to join VillageReach?
There are many aspects to VillageReach that have me excited about my role at the organization. Among these, there are three that are most notable:
First, my personal world view –that people have a right to equitable access to health care—is at the heart of VillageReach’s mission.
Second, and more fundamentally, the emphasis on the last mile sits hand-in-glove with my perspective that to maximize impact, a solution must be carefully targeted to where the system is breaking down.
Third, I subscribe fully (as does VillageReach) to the idea that policy, technology, innovation and partnerships are essential multipliers of scale and impact.
What are you bringing to VillageReach as its new Vice President?
This is a dynamic role. It requires program leadership, team and talent management, and working closely with governments, partners and the private sector. Savvy business acumen along with strategic leadership will be critical in driving impact across all the programs in our portfolio. It is especially advantageous to have contextual knowledge of health systems, and I have had the opportunity to work in seven of the eight countries in which VillageReach has programs. The breadth of my career has required a fluency in all these competencies, which I am excited to bring to VillageReach.
At VillageReach we value innovation, however we know that innovation and risk go hand in hand. As a leader, what is your perspective on this?
My perspective is that the enemy of innovation isn’t a little chaos or randomness, but autocratic order. Maintaining a healthy balance, one that doesn’t swing the pendulum too far on either side, is a leadership call.
What does success look like as Vice President of VillageReach?
For me, success is about impact. If we can deliver it (implementation), and if we can demonstrate it (evidence), and if we can display it (communication), then we’ve succeeded.
As you take this role on – what quote best describes your current perspective and why?
“Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”
In this eloquent statement, Stephen Covey aptly summarizes two of the essential defining elements of success: improving and proving.
What is a question you’d ask yourself in this Q&A and how would you answer it?
My question is, “Why are we doing what we’re doing?” And the answer I would like to be true is “because we are making a difference for the better.”