Becker's Hospital Review

48 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP New UPMC CEO Leslie Davis talks leadership style, growth strategy By Kelly Gooch L eslie Davis was chosen to succeed Jeffrey Romoff as president and CEO of Pitts- burgh-based UPMC. Her first day on the job was Aug. 1, the health system said. Before becoming CEO, Ms. Davis was pres- ident of UPMC's health services division. She also previously was president of UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh from 2004 to 2018, and then served as COO of UP- MC's health services division. As CEO, she oversees more than 92,000 em- ployees, 40 hospitals, 800 physician offices and outpatient sites, and an insurance services di- vision with 4 million members. She told Becker's she is excited about helming the $23 billion healthcare provider and insurer. "I'm feeling great. I have a great team around me. I have had the opportunity to work at UPMC for the past 17 years aer coming from the Philadelphia market, and so mostly it feels very natural," Ms. Davis said. Here, Ms. Davis discusses her leadership style and growth strategy for UPMC. Leadership style Ms. Davis described herself as a transparent and communicative leader. She said she's always tak- en that approach and expects to continue. "I am very excited and delighted to have this opportunity to support our excellence in pa- tient care and patient experiences," she said. "at's very important to me." Ms. Davis said she's also focused on support- ing UPMC employees, as well as growing the organization's insurance products and "shap- ing tomorrow as a forward-thinking academic medical center." Growth strategy "I think over the next year we will continue to leverage our growth strategy as we transition many of our programs, our signature service lines across the Commonwealth of Pennsyl- vania, into western Maryland, into southwest New York. Taking our existing products and services and improving the care that's offered in the communities we serve is the next part of our growth strategy," Ms. Davis said. She said UPMC will also continue to develop outpatient centers in many of the regions sur- rounding Pittsburgh, and it will continue to use technology and virtual care to connect to pa- tients who may not want to travel to a facility. Ms. Davis said she has worked with Mr. Ro- moff during her entire career at UPMC, and she is honored to have the responsibility her predecessor had in leading the organization. Mr. Romoff, who began at UPMC 48 years ago and has led the organization since 1992, has been named president emeritus. He will con- tinue in that position until Oct. 1. n Viewpoint: If you want to fill your C-suite with women, try these 3 things By Hannah Mitchell M any companies are focusing on diversity and in- clusion in their recruitment strategies, but some are still far behind in gender equality. An invest- ment fund partner shared three strategies for leaders seeking to put more women in the C-suite in an Aug. 10 op-ed published in Fortune. The number of women leading Fortune 500 companies was a record-breaking 41 in 2021, yet women make up just 8.2 percent of the cohort's total. In a 2021 global gender equity survey, 47 percent of female chiefs of companies with reve- nue between $10 million and $1 billion said their gender was an obstacle. That number was less than 2 percent for men. In her viewpoint piece, Allison Long Pettine, managing part- ner of the private investment firm Ridge Group Investments, explored three strategies that can help recruit more women into the C-suite. 1. Stop comparing women to masculine stereotypes for success. Women who are competing for an executive position or for startup funding may be up against mostly male competi- tors. The people hiring or allocating funding may also be men. Women are compared to their male competitors and can get left behind if they don't match up to male-centered stereotypes on what makes a good leader. To avoid letting unconscious biases seep through, the au- thor and her team make a conscious effort when evaluating pitches to look at what makes a company unique. She said she encourages female founders to lead and think differ- ently to create new patterns for success. 2. Reevaluate what makes a candidate 'risky.' Many companies say they're embracing diversity and in- clusion. However, some companies default to candidates who look similar to people already holding executive po- sitions. Someone who breaks the mold can feel risky. The perceived risk people have for women is usually based on inaccuracies. For example, women put more work in while at work than men, a study found. 3. Embrace the conflict. A diverse group of people will not all think alike. A com- pany that is committed to valuing diversity and innovation will have to learn to love the conflict that it brings. Leaders should recognize that welcoming unique leaders can also create many opportunities to learn. n

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