Krista Dusil is the Chief Financial Officer at Medica. Prior to Medica, she was the CFO at National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), formerly Be The Match (2021-24), during which time she was named Notable CFO by Twin Cities Business Magazine (2022). Dusil was CFO and CAO at Sanvello Health (2019-21) and Principal and CFO, UHG Ventures at United Health Group (2016-2019). She is a board member and the Finance Committee Chair of Minneapolis Downtown Council and a mentor with Women’s Health Leadership Trust and Menttium. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of St. Thomas and lives in Edina with her kids Landon (16) and Savannah (13).

What first sparked your interest in working in healthcare? 

Honestly, I fell into healthcare by chance. I was working at Arthur Andersen as an auditor and got to see and experience many different companies and industries. But when the Enron scandal caused the demise of the company, my manager offered to bring me with him to our biggest client in the Minneapolis office, UnitedHealth Group. As I navigated various roles at the company, I started to experience “mission moments” where I really began to feel the impact that a career in healthcare can have. 

An example of this was helping women get access to fertility benefits and coverage through our women’s health programs, and personally talking with many individuals who directly credited our program with their ability to finally have the child they had hoped and dreamed for. I received lots of baby pictures and heartfelt thank you notes from our members! Moments like these really cemented my belief that even though I came to healthcare through a chance opportunity, it is where I wanted to stay!

You’ve served as CFO for multiple companies over the years. How did you progress to this point in your career?

My career goal was to be a very operationally-based and strategic CFO. My career path was not “up the ladder;” I consider it more of a jungle gym! I took a detour from the finance function and expanded my experience into other functional areas including product development and operations. I knew I would learn so much more about the business by being IN business roles, and that experience has paid off. I’ve now had CFO roles in a start-up, in a mid-size non-profit, and now a larger-scale non-profit. I love the key aspect of building a sustainable business model to fulfill our mission today and for years to come!

You just attended WBL’s annual networking dinner at Jeannine M. Rivet’s home in Minnesota. Tell us about the experience — what’s special about getting together with other WBL members in person? 

As many WBL women may tell you, this is one of my favorite events on the WBL calendar! Jeannine is beyond amazing to host this dinner each and every year. Her home is spectacular, and the event never disappoints. When you walk down to the patio with so many women sharing the excitement of the evening, the energy is palpable! It’s about reconnecting with women you’ve had long-standing relationships with as well as meeting new individuals each year. It’s fun to find the common connections among us and determine what I can do to help each woman I speak with. It’s a magical event!

Personally or professionally, what might the WBL network be surprised to know about you? 

One of my favorite activities is golfing and I am passionate about getting more women out to play. You only get better the more you play — so find a group of women you feel comfortable with and get out there and have fun with it! It’s a lifelong sport, it’s fantastic networking in business, and it’s fresh air and exercise. Catch a video here where I talk about why golf is so important to me.