Sara, you’ve had an exciting career in the health care industry.  Did you always have an interest in health care?

Sara: I had a natural interest in health care from childhood since my parents were both physicians and medical school professors.  After working in a law firm for several years doing corporate and finance work, I shifted my focus to the business of health care by joining a newly-public company that ultimately became part of CVS Health.  Over 20 years later, my involvement with health care continues with my board role at Tivity Health. With our recent Nutrisystem acquisition, we are doing some exciting things to improve the health, fitness and nutrition of health plan members and consumers. 

Beth, you are an active leader in the retail space, and also spent many years in the financial services industry.  Did you interact with the health care industry in these roles?  What has been most interesting to you as you learn more about the health space? 

Beth: I often summarize my career experience as roughly 50/50 financial services and retail from an industry perspective, 75/25 operations and technology from a discipline perspective, and 100% customer from a mission and brand leadership perspective.  With the exception of the work my team did to support a new and growing pharmacy business while I was in retail, the health care industry is new to me. I do not find this unusual, since so many new partners and innovations are entering the health care industry from other sectors.  When serving on a Board like Tivity Health, it provides an opportunity to share unique perspectives from my other leadership roles.  The health space is interesting me as it is increasingly focused on understanding the needs of the consumer, and meeting those needs with great products, experiences, technology and relationships, all which have been important elements of my previous retail and financial services experiences.

You both serve on other boards in addition to your board service at Tivity Health.  How has board service been rewarding to you?

Beth: Board service, both for a public company and non-profits, is indeed rewarding.  It’s a great leadership opportunity both personally and professionally.  I enjoy being able to work with management and staff by sharing experiences, framing questions, offering ideas, and providing candid feedback in order to help organizations meet their business or philanthropic goals. 

Sara: My corporate career took me on a roller coaster ride that went from providing legal services to a physician practice management company to serving as a senior legal executive for a Fortune 10 pharmacy services company.  Along the way, I learned so much about management, business strategy, corporate culture, governance and leadership. It is so rewarding as a board member to use the knowledge and experience I have gained over the years to provide guidance and oversight to other companies. The greatest reward of board service, however, is being able to cultivate enduring relationships with so many diverse, interesting and smart people in management and around the board table. 

Many women in WBL’s network are excited for the opportunity to serve on boards of directors.  What advice would you have for WBL members who are interested in pursuing board roles of their own?

Beth: I was told that it is difficult to “break in” to board work, and I found that to be true.  It’s important to use your network, especially connecting with those that are already serving on a board, as they are often in the best position to hear about new opportunities.  Be open to having conversations with a variety of companies, both size and industry, until you find the right company and fit.  Stay firm in moving forward only if it is the right fit with a high integrity leadership team and organization.  For me, this meant spending time exploring opportunities with several organizations to learn more, which provided practice and perspective gathering, before moving forward with a great organization like Tivity Health.

Sara: Learn what you can about what a board member really does by staying up to date on what is happening in the business world, developing relationships with corporate executives and other board members, and seeking out roles that give you exposure to board meetings. Fiduciary, advisory, and nonprofit boards and committees can offer excellent experience for learning about effective board governance and leadership. And when you do get a chance to interview for a board position, make sure you can articulate why your perspectives and skill sets will bring value to the board room. 

Who has had the greatest impact or influence on your career?

Beth: The work ethic of my parents had a huge impact on my career.  Both of them started their own businesses, worked very hard, took risks, and always treated people well.  I would also credit several specific leaders, both men and women, for having a particularly strong influence on me.  From one I learned to push the boundaries of innovation on how to get work done from another I saw first-hand the benefits of being a highly approachable senior leader, and from another I experienced the incredible impact personal thanks and genuine appreciation has on others.  Together, these experiences shaped my commitment to always work hard and to focus on bringing out the very best in others.  

Sara: My mother. She was a medical pioneer who broke through glass ceilings and was remarkably accomplished in her field of genetics, yet she also served in corporate and community leadership roles. With her as a role model, I grew up believing a professional woman could and should be “in the room where it happens.”

When first entering senior management, what helped position you for your current success and board service?

Beth: Having a wide variety of roles and experiences, or career credentials as I like to call them, really helped prepare me for senior leadership roles and board service.  A few of those experiences were less than glamorous, like leading a large collections organization with responsibility for a significant P&L, but they were game changers in terms of being accountable to deliver significant measureable results by effectively leading large global teams.  Also, given our quickly changing world, experience with business technology strategy has been extremely valuable.

Sara: Fairly early in my public company corporate career, I was named Corporate Secretary. Interfacing with and advising board members and senior executives on critical corporate, M&A, and governance matters provided me with great insight into what it means to be a good corporate director. 

Personally or professionally, what might your colleagues be surprised to learn about you?

Beth: I’m quite open, so I can’t imagine there is too much that my colleagues don’t know about me, but, for those that I haven’t met yet, I’d share that I love to read and belong to an incredible book club, I enjoying kayaking at our lake place, and my all-time favorite role is that of being a mom.

Sara: That I reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.  It was an extraordinary experience!