I’m a technology and transformation executive who helps complex organizations translate strategy into measurable operational outcomes.

Over the past 15+ years, I’ve partnered directly with Presidents and executive leadership teams across healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, and retail, including multiple Fortune 50–500 enterprises. My work has focused on enterprise transformation, operating model change, and disciplined execution—from CRM and ERP modernization to analytics- and AI-enabled decisioning.

Across roles, I’ve delivered outcomes such as:

→ Supporting $1B–$2B business units as an embedded technology and transformation leader
→  Leading $20M+ enterprise portfolios aligned to growth, margin, and operational resilience
→  Unlocking $4M+ annual cost savings, improving manufacturing throughput and execution efficiency
→  Scaling customer experience and commercial platforms while maintaining regulatory rigor

What differentiates me is not strategy alone, but building the operating reality that makes it stick—aligning leaders, teams, and investment decisions to deliver results in complex, regulated environments.

Since mid-2025, I’ve also taken on select advisory engagements, supporting leadership teams with operating model design, CRM optimization, and execution discipline while exploring senior executive and consulting leadership opportunities.

I’m currently engaging with organizations seeking senior leaders who can bridge strategy, technology, and execution. I welcome conversations where I can add significant value with a focus on transformation, operational excellence, and scalable growth.

Book time with me:
https://cal.com/nicksimsco

Nick Sims

Greetings!

If you are a CEO, CHRO, Chief Diversity Officer. VP/Head of Talent or other C-suite leader, I want to ask how you are helping your organization navigate this challenging climate & prepare for a more inclusive, more prosperous future?  As a Talent Strategist & People Architect with DHR Global - a Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firm – I’ve asked this question of current and future clients.

In my conversations with healthcare & life sciences executives, I’ve noticed that their goals & initiatives are to:

✅ Innovate quickly & ethically 
✅ Improve quality of care & patient outcomes 
✅ Eliminate health disparities
✅ Improve the patient experience
✅ Facilitate an efficient & profitable go to market (GTM) strategy & process (growth hacking)
✅ Hire, engage & retain a diverse workforce
✅ Strengthen governance

In my conversations I have discovered internal challenges such as: 

👎🏽 No talent acquisition &/or retention KPIs,
👎🏽 Overwhelmed Recruiters with little time to upskill
👎🏽 Non-existent / inconsistent sourcing, recruiting & onboarding processes
👎🏽 Old technology not able to meet current & emerging needs for applicant tracking (ATS/HCM/HRIS)
👎🏽 Insufficient talent market knowledge / data
👎🏽 Little time to focus on sourcing critical top talent to stabilize, scale & transform the organization
👎🏽 Even less time to be proactive & engage talent opportunistically in order to dominate the market
👎🏽 No time to develop a diversity strategy & execute to increase representation, equity & foster belonging

My commitment is to minimize your pain, maximize your joy & guide your organization to better outcomes:

👍🏽 No more failed assignments
👍🏽 No more excessively long vacancies
👍🏽 No more homogeneous candidate slates
👍🏽 No more communication breakdowns or lack of transparency
👍🏽 No more resenting placement fees because of low value partnerships or inflexible cost structures

My personalized approach to Executive Search and Talent Advisory is different.  I help my clients compete in a tight talent market to win the war for talent by leveraging an unparalleled industry network, using insightful market data, compelling positioning & magnetic messaging.

⭐ I also work with mature organizations that: 
⚕️ Have an urgent assignment
⚕️ Need a very niche role filled 
⚕️ Lack diverse candidate slates 
⚕️ Have an overloaded internal TA team

If you want a strategic partner who will make your organization smarter, faster & more agile, please email me at ahenderson@dhrglobal.com

Reach, Resourcefulness & Relationships - the DHR way.

Andrea Henderson

This is just too much!

I keep thinking about 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗲𝗺𝗼̈𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿's words, written from the regret of staying silent too long:

"𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵
𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵
𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵
𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘴
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵
𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘑𝘦𝘸

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵
𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦"

I think about 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗹 declaring: 

"𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴. 𝘕𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘳, 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮. 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳, 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥."

And I think about what 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗿. reminded us: 

"𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴."

𝗧𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀:
Your 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦𝘴 are watching—and they already know where you stand by what you're NOT saying.

Your 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 are watching—and they're making decisions about who to support based on your values, or your lack of them.

Your 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 are watching—and they will ask you someday what you did during this time.

𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 is watching—and it has a long memory for those who chose comfort over courage.

You are allowed to say, at any point, "I can't support this."

Even if you did before. 
Even if you were unsure. 
Even if it's politically complicated. Even if you're afraid.

You can say "this has gone too far."

The best time to say that was earlier.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗪

Andrea Henderson, SPHR, CIR, RACR

Exec Search Pro helping biotech, value-based care, digital health companies & hospitals hire transformational C-suite & Board leaders. Partner, Life Sciences, Healthcare, Diversity, Board Search | Board Member | Investor

I sent my son a text to ask what he wanted me to send him for his birthday. 

He said "anything homey." 

I text him back "Fo' shizzle, my nizzle!" 

He just wanted decorations for his apartment. 😳

Too much Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party for me I guess! 

#2016 #TrendingOnIG

———————-

Anyway, I’m writing a book. I’m taking my time. I don’t know when it will be finished (just being honest).

Want an invite to the launch party? Get notified when it’s released?
Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eRgxeJB6

No alternative text description for this image

The missed opportunity. The uncomfortable truth. 

What I’ve learned that changed how I approach events.

Deals don't move because of resumes or pitch decks alone.

They move because of 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

That's why I'm attending the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐉𝐏𝐌 next Monday - and why my preparation started weeks ago.

Too many brilliant executives assume excellence will eventually speak for itself. It won't. Not in an ecosystem where capital and opportunity are still unevenly distributed and often recycled among familiar faces.

What BLOC does is create 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲 to decision-makers, sponsors (not just mentors), and conversations that happen before the board deck is finalized.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭. Here's how I've learned to make it count:

1️⃣ 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝. 
A quick message to folks I know will be there: "I'll be at BLOC on the 12th - would love to grab 10 minutes to catch up about [specific thing]." It transforms random encounters into real conversations.

2️⃣ 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫. 
Who can I introduce to each other? What insights from my work might be valuable to share? Networking works better when it's reciprocal.

3️⃣ 𝐈 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩. 
This is where I used to drop the ball. Now I block time the week after to send those emails and make those introductions I promised.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲, whether or not you're at JPM this year:
→ Stop treating networking like small talk and start treating it like strategy.
→ Be clear about why you need to be in certain rooms and what value you bring once you're there.
→ Invest in relationships before you need them, not when you're desperate for an introduction.

Leadership isn't just about being qualified. It's about being 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 when the moment opens.

If you're attending JPM and will be at the BLOC reception, I'd love to connect.

𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥. Let's build it on purpose.

#JPM2026 #BiopharmaLeadership #BLOC #IntentionalNetworking #Leadership

Twenty years ago, I was a Recruiter whose inner child was scared to color outside the lines.

I was an individual-contributor whose job was to find candidates who met the criteria on the job description and to follow directions carefully. 

I believed that if I executed perfectly, no one could question my judgment or my right to be in the room.   

I was the buck-tooth Black girl who learned early that one misstep could be read as confirmation—about my race, my gender, my capacity. I watched others take risks and recover but I learned to play it safe, because the cost of coloring outside the lines felt too high. 

One error could become a referendum on your intelligence, your professionalism, your fit. 

That belief came from fear, not ambition. 

My ambition told me to stack credentials. Talent sourcing. Business school. Venture investing. Board readiness. AI. I wasn’t chasing prestige. I was trying to be unassailable. I wanted enough fluency that no one could dismiss my perspective as naïve or incomplete—so no one could question my intelligence, my judgment, or my right to be there. 

What I didn’t understand at the time was that this over-preparation was both a shield and a training ground. The survival strategy I was using would eventually become my launch pad. 

Over time, that accumulation of knowledge changed how I show up. 

Today, I work with boards and C-suite leaders, and I don’t confuse compliance with competence. I’m not there to fill orders or take direction mindlessly. If I think something is wrong, I’ll say it. If the path isn’t clear, I’ll think alongside you. If the answer isn’t obvious, I’ll coach you through it. You don’t have to be perfect, and I’m not keeping score. 

What I would tell my younger self now is that she was always worthy of being in the room. That growth requires mistakes. That she never owed anyone perfection, and she never had to carry the burden of representing everyone. Owning your power and using your agency isn’t arrogance. It’s leadership.

Now when a CEO tells me they need "someone who can hit the ground running," I ask what they're actually running toward. When a board says "culture fit," I help them articulate what culture they're trying to build.

That evolution is what I bring to my clients—helping boards and CEOs build future-ready leadership teams and see what’s possible, not just what’s familiar.

If you're building a leadership team for what's coming, let's talk.

Happy Founders’ Day!

The first three weeks of January are Founders’ Week for five Black Greek Letter Organizations.

I usually send individual Happy Founders’ Day messages right on time but this year moved fast, and life was life-ing. So instead of silence, I’m choosing recognition because legacy doesn’t expire on a calendar date.

So here it is …with love and respect …to my Divine 9 sisters and brothers whose organizations were born in January:

❤️🤍 Kappa Alpha Psi - Jan 5
💙🤍 Phi Beta Sigma -   Jan 9
❤️🤍 Delta Sigma Theta - Jan 13
💗💚 Alpha Kappa Alpha - Jan 15
💙🤍 Zeta Phi Beta — Jan 16

Because BGLOs pledge for life, our commitment doesn’t end with graduation. It shows up in mentorship, service, advocacy, community building, and often the quiet work no one claps for.

The five BGLOs founded in January (including my own beloved AKA 💕💚) are all over 100 years old …a reminder that Black leadership, scholarship, service, and collective power were never seasonal. They were intentional. Strategic. Necessary.

Happy Founders’ Day to those who came before us, stand beside us, and are still carrying the work forward.

Next up:
🤎💛 Iota Phi Theta - Sep 19
💙💛Sigma Gamma Rho - Nov 12
💜💛 Omega Psi Phi - Nov 17
🖤💛 Alpha Phi Alpha - Dec 4

Legacy lives longer than a post. But even late posts can still honor legacy.

I haven’t recapped my experience at JPM last week yet

even though I met so many colleagues, new friends, and learned a ton.

There were meetings scheduled weeks in advance.
Impromptu meetups.
A visit to DHR’s SF office.
And receptions… receptions… receptions.

Handshakes and hugs everywhere. 

And then on the way home, a middle seat next to a man who very generously shared his germs with me. Even with my mask on. 😷🦠

By weekend, I had a full-blown head cold. I sounded like Sniffleupogus from Sesame Street and looked like “who did it and ran” 

On Monday, Zoom filters were doing the Lord’s work 🥸. 

I rescheduled what I could. But not everything.

Hearing me struggle to breathe, one client chastised me: 
“Why are you working?!”

Fair question.

The honest answer is…
I have an offer out. Negotiation in progress. Start date in danger of getting pushed further out.
So I pushed through.

I’m sharing this because I’m actively trying to drink my own self-care Kool-Aid… 

and realizing how hard it is for ambitious people to actually rest without guilt.

❄️ So for everyone in the path of the snowstorm: 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞.

And maybe, just maybe, try getting some 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭.

I’m working on it too.

Tomorrow, I’m joining HITLAB  Breakthrough Alliance as a guest for a conversation focused on how investors are evaluating talent during due diligence.

The Breakthrough Alliance exists to close the gap between innovation and adoption. It brings founders, researchers, operators, and industry leaders together around validation, evidence, and pathways to scale …what it really takes to move digital health innovation from promise to real-world impact.

This work matters to me because I’ve spent my career at the intersection of talent, leadership, and the systems that decide what gets funded, scaled, and trusted. I’ve watched capable innovators—especially women and underestimated leaders—build solutions that could meaningfully improve outcomes, only to be slowed by opaque standards and inaccessible networks. Helping innovation become legible to power isn’t abstract to me. It’s personal.

If you attend, here’s the shift you should expect:
	•	From idea-driven → evidence-anchored
	•	From building in isolation → connected to real decision-makers
	•	From pilot purgatory → clear paths to adoption
	•	From uncertainty → clarity on credibility, impact, and scale

If you care about healthcare innovation that actually reaches patients and providers, I hope you’ll join us.

#DigitalHealth
#HealthInnovation
#HealthcareTransformation
#HealthTech

I was skeptical. I was wrong.

Check out the lessons I learned from watching Kim Kardashian's MasterClass.

#KimKardashian

View newsletter: The Modern Executive Almanac

I was skeptical. I'll own that. I rolled my eyes. Hard. I told myself there was nothing Kim Kardashian could teach me about business, resilience, or s

Open article: What Can You Learn from Kim Kardashian’s MasterClass About Turning Adversity into Leverage? by Andrea Henderson, SPHR, CIR, RACR • 8 min read

What Can You Learn from Kim Kardashian’s MasterClass About Turning Adversity into Leverage?

I Was Skeptical. I Was Wrong.


When I saw that Kim Kardashian had a MasterClass, I was very skeptical.

I'll own that. I rolled my eyes. Hard.

I told myself there was nothing Kim Kardashian could teach me about business, resilience, or strategy.

And that assumption was lazy and arrogant.

What I found wasn't celebrity fluff
 ➵ it was a blueprint for building when everyone underestimates you.

I watched Kim Kardashian's MasterClass, and I was struck by her discipline. The ability to see outward even while dealing with her own internal struggles. The ruthless clarity about who she is, what she offers, and how power actually moves.

She is confident but it’s not a performative confidence. It’s the kind built from being underestimated in public and winning anyway.

She understands adversity as raw material, not something to explain away. 

It’s something to monetize, reframe, and outgrow.

I wasn't alone in noticing this.
Apryl Beverly, MBA in Marketing  watched the MasterClass too, and she was also struck by Kim's confidence. Apryl wanted to know where it came from. She wanted to know why people like herself—highly credentialed, accomplished, successful—don't always have that same unshakable belief that Kim has.

Apryl wrote: "𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 '𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠.'"

That hit hard.

Because that's the difference between Kim Kardashian and most people trying to build something:
She didn't wait for permission to belong. 
She didn't collect more credentials to prove she deserved a seat. 

She just decided she belonged and then built an empire to prove it.

And here's the lesson I got from her:
Don't shrink from your insecurities. Share them. Talk about them. Build from them. Monetize them.

Look, I'm not idolizing Kim. I'm interrogating my own blind spots. I'm noticing where my ego disguises itself as discernment. I'm remembering that mastery doesn't always arrive wrapped in the packaging we expect.

What many people forget about her story is that Kim didn't just "change the narrative." She studied it, outworked it, and then rewrote it on her own terms.

Another lesson I got from her:
You don't have to convince the critics. 
You just have to outgrow them. Outwork them. 
Outshine them.

Want my full breakdown?

Read the full piece in my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eiGjUNs6

I'm glad I listened to the Masterclass.

Kim Kardashian reminded me that “ready” is a myth.

So I’ll tell you: 
❌ You don't need more preparation. 
✔️ You need more courage. 
❌ You don't need more validation. 
✔️ You need more conviction.

Because the next billion-dollar idea isn't going to come from someone who fits the mold.

It's going to come from someone who broke it.

Kim Kardashian’s Masterclass

I’m excited to join Fierce JPM Week Virtual on January 21 to 23. It’s a complimentary event bringing together voices from across biopharma and healthcare.

Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ej-hFDJR

Hear fresh perspectives on dealmaking, regulatory shifts, AI strategy, women’s health innovation, and emerging scientific breakthroughs. Join the conversation shaping the year ahead.

#FierceJPMWeek #WeAreFierce Fierce Life Sciences Events

Thank you for your support of the Biotech CEO Sisterhood! The sea of women and allies in pink was huge!

 …and look who made the Cooley LLP  highlight reel 💃🏽
Hint: slide 2 

#jpm2026 #womeninbiotech #executivetalent

This is what leadership looks like! Today, we united (in pink) to spotlight women in biotech and pharma. Cooley is proud to support advocacy initiatives like the Biotech CEO Sisterhood that are championing women in the c-suite. Here's to driving progress – together.  

#BiotechCEOSisterhood
#BreakThroughWithCooley
#JPM2026

𝐀𝐬𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡. 

I listened to Charles Duhigg, author of Supercommunicators, on the Jefferson Fisher podcast and he shared his insights about what the best communicators do differently. 

His tips are about the art of asking question to build authentic connection. What I took away is that this is super important for all the aspiring board directors I speak with.

I recently sat across from someone I'd been trying to connect with for months. He mentioned losing his mother last year. Without thinking, I said, "I'm so sorry—I lost my mom too."

I meant well but I made a critical mistake. In my eagerness to show empathy, to reciprocate vulnerability, I'd done the opposite. I'd taken the conversation away from him and made it about me.

I should have asked: "What was your mother like?" I should have allowed him to say more.

Duhigg's insight is deceptively simple: 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭. If they didn't want to discuss it, they wouldn't bring it up. 

I was concerned about being awkward or too personal. But he says there's actually no resistance to deep questions—only to deep questions 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑦.

So go slow. One small question.

What did you think about that?
What'd you say next?
How did that land for you?

Look for them to give you an invitation to know more…and then accept that invitation. 
Follow their lead.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞. 

We think landing a board seat is about proving our value. But you can't de-risk your candidacy through credentials alone. 

You do it by building trust, by being knowable, by engaging in genuine conversation.

Duhigg shares that 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝟏𝟎-𝟐𝟎𝐱 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 than everyone else. 

And they ask a particular kind of question—not "What board are you on?" but "What made you want to serve on that board?" 

Not asking about facts. Ask about feelings. Ask about thoughts.

I'm still learning this. My instinct is still to match, to share, to connect through similarity. 

But I'm trying something different now: Listen longer. Ask deeper. Let the other person be known first.

Then maybe they'll want to know more about me too.

💡 I'm thinking about hosting a group session on asking better questions in your board search. 

Is that a good idea? Would you join? If there's enough interest, I'll set up a registration link.

**********
📸: Picture of me with Board Director and Investor, Mica Eades Mayo, at JPM posted for attention.

There is no CPT code for menopause.

CPT stands for 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲.
It’s a standardized set of numeric codes used in U.S. healthcare to describe what care was provided: a visit, a test, a procedure, a service.

If it happens in medicine, it’s supposed to have a code.

𝑁𝑜 𝐶𝑃𝑇 𝑐𝑜𝑑𝑒 = 𝑛𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑚𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡.

If there’s no code, insurers can’t pay. If insurers don’t pay, providers don’t offer the service …or they offer it sparingly, quietly, or only to those who can pay out of pocket.

So imagine…
No standalone code for the biological transition that every woman who lives long enough will experience. 

No code to document
🥵 the hot flashes, 
🛌 insomnia, 
🦿 joint pain, 
😶‍🌫️ brain fog, 
😰 anxiety, 
🫀 cardiac risk shifts, 
🦴 bone loss, 
😩 sexual pain, 
or the way your body suddenly feels unfamiliar while you’re still expected to perform at peak capacity.

Uncoded.

And what’s uncoded is often unmeasured.
What’s unmeasured is under-researched.
What’s under-researched is under-treated.
And what’s under-treated becomes a private burden—managed quietly by women who are told it’s “just aging,” “just stress,” or “just in your head.”

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.
𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞.

𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭.
𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. 

And until that changes, women will keep paying 
in productivity, 
health, 
confidence, 
and years of their lives
…for something medicine still refuses to name properly.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐈’𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐉𝐏𝐌 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤. 

Not to check boxes on Jessica Karr’s brilliant Women's Health Bingo card (though yes, I'll be in that pink power suit tomorrow 💖).

I'm here because real progress requires moving past the surface-level conversations. It requires uncomfortable truths, new data, and people willing to challenge systems that weren't built with women's health in mind.

If you're at JPM and want to talk about what it actually takes to make menopause visible …and reimbursable …find me this week. I'll be ready to get the right people in the room to make it happen.

#menopause #jpm2026 #womenshealth #healthequity

Reba Auslander Linda Phelan Dyson, MPH Samina Bari Julie Castro Abrams Reetu Gupta Jennifer Lee CDI.D Erika Stuart Yaa Bruce Trellis Usher Abenaa (Abby) Hayes (she/her/hers) Faith Miller-Sethi, DrPH, MPH Christine Ann Miller

Coyote Ventures Founder & Managing Partner - health equity & women's health investing

Happy Monday and JPM kickoff!

Women’s health is once again a major theme this year- bigger, louder, and more visible than ever. To mark the moment (and have a little fun with it), Coyote Ventures is launching Women’s Health Bingo.

Here’s how to play:
Print or screenshot a random card (there are 20 options on this link)
Fill it out as the week unfolds
Tag me on LinkedIn
Bonus points if you find me in real life

One random winner will receive a ticket to our Health Equity Innovators Summit on April 16 in San Francisco!

Why did we create this?
After spending years in women’s health, we started noticing a pattern: many conversations recycle the same high-level talking points. At this point, some of them could be generated by ChatGPT in under a minute. We’re challenging the ecosystem to go beyond the basics and lead with new data, actionable insights, and real progress.

And yes, if you’re wearing a pink power suit or announce you're new Women's Health fund at JPM, more power to you. We just couldn’t resist adding a little humor to the mix. 😇 

Let the games begin. See you at JPM.
(Link in comments)

Priyanka Vaidya Maria Molland Milan Gupta Chavarkar, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, IFMCP, MSCP Randi Seigel Rohini Rajgopal Dr. Charlyn Belluzzo Mika Eddy Angela Rastegar Noel Pugh Liz Powell Neda Razavi, MBA Corina Khalessi Molly Maloof Saki Oshima Alice Zheng Stasia Obremskey Carli Sapir Anu Sharma Reba Auslander

Nobody cares what you say.


They care what you do.

Your actions are your résumé. 

Your opinions are just the cover letter.

Happy Sunday. 🌍

Being fired isn’t the red flag. Pretending it didn’t happen is.

I’ve worked with enough boards to know that executives who try to hide setbacks or gloss over them often underestimate how transparent those gaps already are. 

What matters in due diligence is whether someone understands why things went wrong.

Can they name the dynamics? Their role in it? What they’d do differently next time? Do they recognize a cultural mismatch, a failure to build coalition, or resistance to a market pivot that was required?

When a candidate can articulate this clearly, it’s not a weakness—it’s evidence of judgment. The ones who can’t, or who deflect responsibility entirely, are the actual risks.

Boards don’t need flawless leaders. They need leaders who can navigate complexity, own outcomes, and adapt when conditions change. 

Getting this assessment right protects organizations from costly missteps—and prevents boards from overlooking executives who will actually succeed in their context.


#ExecutiveSearch
#CorporateGovernance
#LeadershipAssessment
#BoardOfDirectors
#TalentStrategy
#CEOSearch

If your AI voice agent is calling people at 2:24 AM, you don’t have a growth strategy—you have a compliance problem.

Your AI doesn’t get a hall pass to ignore basic human boundaries.

It’s 2:24 AM.

My phone lights up.
Not an emergency.
Not a loved one.

An AI voice agent calling to remind me a webinar has started.

Let me be clear: this isn’t “innovation.”
It’s negligence.

If you’re a business owner deploying AI voice agents and SMS automation, you are still responsible for the rules, the timing, and the human impact. Automating outreach does not absolve you of judgment.
Calling people in the middle of the night?

Texting them three times in one day?
That’s not engagement—it’s harassment.
There are regulations for a reason.
There are people on the other end of these systems for a reason.

Poorly governed AI doesn’t just risk fines or FCC scrutiny—it erodes trust, damages brands, and guarantees your message lands wrong, no matter how good your product is.

AI needs guardrails.
AI needs respect for boundaries.
AI needs adults in the room.

Because nothing makes me unsubscribe faster than being woken up by a robot that doesn’t know what time it is.

Business owners: do better.


#AIEthics
#BusinessLeadership
#TCPA
#CustomerExperience
#AIGovernance

AI Governance and AI Agents

The executive hiring lesson that changed how I think about risk at the board level.

I’ve been in enough talent calibration and selection conversations to notice a consistent pattern under pressure. 

When the stakes are high, boards tend to reach for what feels familiar—leaders who’ve already “been there,” recognizable company names, résumés that look safe. 

What often gets underweighted are the harder questions: how fast this person can learn, whether their leadership style fits the moment, and if the organization can actually absorb the kind of change they’re known for.

There are public examples that illustrate this clearly.

At J.C. Penney, the board hired a celebrated retail innovator from Apple—a leader with an extraordinary track record. The challenge wasn’t vision or intelligence. It was whether the company’s culture, customer base, and operational readiness could support the pace and style of transformation required. They couldn’t.

More recently, Starbucks appointed a highly qualified global executive from Reckitt during a period defined by frontline strain, labor complexity, and execution risk. Again, the résumé was strong. The context demanded something very specific, very fast.

The mistake isn’t valuing experience.

The mistake is assuming past experience predicts future success.

Executive hiring requires understanding whether a leader can succeed in the context you’re moving into. 

That means pressure-testing adaptability, learning curve, influence, and organizational readiness—not just credentials.

How are you evaluating whether a leader can succeed in the context you’re moving into?

I’m happy to share that I’ve obtained a new certification: Maximize Productivity With AI Tools from Google!

#GoogleCertificate #ai #LifelongLearning

🧩 Even in a Turn-and-Churn Model, Leadership Creates Value 

Let’s be real - not every private equity firm is trying to build an “enduring enterprise.” 

Many are optimizing for performance, speed, and precision within a finite hold period. 

And that’s fine. 

Because even in an accelerated value creation model, leadership creates measurable value. 

When you get leadership right, you:
✅ Accelerate integration and execution. 
✅ Increase retention and reduce unplanned CEO exits. 
✅ Elevate decision quality and speed across the portfolio. 

Leadership excellence pays off in every model, whether you plan to hold for five years or fifty. 

So if you’re serious about performance, don’t skimp on the people who make it possible. 

Invest in the Human Capital Partner and the search firms who know how to pipeline transformational talent… who see leadership assessment as due diligence, not a luxury. 

Because value creation isn’t just financial engineering. It’s human engineering.

If leadership isn’t explicitly part of your value creation plan, what’s the real lever you’re betting on?

☎️ If it is, let’s talk. I can help! 


#PrivateEquity #Leadership #OperationalExcellence #HumanCapital #PortcoPerformance #ValueCreation #ExecutiveSearch

PE Value Creation Playbook: Talent As A Value Driver

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 → 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 → 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭


What happens when your Board, CEO, and CHRO actually work together deliberately, strategically, and early enough to matter?

Jay R. Weiser and I will share why we believe that the most underutilized governance relationship isn't on your org chart. It's the 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝–𝐂𝐄𝐎–𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐎, and when activated intentionally, it becomes a powerful accelerator of enterprise value.

In prepping for tomorrow's session with Jay, we uncovered something else important: 

💡 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 (you’ll have to tune in to learn more) 

🔥 But I will share my hot take: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐎 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧. 

Not for HR updates. For strategic foresight.

Because by the time culture risk shows up in your metrics, leadership gaps surface in your succession plan, or workforce readiness becomes obvious
…you're already responding to problems you could have anticipated.

Tomorrow at 11:30 AM EST, Jay and I are going live to explore how boards can shift from reactive oversight to proactive insight and why the Board–CEO–CHRO relationship is where that transformation begins.

If you're navigating AI disruption, talent volatility, or heightened stakeholder expectations, this conversation is for you.

🔗 Join us: https://lnkd.in/ewBdfSaT

#governance #CHRO #CEO #boardofdirectors

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The Battle

Nick Sims

Andrea Henderson

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The Battle

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Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Andrea Henderson's LinkedIn Performance

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