WOMEN AT
24
THE TOP
Kathleen Gilmartin
President and CEO, Interim HealthCare
leaders. The common denominators
to me are their sense of purpose and
vision, their ability to communicate
clearly and with passion for whatever
business or organization they lead,
their willingness to be open to new
ideas and consider other viewpoints,
and to demonstrate respect in their
words and actions.
How has your life experience
made you the leader you are today? I had the benefit of growing up
within a strong family with my parents and four siblings, and everyone
cared about each other. It wasn’t a TV
show by any stretch of the imagination! But the foundational principles
of love, trust, accountability, and integrity were instilled in each of us. As
a leader, you have to weather success
and failure and know how to deal with
it. My life has taught me that both are
extremely valuable experiences, and
it keeps me humble.
Advice for young female CEO
aspirants: Be willing to work harder
than anyone else and do it willingly.
Keep mining for more knowledge
about yourself, about your company,
and about the universe you operate
within. It will set you apart from the
crowd. Above all, stay positive about
your career and you will find the opportunity that’s right for you.
Role models? My parents, who jug-
gled multiple jobs and raised five kids,
were focused, organized, and extremely
hard workers—they were the “go to”
parents for everyone. In business, I’d
have to say Al Sorensen, co-founder
of the company. I’ve known him for
more than 30 years, and his people
sense and dollar “cents” wisdom has
always been invaluable, professionally
and personally.
Management gurus or books that
have deeply affected you: The
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen Covey in 1989—simple
principles that impressed me the first
time I read it. I’ve replaced my own
copy several times (too many notes
written in the margins) and have given
it to other aspiring leaders. It stands
the test of time and is my favorite
management book.
Has mentorship made a difference
in your professional and personal
life? I guess I never really knew what
mentorship was when I started in my
career in healthcare. I thought that
my supervisors were supposed to give
me guidance and direction. It was only
much later that I realized I needed to
seek them out to learn more. I found
many administrators, physicians, and
business leaders were willing to share
SYSTEM REVENUE: $800 million (with
Bluebird Care, just under $1 billion)
NO. OF UNITS: 324
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE: Private
GROWTH PLANS: Add 60-plus U.S. units
in next 3 years. In 5 years, we believe more
consumers will be actively managing their
health, especially those with acute chronic
illnesses, which means more care will be
provided in their homes and community.
FOUNDED: 1966
BEGAN FRANCHISING:1966
YEARS WITH COMPANY: 21-plus
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: We made
the leap into international franchising in 2013,
acquiring Bluebird Care, based in Petersfield,
England. The brand has more than 150 locations
in 5 countries, and an extremely talented
network of franchisees