Senior Vice President - Chief Strategy Officer

The Opportunity

Our leaders shape strategic initiatives, develop passionate teams, and work to improve health outcomes. They advance our mission and exemplify excellence, compassion, teamwork and purpose in all that they do. Indiana University Health is seeking an individual who embodies these values to join our system executive leadership team in the role of Chief Strategy Officer. 

As a member of the IU Health executive leadership team, the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) will lead efforts to drive strategy development and oversee the implementation of strategies to position, grow and differentiate IU Health as a premier academic and regional healthcare system. The CSO will provide visionary leadership and strategic direction for Marketing, Communications, Strategy, Business Development, Innovation and Institutes that fosters innovation, engagement, and supports IU Health's mission, vision and values. Through collaborating across the organization and partnering with clinical and operational leaders, the executive leadership team and the board, this leader defines the collective strategies which include clinical program enhancements, research and education growth opportunities in conjunction with the Medical School, payer and population health strategies and business development opportunities to establish strategic partnerships, innovative business models and programs, and intramural program development. This role will also be a key voice in bringing the external world into IU Health through market data, patient and consumer insights, industry trends, and other essential insights. This highly visible role will work collaboratively across the enterprise and externally to enhance the image and reach of IU Health.

Indiana University Health is unlike any other healthcare system and we're looking for team members who share the things that matter most to us. IU Health leaders play a crucial role in advancing the mission of our organization and inspiring teams to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients. As one of Indiana’s largest employers and the most comprehensive medical system in the state, our vision is to lead the transformation of healthcare through quality, innovation and education, and make Indiana one of the nation’s healthiest states.

Key Relationships

Reports to: Executive Vice President – Chief Administrative Officer

 

Direct Reports:

Executive Director, Cardiovascular Institute

Executive Director, Neuroscience Institute

Executive Director, Chief of Staff – Strategy

Vice President, Patient Consumer Experience

• Vice President, Strategy and Business Development
• Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer

Vice President, Chief Communications Officer

Other Key Relationships:

• IU Health System Board
• IU Health System Executive Leadership 
• Medical Staff / Department Leadership 
• Healthcare industry leaders
• External strategic partners

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning

• Develop/sustain a system strategic plan for various organizational components, including market positioning, areas of clinical focus and growth, system expansion and strategic partnerships, innovation, capital deployment, research, education, and talent and culture.
• Develop various high-impact business plans to support the strategic plans.
• Build alignment of the strategic plans with the budgets, long-range financial and capital plan.
• Monitor key external trends, sharing anticipated impact and driving strategy discussions with the senior executive leadership.
• Lead and evolve the system’s data and analytics capabilities.
• Present to and facilitate discussions with senior executive leadership groups and boards.

Strategy Execution

• Oversee implementation of the strategic plan in the areas of clinical care, research, education and community outreach.
• Coordinate with and among all strategic planning focus area leads to ensure key initiatives are successfully implemented.
• Lead the development of tracking systems and project management methodologies to measure progress on key initiatives and performance outcomes, including scorecards, dashboards and variance reports.
• Develop and implement the overall management system, including stewardship of the annual planning and leadership calendar and key milestones.
• Provide periodic updates on performance and progress of the strategic plan to key stakeholders, faculty members, senior leadership groups and boards.

Business Development

• Identify and pursue new growth and business development opportunities for the health system.
• Identify potential external partners. Lead, coordinate and drive strategic partnership discussions that result in furthering the strategic ambition and growth of the enterprise.
• Provide stewardship for the entire business development process, including partnership concepts, due diligence in coordination with other areas such as legal, finance and TCO, and drive timely decision-making with governance and senior leadership.
• Lead the structuring of various transactions, including strategic affiliations, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, etc., in collaboration with key stakeholders, including legal and finance teams.

Innovation/Transformation

• Proactively identify new, innovative and transformative areas of emphasis. Intramural capacity building and strategic partnerships to further the strategic plan and grow the health system and the health sciences.
• Facilitate a collaborative approach to transformation, considering the highly matrixed nature of the organization.
• Develop and articulate a compelling narrative that conveys why a company needs to innovate and transform.
• Evaluate and develop business plans for potential investments in organizations/products that could advance the mission and vision of IU Health.

Desired Outcomes

• Organizational growth resulting from expanding the impact of IU Health through intramural program development and strategic partnerships, including joint ventures/operating agreements and mergers and acquisitions.
• Refine capabilities to execute strategic priorities, measure impact and respond to market shifts.
• Build a productive cross-functional strategy team; build organizational capabilities to assess and embrace innovative and growth opportunities with agile assessment and advancement of priorities.
• Conduct a portfolio analysis and prioritize business plan development for key service lines, focused on market positioning, growth and best use of organizational resources.
• Proactively participate in industry affinity groups to increase exposure of best practices and raise awareness of IU Health to peers.

Candidate Profile and Qualifications

The Chief Strategy Officer will be a visionary and experienced strategic leader, with a strong business acumen and savvy understanding of key trends and their impact on all aspects of the healthcare industry. The ideal strategist will introduce and drive opportunities for IU Health to evolve. This individual will have a strong track record in pursuing growth and business development opportunities and experience with leading processes to innovate within health systems. 

The CSO will be a team player, capable of engaging people at all levels of the organization, acting as a key influencer and catalyst for strategic advancement and innovation. This executive has a positive, learning-oriented and open-minded approach to strategy, creating a safe environment for people to experiment and act. The CSO will be passionate about conceptualizing, nurturing, developing and proving new ideas, with a solid understanding of the need for prioritization and alignment with the strategic goals and not-for-profit mission objectives of both an academic and community-based system.

• Minimum of 15 years of progressive health care leadership experience, focused on strategy development, business development and operational execution.
• Bachelor’s degree and a M.H.A., M.B.A. or related advanced degree is required.
• Success coordinating complex, organization-wide strategic planning and execution efforts with the ability to accomplish transformative change.
• Strategic planning: A successful track record developing and implementing comprehensive, organization-wide, multi-year strategic plans, with aligned annual planning and operational management systems and measurable outcomes.
• Business development experience: A successful track record in identifying key strategic partners. Lead, coordinate and drive strategic partnership discussions, including mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, that result in furthering the strategic ambition of the enterprise.
• Program creation and management: A demonstrable track record in exploring, creating and launching new programs and services within an organization based on evolving industry trends, innovations and alignment with organizational goals.
• Knowledge of complex healthcare enterprises: A successful track record of strategic planning and business development for an academic medical center or integrated delivery system.

Other Key Characteristics

• With personal humility, compassion and the will to succeed, the candidate will bring ambition and consistent expectations to achieve excellence to the organization.
• Exemplar teammate who practices openness and is highly trustworthy and transparent. 
• Assumes the best in people and creates a culture that rewards collaboration and teamwork.
• Inspirational, genuine and enthusiastic, with a high level of energy and endurance.
• Values different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Critical Leadership Capabilities

Strategic Thinking
An innovative strategist who is adept at translating industry trends, market intelligence, data and facts into future scenarios and recommendations and will push the boundaries of conventional thinking.

• Explains specifically how changes within the healthcare industry affect the institution.
• Translates broad corporate strategies into clear, specific objectives and plans.
• Leads development of an organizational strategy and justifies it with internal and market insight.
• Thinks three to five years ahead into the next business cycle, as well as proposes longer-term scenarios.

Collaborating and Influencing
Skilled in working through the complex components and matrixed relationships at the health system.  Utilizes data, market intelligence and business case development to foster support across the organization.

• Facilitates system-wide collaboration by engaging intramural leaders and establishing reliable processes for cross-functional insight sharing. 
• Engages people in dialogue to gain commitment and bring them “on board,” linking their perspectives to the intent.
• Adapts to various audiences, anticipating the impact of words and actions, preparing for possible resistance and responding in an appropriate style, using a range of influencing styles.
• Identifies and meets with key players and stakeholders to collectively shape a consensus and engages in a dialogue to reach a conclusion together, compromising as necessary for results.
• Develops an explicit understanding of which relationships are most important to the organization and its stakeholders and builds a network prioritizing these relationships.

Change Agility & Driving Change

In a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, the CSO must serve as a strong change agent – anticipating shifts, proactively shaping organizational responses, and mobilizing stakeholders to embrace transformation. This competency reflects the ability to lead with foresight, adaptability, and influence, ensuring the health system not only responds to industry disruption but actively drives its future direction.

• Anticipates market and industry shifts and positions the organization ahead of them.
• Serves as a visible and credible change agent, championing transformation across the system.
• Advocates for bold directions and innovative solutions, even when they challenge conventional practice.
• Communicates the case for change with clarity, rationale, and inspiration to build alignment.
• Adapts leadership and communication style to effectively influence stakeholders through uncertainty and change.
• Indiana University Health has nearly 40,000 team members, including more than 3,600 physicians and 1,200 advanced practice providers, and we’re home to the largest nursing network in Indiana with more than 9,000 nursing team members at over 800 sites of care.
• IU Health is ranked No. 1 in Indiana by U.S. News & World Report, Riley Children's Health is ranked among the top children's hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
• A unique partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine – one of the nation’s largest medical schools – gives patients access to groundbreaking research and innovative treatments, and it offers team members access to the latest science and the very best training – advancing healthcare for all.
• With 15 hospitals, including seven with Magnet designation and eight with Pathways to Excellence designation, our team members are leading the way through excellence.
• At Indiana University Health, your personal and professional growth is a top priority. You will have access to many diverse opportunities to learn and develop in meaningful ways that matter most to you, such as advanced clinical training, leadership development, promotion opportunities and cross training development.
• Indiana University Health is invested in the lives of Hoosiers, leading the transformation of healthcare to make Indiana one of the nation’s healthiest states.