What has been your most pivotal leadership decision in the past 12 months?
Joining Pearl in July of this year after 10 years working for Ivoclar was certainly my most pivotal decision of the past 12 months. There, of course, were a variety of decisions I had to take in the closing of one chapter and making sure my previous team was set up for continued success whilst also starting at Pearl with a clear vision, strategy, and direction for the future of international business. The reason why I made this decision is because I am passionate about innovation in general, but particularly with the boom in AI happening in dentistry, it made perfect sense for me to align my personal passions alongside my professional skillset and take on a new and exciting challenge!

What moment made you think, “This is why I do this”?
For me it is whenever I hear clinician feedback about how Pearl has made their day easier or optimized a patient interaction. I worked in clinic for 10 years, so I appreciate how those little wins can make a big impact on their day and their mental workload; this is a big drive behind doing what I do.

What’s something you do regularly to let your team know you value them?
I have managed teams of various natures (clinicians, salespeople, support staff) over the years but regardless of the role of the team member, I always ask for regular feedback. I do not wait for the annual appraisal or whatever cadence for official checkins but on a weekly basis, I stay connected to understanding their challenges and frustrations, and that I see the effort they are making.

As AI and digital transformation accelerate, how are you equipping your teams—and yourself—to lead in an AI-first future?
Pearl as an AI company has a digital-first internal policy, and we utilize AI in as many ways as possible for our internal systems to breed a culture of continual improvement and digital optimization. We, of course, keep up to date with what is happening in other industries, and the team is actively encouraged to bring forward any technology or digital solutions which could benefit our processes, people, and/or partners in any way.

How do you stay emotionally grounded and intellectually curious in the face of pressure from stakeholders?
For me, staying emotionally grounded starts with perspective. In high-pressure situations, I make a conscious effort to determine urgency from panic—not every stakeholder concern needs immediate reaction, but every concern deserves a considered response. As someone with good emotional intelligence and a data-driven approach to most things, I center myself by focusing on facts, impact, and long-term impact rather than getting caught up in the noise of the moment.

What quote or mantra guides you?
‘’The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.”— Winston Churchill. This is a quote I heard a long time ago but has become more apt as time passes and our world is embracing intellectual and technological means more than ever before.

What has been your most pivotal leadership decision in the past 12 months?
Making the decision to change out some senior executives on our team. This was done to pivot the team to support a much larger organization while maintaining our entrepreneurial spirit and culture. This taught me that you should always make the right decision for the business at the right time for the right reasons, even when it’s not easy.

What moment made you think, “This is why I do this”?
We have had many team members grow to larger roles within our organization, and each time I see their advancements and personal growth, I realize that this is why I do this.

Who do you call when you’re unsure, and what makes their advice so valuable?
I have a group of peer CEOs that I engage with on a regular basis. Our relationships were primarily built through the ADSO, and I have an informal group of CEOs from various facets of multi-site organizations that I connect with for additional advice when needed.

As AI and digital transformation accelerate, how are you equipping your teams—and yourself—to lead in an AI-first future?
We spend a tremendous amount of time evaluating how to improve the patient experience for our supported doctors and their teams through the use of AI. We also evaluate how AI can improve efficiencies in the support service organization. We have direct and transparent conversations about where AI is appropriate and where human engagement needs to remain in place.

What challenge completely changed how you lead?
Many years ago, we were buying organizations and consolidating them together. This was not in the dental industry. I was CEO, and after making hard decisions based only on financial data, eliminating some team members and keeping others, I realized there was a better way to do this: by creating a culture of high performers who truly love what they do, have experience that matters, and have the ability to adjust when needed, so that those tough decisions don’t have to be made.

What quote or mantra guides you?
There is a theory that I remind the team of on a regular basis called the “Gold Brick” theory. I use it to remind the team that we are never going to make everyone happy. The theory is that if we gave every team member a gold brick, someone on the team would complain about having to carry it to the car. The basic premise is focus on what is best for the teams we support so they can take care of the patients and create access to care.

What has been your most pivotal leadership decision in the past 12 months?
For most of my life I believed that being a great leader meant I had to be an expert in everything. Without expertise in all areas, I believed I had very little to offer business conversations, etc. This is an impossible requirement and wasn’t serving me personally or professionally in anyway. In fact, “imposture syndrome” put up barriers to leadership. Allowing myself to lead without being an expert in everything has been a pivotal leadership decision. This decision has allowed me to approach business and professional situations in an open and vulnerable way. This mindset shift has led to better collaboration.

What moment made you think, “This is why I do this”?
As a Clinical President within my organization, I have a frontrow seat to how our clinical mentorship and enrichment programs positively impact our doctors’ practice and lives. Each time our doctors see the results of our program and their hard work, I am reminded why I do what I do.

What’s something you do regularly to let your team know you value them?
I consistently say, “thank you”. At a local level, I say thank you, write thank you notes, and compliment my team in front of patients.

As AI and digital transformation accelerate, how are you equipping your teams—and yourself—to lead in an AI-first future?
Our group is adopting AI clinically to both improve efficiency and improve patient outcomes. We have invested in AI as an adjunct to our radiographs. This program has improved accuracy of providers and has increased patient engagement and treatment acceptance. We have embraced AI in our business offices as well. AI has proved to be beneficial as an aid to our business team as they engage with patients concerning appointments and marketing. While I am not a tech-savvy person, as a leader it is my job to help my team embrace and not fear AI.

How do you stay emotionally grounded and intellectually curious in the face of pressure from stakeholders?
Remembering that we all have the same goal helps keep me grounded. It is easy to feel tension between clinical, operations, finance, etc. However, the goal is exceptional patient care and outcomes, and the care of all of our team members within our organization. I also find that if tensions are up and frustration is high, there is usually a failure in a system and/or process. I focus on the system or process that needs to be improved and not the person. This focus keeps emotions neutral and allows for better problem solving.

What quote or mantra guides you?
Be curious. And family first.

What has been your most pivotal leadership decision in the past 12 months?
Stepping up to lead a critical transformation and implementation when our teams had hit a plateau: progress stalled, and it was clear we needed a shift in direction. There was unclear ownership, a lack of strategy, and an environment of feeling very overworked. I chose to take ownership of the situation—even though it came with uncertainty and risk— because I believed in our potential. I identified that outdated processes, unmeasured activities, and unclear priorities were contributing to our stagnation. I focused on reengaging the team through open, honest communication and by creating a space where each voice could be heard and where ideas were welcome. It didn’t matter what level in the organization you were; everyone has something to contribute. By setting clear expectations, aligning around shared goals, and consistently reinforcing our purpose, we began to build momentum. Through this experience, I learned the value of embracing change, not just managing it. I also learned that resilience isn’t just about persistence, it’s about empowering others to contribute and grow together. Resilience as a team is stronger than one person’s resilience.

Who do you call when you’re unsure, and what makes their advice so valuable?
There isn’t one person I lean on; it’s a variety of people, and I am blessed to have known so many fabulous women in my life. I have a best friend who is my “ride or die” and helps me pivot through life. I have a sister who helps me through my personal history and career challenges. I have friends who are also women leaders and mothers who guide me through the challenges at work, while reminding me that I’m doing the best job I can as a wife and a mom. They all are strong listeners and remind me that it’s ok to not have all the answers, it’s okay to make mistakes, and those situations don’t define who we are.

What’s something you do regularly to let your team know you value them?
You need to make it personal. Be specific in their recognition, be purposeful in how you communicate it—whether in person, or through face-to-face chat tools. It shows that you are paying attention to the work they do, and that their personal contribution matters. Staying connected and taking the time to personally connect is critical. Taking the time to not just review top priorities, but taking the personal time to share thoughts, ideas, words of encouragement, or just to listen goes a long way.

What challenge completely changed how you lead?
As value-based care models entered the dental industry, as a payer we created models to improve quality, while reducing cost to drive better outcomes. However, our models did not motivate change with providers. When change did not occur, our teams felt overwhelmed, provider relations were strained, and leadership was under pressure to fix it. I realized we were focusing on results instead of people—and that change in performance starts with trust, not pressure, to create wins for all. Both providers and payers agree that we want healthier patients. But we needed to understand the challenges the providers were facing in their offices, in their own environment. Their pressures were not the same as ours, they were different. It was my job to focus on listening better. I invest more time in understanding what motivates my business partners, what frustrates them, and what they need to succeed. I make it a priority to co-create solutions rather than dictate them. That experience taught me about creating an environment where people feel empowered to partner together towards our common goal.

How do you stay emotionally grounded and intellectually curious in the face of pressure from stakeholders?
When pressure is high, I remind myself why we’re doing the work— it’s not just about what needs to get done. The “why” helps me shift from being reactive to being reflective and allows me to focus my thoughts on long-term impact rather than short-term stress.

What quote or mantra guides you?
“I tell my daughters to have their voice in this world, and it became clear I needed to role-model that.” —Melinda Gates. This quote resonates so strongly for me as I parent my children and especially my high school daughter. I need to ensure that the choices that I make, and the type of leader I am, is a role model to my own daughter. It’s not about teaching what is the “right” decision, but more about having a voice to speak up, share thoughts and ideas, and respect that not everyone will agree with you, and that is okay.

What moment made you think, “This is why I do this”?
When I see my team living our values and acknowledging others in the organization who are doing the same. When I hear our partners “shout out” one of our team members and how they added value to their practice, to their teams, and allowed them to have an impact on their patients’ lives. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing others recognize the greatness in your team that you’ve known about all along.

What’s something you do regularly to let your team know you value them?
Recognition is a value of mine, and I always try to praise my team publicly. Even when the results aren’t perfect, sometimes their efforts are extraordinary, and I want to encourage them to keep striving for perfection. There’s joy in the struggle!

As AI and digital transformation accelerate, how are you equipping your teams—and yourself—to lead in an AI-first future?
I’m reminding my team that AI, like any other tool, is just that, a tool that in the hands of talented people can aid in driving great results. We’re in an industry driven by human connection and human experiences, and no AI tool will ever eliminate that need for human interaction. AI may make teams more efficient, may streamline the patient experience, but it will never replace the people who are ultimately responsible for that experience. I remind my teams that the tool is only as useful as the outcome it’s driving, and your feedback is still critical to ensure that outcome is a value add.

What challenge completely changed how you lead?
During and in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, we had to make very difficult decisions to “right size” our teams in the LASIK space in order to survive. During that time, I learned that, when given the opportunity, talented team members will step up, push themselves, get outside their comfort zones, and achieve extraordinary things if you trust them enough to try, to stumble occasionally, to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and try again. When you have team members who want to grow personally, professionally, or financially, and are willing to take on more, let them. Great team members will always rise to the occasion.

How do you stay emotionally grounded and intellectually curious in the face of pressure from stakeholders?
I remind myself that if I am authentic, my passion for my team, for my partners, and for driving the collective goals of the organization will shine through any missteps and/or criticisms along the way. I remind myself of what’s truly important: faith, family, and my desire to have an impact on the lives of those I have the pleasure of serving.

What quote or mantra guides you?
I have two. My mother always told me that stress was like a rocking chair, it will keep you moving and get you nowhere. The other is that when you fall and skin your knee, the skin that grows back over the wound is always tougher than the original. Don’t be afraid to fall, to fail; you’ll learn and be better from the experience. And don’t stress!