A CEO’s Insights

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Phil Kalin
Phil Kalin, CEO
Phil has served as the chief executive of both public and privately-backed companies, including large hospital systems, as well as organizations focused on health care data, technology and education.
  • Leadership
Dec 2, 2020
by Phil Kalin

COVID-19 is not a pandemic. No, I’m not a science denier. I am acknowledging that COVID is much more than a pandemic. It is a “syndemic” where the underlying disease dynamic is exacerbated by the intersection with social and political issues such as racism, poverty, health disparities and…

  • Leadership
Nov 4, 2020
by Phil Kalin

It’s been seven months since the coronavirus pandemic led companies like mine, with white collar workforces, to shift to almost entirely virtual work. As much as we all want the world to return to “normal,” many of us are adapting to remote work – and liking what we see. Can we make it our next…

  • Leadership
Oct 7, 2020
by Phil Kalin

I recently addressed a group of military officers about “leadership in a time of crisis.” We’re certainly facing no shortage of crises now: pandemic, economic collapse for workers and businesses, racial unrest. Perhaps most worrying, we’re experiencing a crisis of trust in the institutions of…

  • Leadership
Sep 2, 2020
by Phil Kalin

Six months into the pandemic, most of us have mostly figured out things like remote work and workplace hygiene. Minding our employees’ emotional health remains a challenge, and leaders in especially hard-hit sectors like hotels, restaurants and performing arts are still racking their brains to…

  • Leadership
Aug 5, 2020
by Phil Kalin

At a time of unprecedented uncertainty, what does business planning look like? How do you budget when you don’t know whether the recovery curve will look like a U or a V or a W? How do you find out what’s really going on with your customers and in your market, rather than relying solely on received…

  • Leadership
Jul 9, 2020
by Phil Kalin

As a leader – as an American – these recent weeks have been a cause for self-reflection. Like, I’m sure, all of you, I’ve been examining my own beliefs and behavior and that of my company. My board and I are proud of our company, and believe we set a good example of fair employment practices and…

  • Leadership
Jun 3, 2020
by Phil Kalin

As the CEO of a workers’ comp insurance company, I’m all about risk management. But making the decision not to reopen our building for the rest of the year was one of the hardest I’ve ever confronted. And determining how to handle our field operations, especially our safety consultants, was harder…

  • Leadership
May 6, 2020
by Phil Kalin

Welcome to the new reality of remote work. My VP of HR recently participated in a virtual conference with a few hundred counterparts from insurance companies around the world, and the consensus was that none of them will return to the kind of physical work arrangements they had pre-COVID. In fact,…

  • Leadership
Apr 8, 2020
by Phil Kalin

In times of crisis, you have to both meet people where they are and at the same time point them towards the future. Only by understanding the first can you accomplish the second. However strong your crisis plan, nothing prepares you for being CEO at a time of unprecedented uncertainty and fear.…

  • Leadership
Mar 4, 2020
by Phil Kalin

These are the days when crisis planning pays off. Like all of you, I’m carefully watching the impact of COVID-19 on our economy and preparing for its impact on my business. Our investment portfolio, just like everyone else’s, is taking a hit, but we’ll weather that. The bigger question for me is:…

  • Leadership
Feb 5, 2020
by Phil Kalin

How is your office configured? And is it maximizing, or detracting from, your employees’ productivity? This question is looming large for me right now, and I know that many of my colleagues grapple with it too. In fact, I suspect that the scenario my company is facing will resonate for many of my…

  • Innovation
Jan 8, 2020
by Phil Kalin

Innovation is essential for business success – and one of the most challenging imperatives for any CEO. Here are three articles from the past year that got me thinking differently about the topic. In search of innovation: Hunting for the right kind of white space. Taddy Hall describes the need to…