Chief Strategy Officer - Children's Wisconsin

The Company

Children’s Wisconsin is a nationally ranked, freestanding, pediatric children's health system based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Children’s Wisconsin is the region’s only independent healthcare system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. It offers a wide range of care and support for children of all ages. The $1.9 billion health system has a comprehensive service offering, a health plan, ambulatory facilities with 49 locations throughout the state and a strong academic partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin. Its services include medical care, dental care, child and family counselling, foster care, adoption, social services, child advocacy and injury prevention. Children's Wisconsin cares for every aspect of health — physical, social and mental. It is a community of 7,500 dedicated team members that share an unwavering passion to care for kids.

Children’s Wisconsin’s Services

Children’s Wisconsin provides care and services through a variety of clinical, digital and community settings throughout the state. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties to infants, children, teens, and young adults aged 0–21 throughout the Wisconsin region. Services include:

• Hospital care
• Specialty care
• Primary care
• Urgent care
• Emergency care
• Mental and behavioral healthcare
• Child and family counselling
• Dental care
• Community health services
• Foster care and adoption
• Child advocacy services
• School partnerships
• Family Resource Centers
• Child abuse prevention and evaluation
• Safety and injury prevention

Children’s Wisconsin has two hospitals located in Milwaukee and Fox Valley. The Milwaukee Campus offers comprehensive clinical services and is the base for the Children’s Research Institute. The Milwaukee Hospital offers a Level I children’s surgery center, an ACS-verified pediatric Level I trauma center, which is one of two in the state, a Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a 72-bed pediatric intensive care unit. The Milwaukee Hospital is one of the nation's leading pediatric facilities, earning top ratings from U.S. News & World Report and others.

The Fox Valley Hospital, located in Neenah, is the only hospital in northeast Wisconsin dedicated exclusively to the care of kids. It has 42 beds, including a 22-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill newborns. The 20-bed pediatric unit has specially trained staff who provide family-centered care for children of all ages. The Fox Valley Hospital also offers or supports a variety of resources and programs for children, parents, healthcare providers, teachers, caregivers, law enforcement and other community agencies to increase the safety and well-being of children from birth through adolescence. Furthermore, Children's Wisconsin has specialty outpatient clinics in Appleton and East De Pere to provide specialized care locally for kids.

Select Partnerships

Children’s Wisconsin is doing more to meet the unique needs of every child and family it serves. Children’s Wisconsin knows that kids need healthy families and strong communities to live well. That’s why it develops services and community partnerships designed to support children and families where they live, learn, work and play. In 2024, Children’s provided support to more than one million children, families, professionals and communities across Wisconsin through nearly 30 different programs and services.

Children’s Wisconsin is proud to partner with the Medical College of Wisconsin to bring many of the world’s most renowned pediatric doctors, advanced practice providers, and scientists to Wisconsin kids and families. Every day, its researchers are working to develop cutting-edge treatments and medical breakthroughs designed to improve the health of children.

Children’s Wisconsin is committed to caring for children across the state and knows that children should have access to high quality specialty care close to home, which is why it established Connected for Kids, a pediatric joint venture between Children’s Wisconsin, Bellin Health and ThedaCare, which connects children, teens and families to the highest level of pediatric health and wellness services in Northeast and Central Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Forward Pediatric Alliance is a collaboration between Children’s Wisconsin and UW Health Kids to expand access to world-class congenital heart care and improve health outcomes for congenital heart disease patients along the continuum of care.

Chorus Community Health Plans

Children’s Wisconsin is deeply committed to advancing population health by improving the overall health and wellbeing of children, adolescents, and families across the state. Chorus Community Health Plans (CCHP), an affiliate of Children’s Wisconsin, connects more than 119,000 members to high-quality healthcare services by partnering with community organizations, primary care providers, and specialists across the state to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes. By integrating care delivery with its award-winning health plan, Children’s advances impact upstream to deliver innovative, targeted programs that bring the right care, at the right time, in the right place — while breaking down persistent systemic barriers in healthcare. This integrated approach is strengthened by a deep commitment to community partnerships and helps Children’s Wisconsin achieve its mission of improving the lives of children in the region.

Mission, Vision & Values

Vision - The children of Wisconsin will be the healthiest in the nation.

Mission - CARE: Care, Advocacy, Research, Education

Values and Guiding Behaviors

Children’s Wisconsin’s five values guide and inspire the organization. The guiding behaviors describe how it pursues its mission and vision. These actions demonstrate its passion and shows how much it cares for and about children, families, and each other.

Purpose - We act in service of children and families.

• I focus on what matters most to children and families.
• I am passionate about providing the safest, highest quality and most equitable care and services.
• I hold myself and my colleagues accountable for high performance and resource stewardship.

Collaboration - We work together to care for and about children, families and each other.

• I respect and value diverse backgrounds, styles and perspectives.
• I invite and recognize the strengths and contributions of others.
• I include people in decisions that impact them.

Integrity - We build confidence and trust in all interactions.

• I assume positive intent and treat others with respect, equity and compassion.
• I listen for understanding and communicate openly and honestly.
• I follow through on commitments and decisions.

Health - We are at our best.

• I make choices to achieve balance and well-being at work and at home.
• I cultivate a sense of belonging through connection, appreciation, respect and care.
• I am aware of my own moods and cast a positive shadow.

Innovation - We commit to improvement with breakthrough ideas and solutions.

• I learn from children, families, colleagues and the community.
• I embrace curiosity and change through the open exchange of feedback and diverse perspectives.
• I create an environment where it is safe to learn from experiences and try new things.

Key Operational Highlights

• 706,618 Specialty care visits, including virtual visits
• 4,844 Visits to Child Advocacy Centers throughout the state
• 72,545 Visits to our Emergency Room/Level 1 Trauma Center
• 20,342 Surgeries
• 450,022 Primary and urgent care visits
• 26,144 Hospital visits
• 149,951 Visits to mental and behavioral health providers
• 413 Families supported by the Healthy Start program
• 167,928 Kids and adults enrolled in health plans
• 6.5 million connections with kids and families in Wisconsin and beyond
• 3,534,600 Community health and safety program touchpoints

The Opportunity 

Position: Chief Strategy Officer

Reporting Relationship: President and Chief Executive Officer, Gil Peri

Direct Reports:

• Executive Director, Strategy & Planning
• Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
• Manager, Physician Relations

Website: https://childrenswi.org/

The Position

The Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) is a key executive leader responsible for shaping the future of Children’s Wisconsin, a nationally leading organization dedicated to improving children's health. This position provides visionary leadership in the development and execution of enterprise strategy, with a refresh of the organization’s current strategic plan. The CSO will lead a robust strategic planning process to support future growth, while also designing innovative, market-driving strategies that ensure a sustainable and distinctive path forward—expanding Children’s impact across Wisconsin and beyond.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team and a trusted thought partner to the new Chief Executive Officer, the CSO plays a critical role in driving strategic growth and aligning enterprise capabilities. This includes advancing nationally recognized clinical programs, deepening the organization’s commitment to community health, and broadening access to affordable, life-changing care. The CSO will also identify and foster strategic partnerships at the local, regional, and national levels to amplify the reach and relevance of key clinical offerings. At the core of Children’s mission is a deep commitment to the local community, reflected in long-standing partnerships with child-caring organizations, schools, and youth-serving groups such as the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club—reinforcing its enduring focus on children and families.

The CSO will serve as the primary staff liaison to the Board of Directors’ Strategic Planning Committee, collaborating closely with Board leadership to shape long-term priorities. In this role, the CSO will also lead cross-functional strategic alignment, including the management of the balanced scorecard and enterprise-level strategic reviews. Also, the CSO will oversee marketing and communications initiatives that elevate Children’s visibility and reputation through targeted marketing strategies that promote signature clinical programs and extend the organization’s regional and national presence.

Additional priorities include addressing barriers to care—especially within specialty services—by developing actionable strategies to improve access and streamline the patient experience. The CSO will lead data-driven change management efforts, ensuring that strategic initiatives are both practical and outcome-focused.

Strong, positive leadership is essential, as the CSO will mentor and develop the Strategy and Marketing & Communications teams, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture where individuals feel empowered to contribute meaningfully to the organization’s mission. By embodying Children’s values and modeling its guiding behaviors, the CSO will ensure strategic decisions align with the organization’s purpose of serving children and families. This is a rare opportunity to lead transformative change, drive innovation, and make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of children in Wisconsin and beyond.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities for the Chief Strategy Officer include:

Strategic Planning & Organizational Alignment

• Establishing clearly articulated strategic priorities for Children's Wisconsin in collaboration with the executive team, entity leadership, and the Strategic Planning Committee of the Board.
• Lead and refine the strategic planning process, aligning short- and long-term goals through annual plans, regular reviews, and development of the 2027–2032 enterprise strategy.

Strategic Growth Planning

• Gathering, analyzing, and managing business intelligence to support planning and decision-making activities, proactively identifying key trends, competitive landscapes, and emerging changes in the industry and region, and communicating implications and recommendations to the Senior Leadership Team.
• Identifying and prioritizing key areas for local, regional and national growth for clinical programs.
• Developing and implementing strategic partnerships, including joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, affiliations, and other new business activities to grow Children's Wisconsin, while ensuring alignment with its vision, mission, and strategy.
• Builds relationships with external stakeholders such as physicians, insurance providers, government entities, and community organizations to enhance Children’s position in the marketplace.

Digital Strategy & Innovation

• In partnership with the Chief Digital Information Officer, helps to guide the organization into the new age of digital and AI, identifying opportunities to leverage technology for improved patient care and operational efficiency.
• Developing and executing a comprehensive digital strategy that enhances patient and family engagement and integrates cutting-edge technologies.

Children’s Wisconsin Care Network Development

• Development of the Children’s Wisconsin Care Network which supports:
  • All primary care providers across Wisconsin identify quality metrics and care coordination/effectiveness strategies to drive value across the continuum
  • Network of adult hospitals that care for children to drive formal partnership and evidence-based care guidelines and coordination of care across the continuum.
• Partner with operations to identify issues with access to care, particularly in specialty groups, and developing strategies to make it easier for patients to receive the care they need.

Leadership and Culture Development

• Mentoring, role modelling and educating others in the organization on the value of using disciplined planning, application of relevant trends, environmental and competitive assessments, benchmarking against best practices and other planning related tools and processes.
• Fostering a collaborative environment where people feel valued and empowered to contribute to strategic initiatives and an essential part of the One Team culture.

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration

• Developing and implementing strategies to engage stakeholders from across the organization (e.g. physicians, nurses, service line leaders, operators, finance, etc.), ensuring that all parties are actively involved in driving and prioritizing the organization's strategy.
• Integrating strategies across external affairs, public relations, and community relations to ensure the organization’s public image and messaging align with strategic goals.
• Serving as the CEO’s representative on designated committees.
• Engaging with donors regarding key projects and communicating the strategic vision effectively.

Marketing & Communications

• Lead marketing and communications to align with strategic goals, build brand awareness, attract talent, and strengthen Children’s Wisconsin’s market position.
• Engaging with unique partners to create storytelling campaigns that enhance regional and national reputation.
• Integrating physician relations into a strategic asset to drive growth and loyalty.

Change Management & Execution

• Leading change management initiatives with a focus on data-driven decisions and rationale.
• Engendering a culture of accountability to strategic initiatives, setting priorities, regularly tracking and reporting on annual objectives and providing regular updates and clear communication channels help keep everyone informed and engaged.

Goals & Objectives

The successful Chief Strategy Officer will make meaningful progress in accomplishing the following goals and objectives in the first 12-18 months:

• Establish trust and credibility throughout the organization. The new Chief Strategy Officer should integrate smoothly into the organization by being visible and approachable, developing strong relationships vertically and horizontally, and learning and adopting the One Team culture.
• Refresh and operationalize the strategic plan. The Chief Strategy Officer will lead the process to assess the current strategic plan and to identify opportunities to optimize it for future success. The strategic refresh should identify and prioritize growth opportunities, outline facilities and scenario planning, establish tangible performance goals, and allot time for regular “lookbacks” to monitor progress. Additionally, the Chief Strategy Officer will work with leaders throughout the health system to ensure the strategic initiatives are implemented effectively.
• Build and lead a high-performing team. The Chief Strategy Officer will assemble a high-performance team consisting of the right structure, skill sets, and leadership characteristics to deliver results and to fulfill the mission and vision of Children’s Wisconsin. The CSO will align the team around a common purpose, will clearly communicate specific and attainable goals, and will utilize performance metrics to measure progress and ensure accountability. Also, the Chief Strategy Officer will create developmental opportunities for team members to build new skills and to position them for growth.
• Drive innovation throughout the health system. The Chief Strategy Officer will evaluate and promote opportunities to position Children’s Wisconsin at the cutting edge of innovation and modernization. The CSO will cultivate a culture of innovation by fostering creative thinking, experimentation, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. In collaboration with the Chief Digital Information Officer, the CSO will address the impact of technology on business models and operations, leverage AI and other digital tools, and evaluate clinical and business transformation opportunities that will differentiate Children’s Wisconsin in the marketplace and best position the organization to optimize the health of all children it serves.
• Align marketing efforts with the strategic plan. The Chief Strategy Officer will ensure that the marketing and communications campaigns at Children’s Wisconsin are designed to support the key initiatives outlined and prioritized in the strategic plan. Additionally, the marketing efforts will be crafted to attract new patients and families, to promote customer loyalty, and to enhance the brand of Children’s Wisconsin. The strategic marketing plan will be based on sound market research, will include defined goals and objectives, and will provide value to the target audience.

The Candidate

Experience and Professional Qualifications

The Chief Strategy Officer must possess a combination of education, experience and leadership qualifications to successfully manage the responsibilities required for this position. The ideal candidate will have the following professional qualifications required for the role:

Demonstrated Healthcare Strategy Experience

• Ten years of demonstrated leadership experience in a senior level strategy role or similar position (e.g., business development, strategy consulting, healthcare operations) is desired, along with experience implementing growth and other high-level organizational strategies.
• An understanding of academic medicine is a plus, along with experience in a highly complex and competitive major market experiencing rapid consolidation.
• Pediatric healthcare experience is preferred but not required.

Proven Communication, Planning and Presentation Skills

• Comfortable working with executive leaders from a variety of levels and functions within the health system, along with board members, clinical leaders, patients and families, external constituencies, employees and other key stakeholders.
• Experience leading, mentoring and supporting the success of teams as well as the success of individual team members.
• Project management experience to organize people and activities in the successful execution of multiple strategic and project-based initiatives across the health system.
• Adept at leading change management initiatives, ensuring that changes are implemented smoothly and effectively by communicating the rationale behind changes and gaining buy-in from all levels of the organization.

Strong Business Acumen

• Processes knowledge in current and possible future policies, practices, trends, technologies and information affecting the industry and the health of populations.
• Demonstrates strong analytical and business modeling skills
• Possesses a well-developed understanding of operations and finances and how that impacts strategy.

Technical and Analytical Expertise

• Experience assembling, evaluating and understanding large and complex information and studies, and identifying current and future trends.
• Experience in computer data management systems and extensive spreadsheet, database and presentation graphics knowledge (e.g., Excel, Visio, SharePoint, PowerPoint, Access and mapping software).
• Experience with data quality and integrity practices.
• Experience in gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data to identify opportunities and measure the success of strategic initiatives.

Education

• A Master's degree in business, healthcare administration or related field is required.

Personal Characteristics and Leadership Skills

• Entrepreneurial – A leader who possesses an ownership mindset, including a strong initiative, a focus on results, and an appropriate tolerance for risk
• Innovative – A creative leader who thinks outside the box and can develop unique solutions to complex problems
• Inspiring – A charismatic leader who can align and motivate others around a common vision
• Self-assured – An executive with a strong sense of presence; confident but not arrogant
• Practical - A leader with the ability to translate strategy and vision into actionable objectives
• Agile – A leader who adapts and pivots strategies in response to changing market conditions and organizational needs
• Inclusive – A naturally inquisitive leader who seeks the perspectives of others while formulating a plan
• Courageous – A leader who is not unduly influenced by the past, politics, or bureaucracy
• Compassionate – A relatable leader who shows genuine concern and understanding for the needs of patients, families, staff, and colleagues
• Ethical – A principled leader who is guided by strong values (Purpose, Collaboration, Integrity, Health, and Innovation) and possesses an unwavering commitment to the organization’s mission and culture

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Korn Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis.