Linda S. Hunt, Dignity Health Southwest Division

from Linda S. Hunt


Coordinated with its annual event that shines a spotlight on women who are using their positions of leadership — whether in for-profit or nonprofit organizations — to make a difference in our community, this edition of In Business Magazine celebrates the 2021 Women of Achievement.

During my career in the Valley, I have witnessed how very open and welcoming the community is to women in leadership. Numerous businesses, large and small, have evolved to help women rise to the top of their organizations; and more women are being elected into public office here. This critical leadership transformation is positively changing the complexion of the boardroom and the culture within many industries. And most importantly, the influx of women leaders is helping our community to thrive and build a healthier society. Phoenix is a relatively young city that is unbound by convention — and that is reflected in the many leadership opportunities for women. This shift excites me and makes me tremendously proud. I’m honored to work alongside so many esteemed leaders who are contributing to this effort. 

In this September edition’s cover story, In Business Magazine presents 2021’s Women of Achievement — 14 exceptional women who share their stories in biographical profiles — and my own honor of being named 2021 Linda M. Herold Lifetime Achievement honoree.

This edition also takes a hard look at an often under-the-radar segment of our business community – military veterans in the workforce and as entrepreneurs. Rose Tring examines the benefits and challenges as veterans enter the civilian workforce in the feature article “Labor Shortage? Could Be a Job for Our Military Veterans.”

A cluster of Focus articles address other workforce issues the pandemic has either created or exacerbated. Of the former, a communication function that common-area bulletin boards once served needs to be replaced in the work-from-home era, as Joe Ross discusses in “In Company Protocols, What about the 2.7 Billion Deskless Workers?” And of the latter, the talent gaps between an available employee pool and the jobs crying to be filled take the attention of Zac Dunn in “Collaboration between Education and Industry Forges a Stronger Workforce” and Aaron Elder’s “Beyond the Résumé” discussion of businesses’ need to provide upskilling and reskilling training.

Filling the jobs is only half the battle. Keeping the employees is the other half. Vincit USA CEO Ville Houttu, in his Roundtable article “Avoiding the Turnover Tsunami,” shares an innovative “CEO of the day” program that has promoted a lasting work culture in his company. Accepting that not every decision is a good one, the initiative not only empowers employees but highlights the fact that it’s okay to fail — and has proven success in creating a strong and successful company.

With the magazine’s usual mix of business-relevant information, this edition of In Business Magazine also presents articles on technology, healthcare, real estate trends, finance, new businesses in our community and more. I am pleased to help bring you this September edition of In Business Magazine. Enjoy the read.

Sincerely,

Linda S. Hunt
President and CEO
Dignity Health Southwest Division

Linda Hunt oversees Dignity Health’s Southwest Division, which is anchored by ten outstanding hospitals in Arizona and Nevada. Under Hunt’s leadership, Dignity Health’s Southwest Division has grown into a respected and comprehensive healthcare system, which also includes imaging centers, specialty hospitals, physician groups, freestanding emergency rooms, insurance providers, a medical school campus and other clinical partnerships. Hunt has served on several state and national commissions that are working to shape the future of healthcare and has received local and national recognition for her leadership. 

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