More than 100 women attended the Health Care Women’s Executive Leadership Forum (WE Lead Forum), a half-day program for women at all levels to meaningfully connect and discuss industry-specific issues before the Annual Health Care Conference in Las Vegas.
Transformational Leadership
The WE Lead Forum included a panel discussion, a roundtable workshop, and a networking reception to develop and advance women leaders in health care. The keynote speaker was Scharrell Jackson, a former executive across many industries. Her presentation, which addressed advocating for oneself to be a better leader, connected with the forum’s overall theme: personal and professional transformation.
Stacy Stelzriede, a partner in Irvine, California, and leader of the WE Lead Forum, has attended many conferences but rarely sees attendees as engaged as they were during the WE Lead Forum.
“The energy in the room was amazing,” Stacy recalled. “Many were taking notes as statements made by our speakers and panelists resonated with them both at a professional and personal level, and everyone was engaged in the discussion.”
Stacy’s passion for the WE Lead Forum is inspired by her experience navigating career and family, and her desire to pay it forward by providing mentorship opportunities to women in the health care industry.
“Forum W is the perfect example of a success story for women leaders,” Stacy said. Forum W, a business resource group at Moss Adams, focuses on the advancement of women at the firm. “In the 14 years I’ve been at Moss Adams, it’s been incredible to watch Forum W help us grow our percentage of women partners. It demonstrates the impact of focusing on an issue within the workforce. With WE Lead, we wanted to move the same needle externally.”
One of the homegrown partners at Moss Adams is Aparna Venkateswaran, one of the founding committee members for WE Lead. Several women leaders at Moss Adams, including Stacy, played a vital role in Aparna’s career trajectory. Mentorship through her relationships in Forum W and the wisdom she’s gathered from client collaboration developed Aparna into a leader at Moss Adams—and she’s grateful the WE Lead Forum is providing a similar opportunity for women in health care.