Meet Stephanie Hendrickson

Title: Chief People Officer
Company: DaVita

• The Why: Why do you do what you do? Why are you passionate about your work and/or community contributions?
  I am passionate about the idea that we are all put here to serve one another and leave things better than we found them. That can show up in lots of different ways for different people. For me, that has always meant bringing teams and people together towards a common goal – one that irrefutably helps others. At DaVita, that includes working shoulder to shoulder with clinicians on the latest tools and technology, building programs to support underserved communities, or facilitating a session on how to best serve our teammates (employees). I consider it a privilege (and I do not take that for granted) that I get to do that every day.
  
• What is one of the biggest challenges that you have overcome, and how did you overcome it?
  Earlier in my career, I abruptly left a job because it was out of alignment with what I believed and who I wanted to be. I did not know what would come next, but I knew that staying where I was would not work, and I needed to refocus my energy. This difficult decision led me to go through what I call a “life rest” where I discovered that it is possible to genuinely enjoy your work and those you work with, contradicting my earlier skepticism that “loving a job” was just something people said.
  
• What is the most interesting/strangest job you ever had, and what did you learn from it? While I would not categorize it as strange, my background is somewhat unique for a Chief People Officer, making this current role one of the most interesting to date. I hold a degree in engineering, and if you had asked me 20 years ago if I saw myself as a CPO, I probably would have had a somewhat confused look on my face. However, as I reflect on my career and the moments that have been most profound, they’ve always centered around people and work that was dedicated to helping them thrive. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to bridge a strategic, process-oriented lens with people leadership today.
  
• Advice for others in business based on what you have learned on your journey?
  There are a few things I can share that I wish someone had told me earlier in my career, or that have shaped my thinking today:
  • Never settle for a job that does not align with your personal values.
  • Be willing to say yes when opportunities arise, even when it is scary or you don’t think you “check all the boxes.”
  • Listen to the frontline – the people in the work are the ones we need to learn from.
  • How you do something is just as important as what you do.
  • Own your space: If you are in a room, it is for a reason. [Related: Speak *early* in a meeting — ideally within the first 10 minutes. Research has shown this breaks the ice, reduces anxiety, and makes you significantly more likely to participate again later!]
    
• What are you most proud of during the last year?
  This past year has brought a lot of excitement and new challenges as I transitioned from being in an operations-based role to Chief People Officer at DaVita. During this time, I also had some really big family-related moments (both the good kind and the hard kind). Despite the challenges, I am proud to say I was fully present for my family. That is in part due to working with amazing leaders who supported me in a big way, and also in part to holding firm to my belief that work-life alignment is possible.

Know a woman who is crushing it? Email mcarabello@cwcc.org with their contact information, and they could be featured next!