Kathy Golovan’s career at Medical Mutual of Ohio turned unexpectedly after Rick Chiricosta became company CEO in 2009 — and it hasn’t stopped turning since.
By 2009, Golovan, a tax attorney, had worked at Medical Mutual for about 10 years. Initially, she was tax coordinator and Chiricosta, still rising through the ranks, was her supervisor.
Early on, Golovan told Chiricosta she wanted broad experience in various company departments. Chiricosta never forgot that, even after the two parted ways within the company. Golovan eventually moved to the legal department and was appointed director of legal affairs.
After he was named CEO, Chiricosta remembered Golovan’s talent and career aspirations. He envisioned a new role for her — vice president and general auditor.
“I advocated for Kathy, but she got strong pushback from our board of directors,” Chiricosta says. “She’s a lawyer, not a certified public accountant. But I knew she was able to take complicated issues and resolve them.”
Golovan impressed the board and won the job but hasn’t remained still. She became chief information officer in 2012 and today is executive vice president and chief health officer, making sure Medical Mutual customers receive quality health care. Each position change was Chiricosta’s idea.
“I have to admit I have said, ‘Are you sure?’ more than a few times when presented the next opportunity,” Golovan says. “But Rick’s faith in me, and his willingness to take the risk of putting a non-traditional hire in some very different areas, have given me the opportunity to have a diverse career path that I have loved.”
As CEO, Chiricosta has shown faith in several women at Medical Mutual. Of nine executive and senior vice presidents reporting directly to him, five are women, and later this year the number will likely rise to six. All but one was placed on the executive team by Chiricosta.
“We certainly didn’t plan it that way,” Chiricosta says. “I never took the job with that in mind. We’ve always used women in leadership roles. During my time, it just so happens that the best person for these jobs was a woman.”
Here are the other female executive-team members at Medical Mutual:
Steffany Larkins, EVP and chief marketing officer. Like Golovan, Larkins joined the company in 1998 and has gained a wide range of management experience. Her titles have included manager of general accounting, director of financial reporting and VP and corporate controller, and EVP and chief of staff.
As chief marketing officer, Larkins is responsible for sales, underwriting and customer relations.
“We give prices and rates to human resources directors, controllers and small-business owners, and they want to make sure we understand how significant health insurance costs are for them,” Larkins says. “If prices are going up, they want someone to tell them why.”
Sue Tyler, EVP and chief experience officer. An executive team member for 15 years, Tyler makes sure customers have positive experiences with Medical Mutual.
“We used to worry about how many calls our people took in a day,” Chiricosta says. “Now we’re not so much concerned about the quota of calls, but did we help people?”
Tyler says she came up with the title “chief experience officer.”
“Rebranding as ‘customer experience’ inspired a renewed focus on the customer and outcomes instead of an internal focus on tasks and transactions,” Tyler says.
Dr. Tere Koenig, EVP and chief medical officer. Koenig ensures that customers receive medical treatments they need in the most cost-effective way possible.
Since Chiricosta hired Koenig in 2015, she has helped the company expand its focus, from processing claims to reducing costs and obtaining better medical outcomes.
“That’s a whole different mindset,” Chiricosta says. “What’s the best way for this person to be treated, not based just on numbers? She’s helping us redesign how we contract with providers and manage claims.”
Patricia Decensi, SVP, general counsel, secretary and chief compliance officer. Decensi, hired in 1990, worked her way up through the legal department, which she now heads.
“She’s a good lawyer but she also understands our business,” Chiricosta says. “She’s helping us do business, not keeping us from doing business.”
Decensi says Chiricosta respects his staff and their advice, and enjoys a spirited debate.
“He is open to hearing other opinions and is not shy about sharing his own, so you know where you stand with Rick,” Decensi says.
Andrea Hogben, senior vice president for strategic communications. Chiricosta hired Hogben in 2016, after she had worked in sales and marketing for more than 20 years at The Plain Dealer. She was also president of The Plain Dealer-affiliated Northeast Ohio Media Group, now called Advance Ohio.
At Medical Mutual, Hogben’s responsibilities include marketing, advertising and public relations. She will join the executive staff in August when EVP Jared Chaney retires and she is expected to become chief communications officer sometime after that.
“Andrea really rolled up her sleeves early and has made an impact,” Chiricosta says. “She’s no shrinking violet, and that helps.”
Chiricosta says that even though Medical Mutual is turning 83 years old in 2017 and is still in many ways a traditional company, there are many areas that show it’s also a progressive company. “I think these talented women prove that,” he says.