Hartford Business Journal

6 Hartford Business Journal | March 22, 2021 | Women In Business Women In Business Awards 2021 D r. Madhavi Gorusu is a hematologist and oncologist who completed her residency and fellowship at the University of Connecticut and her executive MBA at the University of Connecticut School of Business. She served as vice president for the Connecticut Multispecialty Group (CMG) branch of Starling Physicians. Gorusu also served as president and is on the Board of Trustees for The Connecticut Association of Physicians of Indian Origin. She sits on the Board of Trustees for the Hartford Leukemia Lymphoma Society; is founder of the India-based nonprofit Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, serving the underprivileged; and is co-founder of TheHartfordHealthChronicles.com. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far? The pandemic brought out the best in me. I continued to provide compassionate care to my patients and spearheaded a convalescent plasma donation initiative. I adapted to the use of a virtual medium to educate the community with updates in healthcare through my online journal and webinars. What's the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally? To succeed as a strong physician leader, making a mark in contributing to the reduction in healthcare costs and bringing cutting-edge research to my patients. I believe virtual clinical trials are an impactful way to overcome geographical barriers of patient access to clinical trials. What's one of the biggest professional challenges you've overcome? Not letting existing norms in my professional, societal environment define my goals and path is a challenge I continue to work to overcome. This has been made possible by having belief in myself, great mentors, wonderful friends and a tremendously supportive family. How has the COVID-19 pandemic forced you to adapt as a leader? Embracing telehealth, supporting staff working remotely and being vigilant to new opportunities that became available with the flexibility of virtual health care have all helped me lead my patient-care team, be creative in going beyond the usual parameters of patient care, and coordinate multidisciplinary care with no geographic boundaries. What legacy do you want to leave after your career is over? The Sanskrit saying, "Krushi tho nasti durbhiksham" means that with hard work, there is nothing that is impossible. This is the principle I live by. I'd like to be remembered as a woman physician who was passionate about patient care, felt strongly about gender equality and lived as an example of her beliefs. Dr. Madhavi Gorusu Employer: Starling Physicians Title: Hematologist & Oncologist E rin Hatzikostas is a former corporate CEO turned founder of b Authentic inc. She's an author, TEDx speaker, career coach, nationally published thought leader and podcast co-host of b Cause with Erin & Nicole. She released her first book, "You Do You(ish)," in February of this year. Hatzikostas holds a bachelor's degree in Statistics from Western Michigan University and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. Married to her husband, Manny, they have two children - Ella, 12, and Mick, 10. In her free time, you'll find her coaching basketball, running, skiing, or probably dancing wherever you're not supposed to dance. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far? In 2016, at the age of 42, I was named the CEO of PayFlex, an Aetna-owned company. I was able to lead a significant company turnaround. In just three years, we were able to triple earnings and (not coincidentally) employee culture and engagement scores also skyrocketed. What's the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally? I want to fundamentally change the working world to be a more authentic place. It breaks my heart to see so many people burnt out, fed up and let down by their colleagues, careers and companies. Empowering authenticity will improve employee engagement, gender equality and overall company results. What's one of the biggest professional challenges you've overcome? Conforming. Several times I almost opted down in my career because I feared having to compromise to rise. Then I realized that I didn't have to do it the way it was done before; I could do things my own way. I now follow that mantra in everything I do. How has the COVID-19 pandemic forced you to adapt as a leader? In many ways, the pandemic has been a tailwind for what I believe in most – authentic leadership. Personally, it gave me the space to focus on bigger, more thoughtful things that were harder to do in the past. For example, I birthed my first book in the year(ish) of COVID-19! What do you like to do outside of work? I love anything sports related: Coaching basketball, skiing, running or lounging on the couch in my fat pants, watching college basketball or NFL football. My son and I have also been giving out care bags to the homeless. It's been a rewarding experience during these difficult times. Erin Hatzikostas Employer: b Authentic inc Title: Founder & CEO

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