Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JUNE 10, 2024 23 structure for a professional services firm can be more efficient than a partner-driven model. "I think it's definitely signaling that the firm is exploring how it thinks about its value proposition," she said. A key decision for firms is how they want to incorporate the business-pro- cess expertise they're asking partners to embrace. Arora says in the past, in fields like consulting, functions such as human resources were filled by specialist support staff working for the partners. "What this recent move to the C-suite is doing is it's flipping: it's saying we want the specialization at the higher level," she said. Arora also sees the C-suite structure as a more flexible and responsive way to face significant uncertainties, which include the coming impact of artificial intelligence. "In a lot of areas, people are saying exactly what tasks is AI going to take over?" she said. "What value do I have to deliver for my clients, especially within service industries? People are starting to say, 'well, how do I create greater efficiencies without compromising on being really effective?'" Continuity and more formalized succession planning can be another benefit of a more formalized leader- ship structure, according to Patrice Luoma, a professor of entre- preneurship and strategy at Quin- nipiac who is also the outgoing director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. "If you have a corpo- rate form, then the organization has its own life," she said. "It can outlive anybody who's in it." If the change is accompanied by a legal change of form to a corporation, it's also a much more flexible way to raise capital, including in recent years, from private equity investors. At Newman, Agron said she is struck by the reaction of her colleagues. "Introducing this structure has really engaged people in a way that I think we haven't seen before, and that I think you don't see at many other firms," she said. "People see a place for themselves in this new structure. I think it's the beginning of something really wonderful for us." Newman Architects' project portfolio includes work on the mixed-use redevelopment of UConn's former West Hartford campus, known as Heritage Park (rendering at left), and the 132-unit 18 High St. luxury apartments in New Haven (shown above). PHOTOS | CONTRIBUTED Patrice Luoma Nationally Recognized! Saint Francis Hospital has achieved numerous accolades for clinical excellence, according to new research released by Healthgrades, the leading resource consumers use to find a hospital or a doctor. The distinction for Saint Francis includes being named one of Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Orthopedics, the only hospital in Connecticut! Saint Francis also earned Five-Star ratings for Outpatient Total Knee Replacement, Outpatient Total Hip, and Total Hip Replacement for the 12th straight year. Saint Francis was among the top 5 percent in the nation for Outpatient Joint Replacement and Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery. Saint Francis was also named a recipient for the Healthgrades Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award as well as the Outpatient Orthopedics Surgery Excellence Award. These achievements place Saint Francis in the upper echelon of hospitals nationally for specialty care and reflect the organization's commitment to consistently delivering the best care possible. ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY JOINT REPLACEMENT TrinityHealthOfNE.org/Ortho

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