Worcester Business Journal

18 Worcester Business Journal | October 30, 2017 | wbjournal.com F O C U S O U T S T A N D I N G W O M E N I N B U S I N E S S A ngela Bovill wouldn't rec- ommend the beginning of her adult life – starting with marriage and children by age 19 – to anyone. College was postponed due to preg- nancy. She went to work instead at a biotech company in native Maine. She worked in accounts payable, but she couldn't be contained there. She quickly became a fixer of complex problems. "I cut my teeth in every subject from finance, operations, mergers, acquisi- tions, turnaround," she said. "You name it, I probably did it." That allowed her to travel across the globe, but she wanted to do something that mattered. In 2008, she took a job as the chief financial operator of Lutheran Social Services of New England, a 135-year-old faith-based nonprofit. It wasn't just the organization's mis- sion that drew her interest; it was the complexity of the organization having Bovill remade Central Mass. social services BY ZACHARY COMEAU Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer gone through years of change rendering it somewhat clunky, she said. "When I first came in, there were a whole bunch of companies, legal entities, eight separate boards and a governing board," she said. "It was a loose grouping of companies and organizations across New England all started by different peo- ple with different intentions." Bovill was hired to help fix the frag- mented company, revamp how it oper- ated, and unite it under one entity. Eventually, the organization's name was changed to Ascentria Care Alliance. The organization provides services to refugees, immigrants, people with dis- abilities, elderly, children and families. The name change "was a representa- tion of creating a unified organization with a collective mission," said Bovill, now Ascentria's president and CEO. "Our main goal was to create a unified organization and create cohesiveness between everything that we did." The name change was the smallest of her fixes. Within the organization, enti- ties and divisions were doing the same work, Bovill said. A family's experience with the company is now more stream- lined thanks to her restructuring, which touched nearly every aspect of the agency, including the board, mission, vision and computer system. So far this year, Bovill has spent much of her time advocating for fund- ing in Washington, D.C. Healthcare proposals and Medicaid cuts would crush a good chunk of Ascentria's cli- ents, and executive orders on immigra- tion and refugees as been an incredible challenge, Bovill said. "Almost everything we do has been challenged by this new administration," she said. "It's very challenging to try to figure out how to pivot the organization to respond to threats from everywhere and continue to innovate." If there's one person who can take on that challenge, it's Bovill, said Dana Ramish, Ascentria's executive vice presi- dent for residential services. "She's absolutely driven," he said. He likened her energy and cunning to a hockey player who skates to where the puck is going. Twice a year, Bovill con- ducts town hall meetings at program sites, which typically function as an organizational recharge, Ramish said. "Everybody comes away wanting more of her time," he said. "She creates energy wherever she goes." Angela Bovill President & CEO, Ascentria Care Alliance, Worcester Residence: Stratham, N.H. Colleges: Bachelor of science in economics, Boston University; master of business administration, University of Southern Maine Who is your most influential role model? My mother. She consistently demonstrates grace under pressure, patience, an ability to listen well and unrelenting support of her family, while achieving great things as an individual and a mother. How can women succeed in the business world? Persistently pursuing your passion and ignoring the people and reasons why it's impossible. There will always be reasons not to, but more reasons why you should do it anyway. What is your primary motivation? Unlocking the potential in other people. I have been blessed with having started in a place of disadvantage and succeeding, and I feel motivated to help others do the same. W P H O T O / E D D C O T E

• Cover