Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Appen.
Hi Kristina, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I graduated from the University of Georgia with a dual degree in Finance and Spanish. From there, I started my career with RaceTrac Petroleum as an Operations Analyst, supporting regional field teams through data and analytics. I was promoted to a project manager role within the enterprise project management office and soon discovered my love for project management. I went on to lead the enterprise PMO from 2016-2021 and also had the opportunity to lead the IT program management office in the latter phase of my tenure there. During my time at RaceTrac, I had three children, and they were becoming increasingly active in after-school activities. My dreams of being supermom required me to be closer to home so I could do and be “all the things” (or at least try to be!). This led to an ideal opportunity to lead the program management office at Jackson Healthcare in Alpharetta. I work with an incredible team of people in the shared services resource team within the Jackson Healthcare parent company, which serves all of the businesses within the organization in areas that include accounting/finance, associate experience, community impact, corporate development, human resources, IT, legal, marketing and risk management. The majority of my team’s efforts are centered around technology services.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve been fortunate to build strong relationships with some really great people in the past 13 years. When I’ve doubted myself or had uncertainties in the work I’m doing, I’ve been able to lean on my network for a boost of confidence and an outlet to process hard situations. Whether dealing with a persnickety business partner, challenging group, or high-stakes business decision; working through a period of structural change that requires significant change management; navigating team dynamics and business goals during the struggles of a pandemic; or simply motivating and engaging the teams I work with, I’ve had the blessing of a sound “village” that grounds me. They’re also the ones who really know me and tell me when to slow down, trust my intuition, and remember that good things take time despite my interminable impatience!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Jackson Healthcare is a family of healthcare staffing, search, and technology companies – 19 of them in total – with the mission to improve the delivery of patient care and the lives of everyone we touch. Our companies provide healthcare systems, hospital and medical facilities with the skilled healthcare professionals and technologies they need to delivery high quality patient care when and where it’s needed. This includes the placement of physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, therapists, and anesthesiologists nationwide in locum tenens, travel, and permanent positions that span a wide range of specialties.
My team at Jackson Healthcare leads large cross-functional initiatives for our organization, guiding how departments organize and manage their work. At the most basic level, I specialize in problem-solving and rallying teams around a common goal. I am known for my radical candor – caring about people personally but partnering with and challenging them directly. Work initiatives can’t reach their desired goals or achieve maximum impact if those doing the work don’t know where they’re missing the mark or how to fix it. My genuine communication style is deeply rooted in seeking to understand who someone is, what drives them, and how we can collaborate effectively. I’m then able to better understand how we arrived where we are today and what we need to do to reach our goals.
What do you think about happiness?
A cold drink on my back porch on a Friday night, watching my kids play happily, makes me happy! That AND genuinely getting to know people. In a world where our attention span is so short-lived and we’re constantly moving from one thing to another, I love connecting with others. By investing in learning about their goals and interests and what amps them up or brings them down, we’re cultivating a relationship that builds on itself. That fuels me. I tell others often that I feel as though I’m working with people who could be my neighbors (the good kind). That is to say that we meet one another where we are, we recognize each other’s strengths, and we accept each other’s shortcomings while striving to help each other improve. If we have a hard day, so what? That’s life. We build each other up and reach a greater outcome because we’re getting there as a team, challenging one another, and remaining open to new ideas. We’re walking this journey together, so all the better to do it in a way that strengthens us as a community.
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