Kent Thiry on corporate culture
From Distinguished Speakers Series: Kent Thiry, DaVita · · Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business
“I believe that CEOs and companies should feel an immense moral responsibility to help take care of the people that work in their enterprise, and add value to their lives beyond a paycheck. And in fact it's this beautiful reality, that there's so much good we can do for the world just by creating a better place to work, separate from what you do on charity boards and separate from your philanthropy.”
On , Kent Thiry, Former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at DaVita, spoke about corporate culture during Distinguished Speakers Series: Kent Thiry, DaVita on Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business.
About Kent Thiry
In a 2017 talk at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, Kent Thiry discussed challenges in the dialysis industry, attributing "80% of the difficulties" to reimbursement cuts and emphasizing the need to adjust cost structures. He stated that the U.S. has "the most generously funded health care system in the world" and argued that the industry bears responsibility for waste, which has led to political involvement. Thiry also noted that legislation affecting kidney care, which he said accounts for 7% of the Medicare budget, had passed the House Ways and Means Committee by a vote of 39 to one, and he predicted it would save money while improving quality. Thiry reflected on his decision not to run for governor of Colorado, describing it as a choice between adding value through his current role or spending time on a potentially unproductive political campaign. He also discussed the increasing pressure on companies to take public stances on social issues, noting that while 80% of his organization supported such a stance on one issue, 80% of the board opposed it as an unnecessary risk. Additionally, he described intrapreneurship as a "strategic imperative" for companies to remain competitive.