Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the tech industry. In this Q&A, we are featuring Caitlin Reiche, Chief Commercial Officer at Zus Health.
Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?
I grew up in Newton, Massachusetts - close to Boston. I loved school but wasn’t particularly athletic, and spent much of my time outside of school with my parents, older brothers, and kids around my neighborhood.
What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school?
I went to Middlebury College, a small liberal arts school in Vermont. After switching my major three times - from economics to history to poli-sci, I finally settled on Psychology, for no other reason than I realized my psych classes were the ones I was always most excited to attend. In retrospect, I realize that the basic concepts of psychology are probably the most important to understand to navigate all relationships, including those in business contexts. But I didn’t always want to go into business - I thought I would be a clinical psychologist and so followed that “path” out of undergrad, and coordinated clinical research trials in the Psychiatry Department at Massachusetts General Hospital. It was in this role where I was first exposed to the inadequacies of existing HCIT and the opportunity for improved technology to provide efficiencies and superior care.
Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today?
During graduate school at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, I did a consulting internship at Deloitte and worked on a value-based care project for Harvard Business School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. I knew that value-based care (as opposed to fee-for-service) was going to change the way we think about and pay for healthcare, but I quickly recognized that very little technology existed to support these new models.
After a number of conversations with folks in my network, I decided to pursue a role at athenahealth, one of the most innovative and transformative healthcare technology companies during that time. Athena was growing quickly at the time, providing a number of opportunities for someone early in their career, like me. I was able to chart my own course there, holding roles in Product Strategy, Corporate Strategy, Enterprise Business Sales, and Product. I recognized I loved building new teams, launching products, and managing and mentoring people.
I have been lucky enough to continue this work at PatientPop and then as Chief Operating Officer at Buoy Health, where for 3 years I built out the organization from 24 to over 100 people. At Buoy, I also had the opportunity to work with emerging digital health companies as they figured out their go-to-market strategies - and this is when I knew I wanted to help this new era of virtual-first healthcare companies succeed, prompting my move to Zus.
Tell us about your new role at Zus Health?
At Zus, I oversee our new Commercial Team, which includes building out our marketing and product marketing functions, our business development and sales teams, and our partnerships and developer community.
As a relatively new company, I also spend a lot of time developing our go-to-market strategy. I love the cross-functional nature of the role, and enjoy having daily conversations with some of the most innovative digital health companies that will truly change the way we receive healthcare over the coming years.
Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally? Was it always your goal to be in this position?
I wish I could say I planned it, but of course much of the evolution of my career happened organically. Early on in my career, I didn’t think of myself as a salesperson. However, over time, I realized that external, strategic, customer and partner-facing conversations were the most invigorating parts of all of my roles - that introspection helped me realize that a Chief Commercial Officer or a go-to-market leadership position is the best fit for my interests and skills.
For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals?
I think a tendency is to say - I want to lead a Commercial organization, and therefore I need to “grow up” in sales. I actually think another way to be successful in this type of role is to experience different opportunities in other parts of an organization. Time spent in product or R&D will give you empathy and understanding of the product development lifecycle, time spent building out teams in any role will give you leadership and management skills, a marketing role will train you in critical top-of-funnel strategies… the list goes on. Become a well-rounded professional and then pick the area where you want to lead.
What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?
Organization - this may be underestimated, but being really organized about our go-to-market strategy and the tactics that will lead us to success is really important at a macro level, and day-to-day organization and deep preparation around customer conversations, presentations, and follow up is critical.
What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work? What’s the most challenging?
I love this early stage because success (and really, company survival) necessitates that the whole organization puts their energy into go-to-market. This means I get to work very cross-functionally, bringing product managers and engineers into customer strategy sessions and conversations and spending a lot of time sharing insights across the company,
What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
The times I was able to help another individual realize their full potential through mentorship or management – these have always been the most satisfying experiences for me.
Are you involved with any professional organizations outside of the company? Volunteer work?
I’m a member of Chief and also mentor for The Roux Institute, a graduate and entrepreneurship organization here in Portland, Maine.
Q&A
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Time outside of work is spent with my family. I have 3 children under 7 and we love our family adventures here in Maine - boating, skiing, and generally spending time outside.
How do you manage stress?
To-do lists and calendar organization, and trying to find some free time during the day when I can take my dog for a walk or go for a run.
How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?
At least 3… but never after 1pm.
