Our President and active member, Marilee Benson, explains why the Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation (WBL) is such an important organization:

When did you learn about the WBL?

I learned about the WBL at HIMSS about four years ago when I was invited to a networking event. It only took about five minutes to realize that WBL members represented an amazing group of women leaders involved in all aspects of healthcare. But what really struck me was how dedicated WBL staff and members were to supporting, mentoring, and accelerating women to board-level positions.

Why do you think the WBL’s mission aligns so well with Zen’s values?

The WBL provides a platform for a peer network through which members are able to move their companies forward, advance their careers, and make a true impact on the healthcare industries. And this really resonates with me. Jim and I named our company “Zen” for a reason. We want to support equal opportunity for women and other minorities. But just talking about it isn’t enough.

We spend a lot of time in our discussions at WBL about how to truly execute on the goal of advancing women and minorities within our own organizations. And it gives us a chance to listen and learn from those who have faced the barriers and worked to overcome them.

What has been your experience as a WBL member so far?

The WBL has a saying “there is no such thing as a cold call” to a WBL Peer, and I see this in action every day. I attended my first WBL Annual Summit Conference last year when WBL staff quickly pivoted to a post COVID-19 virtual format. It was truly the best conference I attended last year. And the rest of the year was filled with many other good special virtual events and smaller networking opportunities.

At every event, the message is the same. Find every opportunity to connect and support your fellow WBL members in growing the success of their careers and their organizations. And that is what we do.  Honestly – I’ve never experienced anything else like it in my 30+ year career.

How is Zen supporting the WBL this year?

Zen is excited to be the WBL Summit Directory sponsor this year. We are very happy to have this opportunity to show our support to the hundreds of women leaders working in healthcare organizations across the U.S.

In the past year, we have seen the unbelievable capacity of women to simultaneously manage the needs of their families, their staff members, their patients (for the caregivers), and their companies. There has never been a better time to say thank you.