Success comes from a people-centered focus. LeAnne Andersen has seen this throughout her distinguished career at large, national organizations. She’s now bringing this focus back home.
“I am drawn to Bellin and Gundersen’s unified purpose of the best possible health and experience for all people and the organization’s bold future aspirations for its patients, staff, and community,” shares the system’s new Chief People Officer. “It is even more special because, having grown up south of Madison, Wisconsin and having lived in Minnesota, this region has always felt like home.”
“I am very pleased LeAnne has chosen to join us at Bellin and Gundersen Health System,” says Chief Executive Officer Scott Rathgaber, MD. “She brings immense experience leading large, integrated health systems like ours. She will bring exceptional talent to our organization, supporting our staff, patients, and communities.”
LeAnne will begin her new position in late February. LeAnne comes to Bellin and Gundersen from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She served as Chair of Human Resources, overseeing People Services for a workforce of more than 70,000 employees. Before this, LeAnne was Vice President of Human Resources for Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California, serving more than 210,000 employees.
She also has deep experience outside of healthcare. LeAnne served as Vice President of Human Resources for Best Buy, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She led HR services that benefited more than 140,000 employees at over 1,000 stores in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Part of her success at these large organizations has been to flip the perception of and access to HR services.
“Services and programs for people need to be approachable, available, and built in a way that addresses individuals’ needs and reinforces an organization’s mission and values,” LeAnne shares. “There is an incredible opportunity at Bellin and Gundersen, through the merger of equals, to build a collaborative culture that is safe, engaging, and provides great experience for each person. I see the commitment to people throughout this organization. This is what excites me most.”
LeAnne earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Relations from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and a master’s degree in Business Administration - Organizational Leadership from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. LeAnne also holds an Executive Leadership Certificate from Harvard University.