A Goal-oriented Leader

Sarah Sample-Reif, Chief Strategy Officer, Zivaro, is the design and creative force behind the company’s programs and services related to healthcare. Having worked in the healthcare industry for over three decades, Sarah is well-versed in the changes in the landscape of healthcare which she has incorporated into the company’s vision for support to this critical market. Zivaro’s focus ranges from innovative technologies, analytics, and digital transformation to help build the medical center/hospital of the future.

Sarah is an advisor to many clients in predicting future trends and leading innovation alongside Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and several other boards. She is involved in many of the Women in IT events through various associations, has authored articles and blogs on Women Leaders, and is continuously working to mentor younger professional women in the technology industry. “Sarah represents the values of Zivaro and believes in growing through experience and is considered a leader because of her ability to listen and to guide members of her team through the empowerment of their decisions,” says Zivaro’s CEO, Greg Byles.

Being a vision-driven, goal-focused strategic thinker with a proven history of international team leadership and achievements, Sarah has been setting the standards and maximizing returns by harnessing team strengths to improve corporation-wide performance. For the steadfast leader, collaboration can build consensus among executive teams and stakeholders to promote transparency and influence positive change, which has been repeatedly proven. “Clear and effective communication with a wide range of stakeholders, including employees, customers, shareholders, and regulators, is the key,” Sarah explains. “I also lead by example, by being myself and true to myself, being aware that I am being observed and sometimes seen as a role model to other women.” She has been promoting learning and creative thinking to keep curiosity for leading-edge trends in the healthcare industry and self-development and striving for change that builds and rebuilds the organization that serves the customers well and performs at its best.

For Sarah, success is the journey of being willing to learn, evaluate and improve oneself constantly. “The biggest piece of advice I have is to be open-minded as we limit our ability by our constraints. There are opportunities everywhere, and if we limit our ability to engage because of a predisposition, we allow ourselves to miss the possibility of abundance,” she explains. “There is a misconception that it is harder for women to break the glass ceiling than for others, quite frankly there is a great distribution of talent among all people. If you focus on being and doing your best, which means putting in the effort, you will succeed. Women need to work harder and smarter to be seen, but it is not a ‘fight’.”

Sarah is continuously working to be better. “I don’t view it as doing better in just my work or just my personal life, it’s about being better in all facets of my life. There must be a balanced and consistent evaluation of oneself to increase performance and gain knowledge; this includes having your own personal “board of directors” from whom you can receive constructive feedback,” she elucidates.

With this unique mindset, Sarah has been taking the company to new heights. Zivaro comprises knowledgeable thought leaders who are passionate about what they do. Together, they can find solutions for complex problems and bring them to their clients – and genuinely enjoy doing this as a team. Zivaro seeks to serve those charged with serving others. The team works relentlessly to help regulated market customers stay outcome-focused.

Zivaro designs and delivers secure, scalable, and cost-effective IT solutions through infrastructure expertise and flexible service delivery models. CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Zivaro to its 2022 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Elite 150 category. CRN selected Zivaro for the Elite 150 category because they are an enterprise-focused channel reseller with a significant managed service footprint included in their service portfolio. “Being a part of the Channel Company’s MSP Elite 150 again is an honor and a rewarding recognition for everyone at Zivaro,” states Glenn Smith, President of Zivaro. “We’ve continued to put significant effort into creating a unique and value-driven Managed Services practice, including hiring exceptional talent, prioritizing creative and unique vendor tools, and ensuring we deliver critical, high-touch value for our customers.” WL