CIO Profiles: Suzanne Kosub Of Concentra

Career Track

How long at current company: I've been with Concentra, which operates medical centers and clinics in 40 states, for 10 years.

Career accomplishment I'm most proud of: Running a technology organization that's viewed as a value-added partner.

Most important career influencer: Early in my IT career, I met the female CIO of a large tech company and asked about her career path. She told me that it took tremendous passion and bravery to do the job. To be an effective CIO, you must have passion for leading technology people, enabling the business through technology, and being focused on customer service. You must also show bravery to be a respected member of senior management and be engaged in strategy, finance, and operations.

On The Job

IT budget: $27 million

Size of IT team: 160 employees

Top initiatives:

How I measure IT effectiveness: Concentra ranks each business unit annually, including the technology organization. This allows us to understand the satisfaction of end users and make improvements.

Vision

The next big thing for my industry: The future of healthcare is boundless. There are many opportunities we can obtain through advanced information exchange, automation, and operational and quality improvement.

The federal government's top tech priority should be ... to lead technology into more aspects of the healthcare system, creating more cost-efficient and quality outcomes.

Kids and technology careers: I'd encourage my child to find a career she's passionate about and one that makes her happy. If that's in the technology industry, I would support the decision.

Personal

Colleges: University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas

Leisure activity: Golf

Business-related pet peeve: Talkers, not doers

Tech vendor I respect most: Steve Jobs

Personal computer: Mac

Smartphone: iPhone

If I weren't a CIO, I'd be ... a lawyer or judge

Ranked No. 33 in the 2010

InformationWeek Green - Apr. 4, 2011

InformationWeek Green