Interns into executives: An interview with Susan deCathelineau

Welcome back to the “interns into executives” series, based on interviews with women executives who lead Hyland.

This time, we talk with Susan deCathelineau, Hyland’s vice president of Global Healthcare Sales & Services. Here’s what she had to say.

How did you get to this point in your career?

I have always been focused on healthcare, that’s the degree that I graduated with – Healthcare Information Administration. It is a passion of mine, as I am not someone who can treat patients, but I am very interested in supporting the people and the systems that do.

I have worked in different health systems as a leader of both technology and business areas in those organizations, as well as led sales and services teams for technology-focused organizations. Prior to joining Hyland, I was actually a customer implementing OnBase. My first role in joining Hyland was on the Healthcare Sales team in which I was able to share my OnBase experience with customers and prospects.

I just celebrated my 11th year anniversary at Hyland. During this time, I have had the opportunity to take on different roles, whether being a business consultant, a manager of solution consultants, or leading the services group. I now have the wonderful opportunity to lead a combined healthcare sales and services team. I’ve been able to bring all my different experiences from where I have worked before, and during my time at Hyland, to both the organization and my leadership of this team.

Looking back at your career, was there an obstacle that you overcame to help you get to where you are today?

For me, it was pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Throughout my career, I have challenged myself to take on new roles and learn from experiences that have helped me grow professionally and personally.

In many of the experiences I have pursued, there have been obstacles that I have needed to take on and learn from. Getting past those obstacles may not have been comfortable, but it pushed me go beyond what I may have thought I could achieve and help me to continue to evolve.

If you could have lunch with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

My husband, because I rarely see him (laughs). We make the most of our weekends together, because it’s usually back on the road on Monday.

Work-life balance seems to be kind of a big deal here at Hyland. Do you have any tips for balancing personal and professional life?

I am probably the worst person to ask, because I still have a lot to learn around that topic. I do think it’s really important, and I think that you do need to take time to refresh and recharge.

One of the best things I did was take a sabbatical and totally disconnect. I think my advice for those who have the opportunity to take a sabbatical is to truly take a sabbatical. I think that should be a good lesson even for those people who are just taking time off. That is your time, and it’s important to really focus on disconnecting, because you will feel so much more refreshed and recharged afterwards.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a leader in the tech industry?

Driving transformational changes in our customers’ organizations. Our customers’ business models and initiatives continue to evolve to meet changing market demands. We need to continue to establish strong partnerships in supporting their long-term strategies.

Hyland’s high customer retention rate is due to our engagement with our customers, listening to the challenges they face, and helping them solve their business problems. As our customers evolve, so do we. As a leader in the technology industry, our team – and me personally – needs to continue to evolve how we not only support our customers but also collaborate on short and long-term strategic goals. This means that we as a healthcare team need to continue to explore ways to implement solutions that make significant impacts in transforming how our customers conduct business.

If you had one word to describe your time at Hyland, what would it be?

I would say rewarding. I have really enjoyed my time and the opportunities I have had to grow here; I think rewarding is probably the only way to describe that.

What does #HylandLife mean to you?

To me, it’s a culture we have been able to sustain for many years. I think that is what makes us unique as a company. Even though we continue to grow and expand our presence across the globe, we still maintain that culture. And that’s important.

What is one question you always ask a potential hire during an interview?

Our questions are always looking for the person’s passion in what they are pursuing. We look for enthusiasm in who they are and what they hope to accomplish at Hyland.

I think that’s a key to what has made us so successful as a company. We are so passionate and so dedicated to the success of our customers and our team members. We are never better than when there is a cause and we are all in. I think it’s because of that passion – that is what drives us.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Providing the opportunity for our team members to pursue their individual career paths, and helping them achieve these goals. As our organization has grown, and as our healthcare business has evolved, we have been able to add new roles, whether they are leadership positions or leaders of initiatives. To be able see people take on new roles and experiences is rewarding.

I am sure there are people on our team who never expected to be traveling to Europe or Australia, myself included! There are just so many different ways they are able to learn and grow in their career and experience new positions, or get out and see different parts of the world and meet new customers.

What was your dream job as a child?

I always wanted to travel, which is funny, because that is exactly what I do now! I don’t know if I ever thought of a particular job, but I knew it was something that would give me the opportunity to meet new people and experience different cultures.

Do you think there is one characteristic every good female leader possesses?

The ability to empower others. Giving others the opportunity to grow and being able to learn from new experiences. I think that’s been an opportunity for myself and for Hyland as we grow.

As a leader, we have to let go and empower others to take on new roles and responsibilities. This provides our team members the opportunity to take on different and exciting challenges. It can be difficult, because as we have all grown in different roles and taken on additional responsibilities, letting go can be a challenge. Empowering others not only helps our organization further scale to accommodate new growth initiatives, it is truly an opportunity for our team members to continue to pursue their professional and personal career paths.

What piece of advice would you give interns?

I would encourage you to take on as many new experiences as possible. Whether it is taking on new projects, trying different roles or traveling to different places. These experiences will build upon each other and help you to identify what you enjoy doing and in preparing for future roles.

Your internship is an incredible way to learn from many different Hylanders and to take those learnings to help shape your next step in pursuing your career interests. My best advice is to continue to push yourself out of your comfort zone in taking on new projects, seeking new roles, and learning from others as you pursue your career aspirations.

We hope you have enjoyed Susan’s great insights.

Next week, we’ll talk with Nancy Person, Hyland’s associate vice president of Finance & Accounting.