Stephen Swensen

Dr. Swensen, dedicated to the support of thoughtful leaders who aspire to nurture fulfillment of their staff, is a recognized expert and speaker in the disciplines of leadership and burnout. His work and research show that it is possible to cultivate camaraderie, agency and coherence for high value results. For three decades he served patients at the Mayo Clinic. As Director for Leadership and Organization Development, he co-led the Professional Burnout Initiative and oversaw the development of 4,100 physicians and 232 key leaders. As Chief Quality Officer, he established the Quality Academy wherein 37,000 colleagues were certified as Fellows during his tenure. As Department Chair, he and his team used their Value Creation System to improve the welfare of both patients and professionals. Dr. Swensen serves as Senior Fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, where his focus is joy in work. He works as the Leadership Theme Leader for NEJM Catalyst. A full professor, he was Principal Investigator of two National Institutes of Health grants and has authored three books and 207 articles. He was honored with the Diamond Lifetime Achievement Award, served as the president of two international societies and founded the Big Sky Group. He holds a Masters of Medical Management from Carnegie Mellon University. Swensen has been married for 42 years, has two children and has run or cross-country skied 39 marathons. Contact Stephen Swensen: swensen.stephen@mayo.edu