ColoradoBiz CEO of the Year 2015 finalist: Kent Thiry

He's overseen 15 years of great clinical outcomes

“For the 15th year in a row, we’ve had our best clinical outcomes ever,” says Thiry of the company’s benchmarks. It’s no coincidence that this run started immediately after Thiry joined in 1999.

“We consider ourselves to be a community first and a company second,” he says of his management philosophy. It follows that he gives credit to his team, spanning more than 2,000 dialysis centers in the U.S. and 10 other countries. “I am just a mirror that reflects the efforts and contributions of 65,000 people.”

His advice to up-and-coming chief executives? “Begin with the end in mind. It’s so easy for younger executives to get so focused on the business. You don’t want to get to my age – 59 – and say, ‘I wish I did it differently.’”