Mari Anne was part of the team that developed the curriculum for the University Medicine Leadership Academy. Mari Anne was instrumental in helping to turn my vision of advanced executive education for University Medicine physicians into a reality. Her business experience along with her ability to effectively intuit our needs allowed the creation of a product that has been very successful. The leadership academy is a four-month program consisting of interactive learning sessions, virtual and actual concept related assignments and a business oriented capstone project. Each element of the course was designed to work together but because of the quality of the product, each could also stand alone as an independent learning module. The physicians and administrators who completed the course had nothing but the highest praise for Mari Anne and her talents. In fact, her teaching received the highest satisfaction rates among all categories reviewed by participants. The capstone project process was where I feel that Mari Anne’s exceptional abilities were most in evidence. The Capstone Projects required the academy participants to use the knowledge and skills gained during the leadership course to solve real-world business problems. She combined all of the objectives that I felt were important for leadership into the various aspects of the capstone project process: best leadership practices, the power of self-assessment, teamwork, strategic thinking, negotiating skills and the intricacies and nuances of communication. She did this in a way that was encouraging and promoted discussion among the participants. She really taught the skills needed to power forward and complete a project while maintaining a positive and inclusive attitude towards team dynamics. I had very high expectations for the University Leadership Academy and Mari Anne’s involvement was key to those expectations being exceeded. Without reservation, I recommend the services that Mari Anne and her company provide to any business in need of custom business skills training programs, strategic change management consulting and executive coaching.
Angie Caliendo, M.D., Ph.D., FIDSA, FAAM. Executive Vice Chair, Department of Medicine, Alpert Medical School, Brown University. President/Executive Director, Brown Physicians Inc. Professor of Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University
It is a pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Sophaya and to highlight the work of its principal, Mari Anne Snow. I have worked with Mari Anne for more than a year on the development, implementation and assessment of the University Medicine Leadership Academy. The Academy was merely a twinkle in the eyes of senior leadership at University Medicine when Mari Anne became involved. The premise was to develop an in-house course to prepare physicians and administrators for leadership roles within a complex academic medical center environment and to have a qualitative impact on the profession of medicine. The first cohort of the leadership academy graduated in May 2016 and it was apparent to everyone involved that a large part of the success was directly related to Mari Anne’s expert instruction methods which are particularly effective for high level professionals. Her ability to communicate the most valuable information for the group at the most opportune time and her flexibility to fine tune the instruction as needed based on the unique needs of the cohort were invaluable. Her confidence and professionalism allowed the cohort to introduce and examine important and sensitive issues within the classroom and that experience was instrumental for the participants. The first University Medicine Leadership Academy was a resounding success and the second course will commence in February 2017. Of the 15 participants, more than half received a promotion or raise as a direct result of the executive leadership training they received from the course. Additional validation of the course and its content came in the form of competitive external funding received from the Rhode Island Governor’s Workforce Board ($50,000) and The Physicians Foundation ($150,000). Mari Anne and her company were an integral part in this success. I would not hesitate to recommend Sophaya and the skills of its principal, Mari Anne Snow to businesses of any size looking for a relevant and forward thinking company to provide practical and advanced training, of all types, to their employees. The University Medicine Leadership Academy has benefited greatly from Mari Anne’s knowledge and dedication and her business’ ability to meet our needs so professionally and precisely.
Jennifer Hyde, Director – Special Projects, Brown Medicine, Brown Physicians Inc
I am pleased to write in full support of Mari Anne Snow and her leadership, vision and work through Sophaya. Mari Anne has played a key role in helping Meeting Street shape our leadership team through her engagement as an executive coach for more than a year. She brings a keen knowledge of how to navigate challenging workplace dynamics, build leaders from a place of strength and a strong strategic mind. Mari Anne does all of this coupled with a great sense of humor that makes her uniquely influential in structuring strategic behavior change. I have seen her impact in my own leadership as well as with members of my leadership team and we are a stronger organization as a result.
John M. Kelly, President, Meeting Street School
Mari Anne was engaged to work directly with the management and staff of our Production Group to develop a positive team environment that would respectfully support every stage of the employee lifecycle from onboarding to retirement. This engagement detailed a number of goals and deliverables that integrated with succession planning efforts identified during the Society’s recent strategic planning initiative. She lead team interviews and assessments to set the baseline for the project, worked with the management team to create a succession planning working group, provided leadership for the working group and professional coaching for the working group members, worked with management to implement the succession plan and created a follow-up accountability plan to ensure long term success. This change management project has positively impacted the Production Group, improving communication across departments and bringing an increased professionalism to the work environment and the staff. Mari Anne has continued to support managers in the Production Department and has worked with them as a group and individually to help them improve their management skills. She is a consummate professional with the ability to comfortably interact with varied personalities whether in one-on-one or group settings. Mari Anne is an effective communicator, thinks creatively, and was easy to work with throughout the project. AMS will most certainly utilize Mari Anne’s services for future projects. She has my highest endorsement.
Tammy King Walsh, Director – Human Resources, American Mathematical Society