Honored Leader: Susan Torroella, President and CEO
Company Name: Columbia MedCom Group
Location: Columbia, Md.
Nature of Business: Medical communications.
Founded: 1988
Revenue: $11-25 million
Growth Rate (2003): 37 percent
Number of Employees: 58
Average Tenure: 5 years
Under the leadership of Susan Torroella, Columbia MedCom Group, a 16-year-old,
58-employee medical communications firm, moved from negative sales growth
in 1999 and 2000 to steady growth and financial performance above industry
averages ever since. At the same time, Columbia MedCom’s employee
turnover rate is about 4 percent, and average employee tenure is five years,
numbers that are impressive for any industry. The “magic” that
Torroella has employed is a combination of personal attention to employees
and their needs, and metrics to understand business results. Columbia uses
employee surveys, internal tracking of utilization rates and annual performance
reviews including 360-degree feedback to measure its progress. The firm
focuses on employee development, including a well-developed new employee
orientation program and a range of internal and offsite training opportunities.
To assure ongoing opportunity for professional development, Torroella launched
a Mid-Atlantic affiliate of the Healthcare Business Women’s Association.
To maximize flexibility, all employees are provided with lap-top computers
so that they can work from home. And Torroella’s management style
includes personal conversations with employees to know how things are going
on a regular basis.
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