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Johanne Bouchard

"The Leadership Whisperer" : Fostering healthy individuals and healthy organizations.

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Full Video- BonneFire Intimate Chat: Johanne Bouchard and Chair/CEO Jay Fulcher

“Authenticity comes from quiet confidence and a level of trust: in yourself and each other. Authenticity creates stronger bonds and a connection that is satisfying. It is why I love to do what I do.” – Jay Fulcher

I am grateful and thrilled to have had the pleasure to sit down for a wonderful Intimate Chat with Jay Fulcher, Chair and CEO of Zenefits. Jay leads a “unicorn” tech company that, under his guidance over the last 22 months, is resurging from mismanaged hyper-growth. He exchanged frankly with me about his journey in the dual leadership roles of Chair and CEO, inspiring with clarity, focus and his understanding of the importance of doing what is right to serve all stakeholders. This unicorn is projecting and executing with positive power!

RELATED: Click here for Johanne’s chats with other honored guests!

Jay’s tenure “has been a transformative time for the company.” Jay intently listened to my questions– the kind of intent listening that is unquestionably one of his hallmarks as a leader. He listens consciously to his employees, his customers, his partners and the market. Jay is passionate about the leadership of his organization and the impact that Zenefits’ software is making as a technology disruptor SaaS platform across HR, Payroll and Benefits. The company is positioned to hugely benefit SMBs (Small and Medium Businesses), which in his opinion is a segment that has been under-served for decades.

He has remarkable energy and drive, and Jay Fulcher won’t allow for shortcuts of any kind. To him, authenticity is essential. He says: “Our team recognizes there’s not a ‘growth hack’ for everything. It’s not healthy to have a shortcut mindset. We have a sacred responsibility to our customers not just to win, but to win the right way. We embrace the ‘grind’: the detailed work to get it right.”

Jay believes in being transparent with all stakeholders, clearly communicating how his company plans and executes under a distinct vision. It is especially important to him to be transparent to his employees about why and how decisions are made. Along with his employees, Jay “operates with integrity” and successfully “innovates for the greater good.” He views himself as a collaborator and a team builder, and he is willing to be vulnerable.

He doesn’t need to be convinced or educated about any aspects of social responsibility, as it is top of mind for him to permeate Zenefits’ culture with it. With regard to diversity and inclusion, he states: “We are putting our thumb on the scale for equality. From the vantage point as a father, a business person, an avid sportsman: diversity and inclusion isn’t just the right thing, it drives performance opportunity for individuals, teams and companies. We do this by how we hire, how we are radically transparent in our conversations about topics that extend in- and outside the business and how we develop products to support more fair and competitive business.”

Thank you to the The Media Team for assisting in the production of this video! VP Communications Didi D’Errico, Dylan Welter Marketing PMO, Brandon De Jong Senior Art Director

***

Some background for this chat:

I was in the tech industry for 25 years, and I am a fervent follower of trends and emerging technologies. Having been focused on leadership dynamics and effectiveness at the highest level of organizations, specifically boards, I have blogged about the governance of the “unicorns,” fast growing start-ups with valuations of $1B and more. One unicorn that I closely watched was Zenefits, known back in 2015 for its online software to automate health insurance and payroll. Unfortunately by 2016, Zenefits was in the hot seat and had become plagued by a poor reputation due to an unhealthy culture and poor oversight.

I was contacted on a number of occasions by the San Francisco Chronicle’s business columnist to share my views about the unparalleled fall of a company that could have made an incredible positive impact. On February 16, 2016, I was quoted in the article “Zenefits struggles show VCs are not paying enough attention,” and 10 days later I was again quoted in the Chronicle in “Weak boards hurt unicorns.”

As I gathered my thoughts for the latter, I realized I had a blog, and three days later I published “Board Governance: Taming the Unicorn.” In it I wrote that “New leadership thinking is needed to instill solid and consistent governance practices for these ‘start-ups on steroids,’” and said to my audience: “Will taming these unicorns help maximize their long-term success and the impact that they can and should have on our business and economic environments, while still fueling the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation? I believe so.”

On February 9, 2017, CNBC reported that while Zenefits had “turned heads for its rapid ascent to elite ‘unicorn’ status, gaining a $4.5 billion valuation,” its newly appointed CEO, Jay Fulcher, announced that it was laying off 430 employees. Jay was quoted saying, “I strongly believe these difficult decisions are essential in setting Zenefits up for success.”

I continued to follow the company, as it was clearly “tamed” and revitalized, and in just over 18 months Zenefits has now transformed under Jay’s leadership. Jay and I met few months ago and it was a natural sequel to invite him as an honored guest of BonneFire, as his voice is in harmony with the BonneFire Community.

Johanne Bouchard

Johanne Bouchard, a serial entrepreneur and former high-tech marketing executive, is a governance and leadership advisor to boards, CEOs, executives and entrepreneurs, as well as an expert in board composition and dynamics. An accomplished author and blogger, Johanne has published a number of eBooks, and her articles have been published in Ethical Boardroom and NACD's Directorship. She is an advocate for STEM, increased diversity in the boardroom and patients' rights.

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Filed Under: BonneFire Intimate Chat Excerpts Tagged With: authenticity, company culture, Corporate Social Responsibility, jay fulcher, johanne bouchard, transparency, unicorn, zenefits

Explore the BonneFire Community

BonneFire is a yearly subscription with 12 monthly offerings inspiring self-mastery and transparent leadership in service of both the individual and the collective, for healthier individuals and healthier organizations.

Members also receive two half-hours of one-on-one coaching with Johanne. 

Each month has a unique theme that guides the focus of each month’s inspiring guidance and teaching. Members receive one email the first week of each month consisting of:

bonnefire iconPulse Check

 

bonnefire iconReflection

 

bonnefire iconPractice

 

Each month, Johanne chooses a theme and determines the focus for that month’s inspiring guidance and teaching pulse check, reflection and practice.

Click here to learn more!

What I Write About…

  • Blogs in French
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  • BonneFire Inspiring Guidance & Teaching Excerpts
  • BonneFire Intimate Chat Excerpts
  • Business Column for Explore Big Sky
  • Diversity
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Sign up to receive emails from Johanne:

The meeting was fantastic. It was an undisputable success. The interaction was superior and beyond what anyone could have thought was possible. Everyone embraced you and your skills in ways that I have never seen before. I learned a lot about the process and it has been very meaningful. It illuminated me into focused actions. It galvanized the entire executive team across the five business units. Really exciting…

- Audit Chair

Johanne, the offsite was terrific and you did a fabulous job leading us through some very challenging tasks. I have great faith in our leadership team. I’m glad the learning and collaboration will continue.

Excellent meeting.

Amazing meeting. Loved it.

- GMs of Business Units

You did a very good job. I like the process, like the rigor, like the completeness and the sensitivity with which you presented tough issues. I like the individual profiles and how they lead to both learning for me as well as opportunity for team building.

- Independent Director

I recommended you for this task because I felt that the depth of inquiry and the thoroughness of your approach are important to bring the Board to a new level of quality and interaction. I found your work very complete and am glad that you brought to the surface a number of issues that have to be addressed to improve our effectiveness as a Board. Your observations and recommendations go to the heart of what makes a Board a team (and what gets in the way).

- Governance Chair

Johanne has an innate ability to bring out the best in all whom she touches. She practices what she preaches – patience, courage, generosity, wisdom and humility. Her contributions have positively impacted our Company and working environment and will result in increased profitability and shareholder value.

- CEO

Johanne is truly exceptional at what she does. I've worked with many consultants over the years, and what sets her apart is the combination of her right- and left-brain skills. She knows how to listen, catch unspoken cues, instill trust and openness, while also being focused on the substance of the issues, the complexities of the situation and challenges, and the business issues that have to get solved. She is direct and candid while also unusually sensitive. By applying these skills, she helped us analyze what was going on in our business, shed light on the core management and governance issues, and facilitated our discussions among the decision makers about the next steps to take. I would work with her again in a heartbeat.

- Independent Director, Governance Committee

I have seen Johanne's skilled handling of important executive interfaces and her ability to quickly get to the heart of the issues and lead to results. That certainly happened here. I found that even in cases where the participants thought they had good communication we reached new levels of connection and candor, all helping us be most efficient at a time when that is most important in our company.

- Senior Vice President

Johanne has provided a mirror into myself. Helping me to step back and view my actions and true feelings. By her perceptive and insightful questioning she enabled me to look within. Just being able to speak openly about myself was most helpful. Without question this awareness is leading to positive change both personally and professionally. I find myself a more effective participant with both my direct reports, peers and my Board.

- CEO

I thank Johanne for her clarity and quick ability to cut through the clutter. She made a huge difference. I have grown a lot. Johanne’s exceptional wisdom for defining and supporting the needs of clients were a real asset to us. Johanne is exceptionally gifted at understanding how to balance and focus for success. I highly recommend her to any company looking to grow.

- CEO

Thank you so very much for the day of focus for our team. We really needed it and I do not believe we could have done it without you. You are such a wonderful friend of ours. I personally left feeling inspired and clear. You are a beautiful person to facilitate those connections.

- CEO

Thank you for such a productive session. It was wonderful to have your support and focus in connecting the team. Your constant guidance in finding clarity is a true gift for our organization.

- CEO

The time spent was of tremendous help to me personally as it gave me a chance to review all aspects of our operations. Johanne's attentiveness and level of support was remarkable. Her sense for the big picture will keep us all focused on the right priorities.

I can't thank Johanne enough.

- CEO

Johanne Bouchard is a pioneer and a leader who brings to the process of executive coaching and strategic planning a focused, high-energy and highly- effective approach. In a short time and in a seemingly effortless manner, she leads an individual or a team to a crystal-clear understanding of their core values, their goals and a path to achieving them.

- CEO

Johanne has a remarkable ability to inspire others to share with perfect honesty, overcome their own barriers, and find greater clarity for their purpose. Her dedication to her work comes from a sincere passion for guiding others in their quest for successful leadership and life skills. Johanne's encouraging style supports rather than leads, promotes as opposed to advises.

- REMIA participant

Thank you very much for your kindness, warmth and thoughtfulness for our team. Your team building session was beautifully on point, and done very constructively.

- CEO

Johanne is an outstanding professional with exceptional coaching skills. She is insightful and a very effective communicator.

- Ken Coleman- Board Chairman, Saama Technologies and special advisor to Andreessen Horowitz Venture Capital firm

Johanne worked with our board at Accelrys to enhance our effectiveness. She provided tremendous value and insight in a very collegial manner.

- Jeff Rodek - Former Chair and CEO of Hyperion, Former President and COO Ingram Micro 

Johanne Bouchard is a unique consultant and advisor who brings clarity to high urgency situations in short order. She has served several of the companies I am involved with as a Board member in various assignments including Board 360, Executive Team assessment, leading and facilitating strategic planning sessions, and CEO coaching. In all these assignments she has displayed dedication, creativity, depth, and an unerring focus on reflecting the reality of the situation and presenting it as such to the client, with concrete suggestions for improvement and increased efficiency. I highly recommend Johanne.

- Ricardo Levy  - Lecturer at Stanford, former Chair, former Chairman and CEO of Catalytica  

If you have an organizational leadership problem to solve (the bigger the better) and need a tireless, objective collaborator to assist, challenge and drive you (and she WILL drive you), work with Johanne. And if you welcome the friendship that will grow from that experience, you couldn't do better.

- Steve Snyder - Former EVP/GM CBS Interactive Games, Music and Sports

Johanne's work is, in a word, spectacular. She digs in on a project like no one I know, she is thorough, thoughtful, and does superb "inquiry" work early in a project. She brings a wealth of experience to her projects, including marketing expertise, consumer research, management and leadership insights, and insightful summaries of the issues. Her work is honest, clear, clean, and useful. She is a truth-finder and a truth-teller. Johanne is an intense, yet calm and measured expert - she knows where to look, what to ask, and how to propose key points and plans of action. Her logistics and organizational skills are world class, and her follow up is superb. As you can read, my professional opinion of Johanne is of the highest level. I believe she can excel at virtually any assignment or challenge presented.

- John Hamm - Strategy and Leadership Advisor, Former VC, Former TCG - The Chasm Group Advisors and Former CEO

I have known Johanne since the times she was building BOSS when helping high-tech executives and companies with globalization and International market development. She was a pioneer in her field helping American companies not treating International as an afterthought. She was an invaluable trusted advisor to senior executives and CEOs in need to succeed in Europe and in need to adjust their leadership style to grow their organizations overseas. I recommend Johanne to CEOs and Executives as a partner when significantly challenged to take their organizations to new levels. She has broad operating, marketing and leadership experience and a proven track record to continually deliver results. Her dynamism is infectious/inspirational.

- Philippe D’Argent - Former Senior VP Dell Europe, Former Senior VP Toshiba Europe

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