Chief Executive Officer

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client on their search for the role, Chief Executive Officer

The Organization

About Life Link III

Life Link III is a nationally recognized, nonprofit critical care air medical transport organization serving Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Midwest. For more than four decades, it has provided safe, reliable, life-saving care, ensuring rapid access to advanced clinical expertise when it matters most.

Founded in 1985 as a pioneering hospital-based consortium, Life Link III is now one of the largest and most established nonprofit air medical models in the United States. Owned and governed by nine leading regional health systems, the organization operates with a neutral, mission-driven approach, transporting patients based solely on clinical need. Its consortium structure enables shared stewardship of resources, collaboration across systems, and consistently high standards of care across competitive markets.

Life Link III operates an integrated transport system combining rotor wing and fixed wing aviation, advanced critical care medicine, and a centralized Communications and Operations Control Center operating 24/7. With eleven helicopter bases and a dedicated fixed wing aircraft, the organization completes thousands of transports annually, delivering seamless bedside-to-bedside care.

Known for its culture of safety, clinical excellence, and high-reliability operations, Life Link III is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) for both rotor and fixed wing services and is widely regarded as a leader in nonprofit, high-acuity medical transport.

Purpose of the Position

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Life Link III serves as the organization’s strategic leader, chief steward of safety and quality, and primary ambassador. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO is responsible for advancing a mission-driven, nonprofit critical care transport organization operating at the intersection of healthcare, aviation, and emergency response—while preserving its commitment to patient-centered care, clinical excellence, and high-reliability operations.

Leading one of the nation’s premier hospital-based consortium models, the CEO partners closely with member health systems, Board leadership, and physicians to align enterprise strategy with stakeholder priorities. This role requires balancing collaboration and accountability within a shared-governance environment to build trust, drive performance, and ensure long-term sustainability.

In a complex and evolving healthcare landscape, the CEO will set long-term strategy, drive growth and innovation, and maintain strong financial and operational performance. Externally, the CEO represents Life Link III as a trusted industry leader, strengthening relationships with key partners while inspiring a high-performing, mission-driven workforce.

Key Responsibilities

The Chief Executive Officer will provide visionary, disciplined, and values‑driven leadership for Life Link III, ensuring the organization consistently delivers on its mission while operating at the highest levels of safety, clinical excellence, and operational reliability. The CEO is responsible for translating strategy into execution across a complex, highly regulated, and safety‑critical enterprise—balancing the needs of consortium member health systems, regulatory and accreditation demands, workforce engagement, and long‑term organizational sustainability. In partnership with the Board of Directors and executive leadership team, the CEO will guide enterprise strategy, foster a high‑reliability culture, and position Life Link III to remain a nationally respected leader in nonprofit critical care transport amid evolving healthcare, aviation, and market dynamics.

Strategic Leadership, Mission Stewardship and Enterprise Direction

• Lead the development and execution of Life Link III’s enterprise strategy, aligning mission, performance objectives, and long‑range priorities across a rapidly evolving healthcare and aviation landscape.
• Translate Life Link III’s mission and values into clear organizational goals, performance metrics, and decision‑making frameworks that guide both near‑term execution and long‑term growth.
• Anticipate external trends—including healthcare consolidation, reimbursement dynamics, regulatory change, and workforce pressures—and ensure the organization remains strategically positioned, relevant, and resilient.

Safety, Quality, and High-Reliability Operations

• Partner with representative aviation and clinical safety leadership, ensuring full compliance with all applicable regulatory, accreditation, and safety management requirements.
• Champion and continuously reinforce a Just Culture that prioritizes safety reporting, learning, transparency, and continuous improvement across all operations.
• Ensure the seamless integration of aviation, clinical, communications, and operational functions into a unified, high‑reliability critical care transport system.

Consortium Governance and Board Partnership

• Partner closely with the Board of Directors to support effective governance, strategic alignment, and fiduciary oversight within a shared‑ownership consortium model.
• Build and sustain trust among member health systems by balancing enterprise priorities with individual member interests while maintaining organizational neutrality.
• Provide clear, transparent, and timely communication to the Board and consortium members on performance, risks, capital needs, and strategic opportunities.

Financial Stewardship, Fleet Strategy and Organizational Sustainability

• Ensure the long‑term financial health of the organization through disciplined budgeting and forecasting, revenue integrity, margin improvement, and effective cost management.
• Lead enterprise‑level capital planning, including fleet recapitalization, aircraft lifecycle strategy, and long‑range infrastructure investments.
• Partner with the Board and member systems to align financial strategy, capital requirements, and funding approaches with Life Link III’s mission and operating model.

Organizational Leadership, External Engagement, and Industry Influence

• Lead, inspire, and retain a high‑performing, multidisciplinary workforce by fostering a culture of mission commitment through accountability, professionalism, and collaboration.
• Build and mentor a strong executive leadership team capable of executing strategy, managing complexity, supporting frontline excellence, and upholding high employee engagement.
• Serve as the primary external representative and ambassador for Life Link III, strengthening relationships with healthcare partners, regulators, policymakers, and industry peers.

The Candidate

Experience and Professional Qualifications

Life Link III seeks a seasoned, enterprise‑level executive to lead one of the nation’s most respected nonprofit critical care air medical transport organizations at a pivotal moment in its evolution. The Chief Executive Officer will operate at the intersection of healthcare delivery, aviation safety, and shared‑governance leadership, guiding a mission‑focused organization where decisions have immediate consequences for patient outcomes, workforce safety, and long‑term sustainability. This leader must be equally effective setting enterprise direction, serving as the accountable executive for safety and quality, and inspiring trust across the Board, member health systems, frontline teams, and external partners.

Candidates should have the following qualifications and characteristics:

• Progressive senior executive experience within healthcare, air medical transport, aviation, emergency services, or a similarly regulated, high‑reliability environment.
• Demonstrated success leading complex organizations with multiple stakeholders, operating units, or partner institutions, including experience working closely with a governing Board of Directors.
• Strong strategic and financial acumen, including experience guiding long‑range planning, capital investment decisions, budget management, and organizational sustainability in capital‑intensive environments.
• Experience addressing healthcare reimbursement, revenue cycle performance, and payer dynamics, particularly in environments affected by regulatory change, government payer mix, or complex billing and collections processes preferred.
• Strong systems thinker with the ability to assess enterprise‑wide tradeoffs, align diverse functions, and make disciplined decisions in capital‑intensive, resource‑constrained environments.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead across multiple highly specialized domains, such as clinical care delivery, aviation or transportation operations, technology‑enabled dispatch, and corporate infrastructure, integrating expertise into cohesive enterprise performance.
• Experience navigating shared‑governance or consortium models, joint ventures, or collaborative ownership structures, balancing enterprise priorities with partner or member interests.
• Knowledge of, or strong aptitude to quickly develop fluency in, air medical transport, aviation operations, critical care delivery, and the regulatory framework governing these fields is strongly preferred.

Education

• A bachelor’s degree is required; an advanced degree in healthcare administration, business, public health, aviation management, or a related field is preferred

Compensation

• The estimated base compensation will be $350k – $450k. Life Link III offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Application

• Interested and qualified candidates are welcome to submit an application to LifeLinkIIICEO@KornFerry.com.

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