The Considine File
NAME: William Considine
TITLE: President and CEO
COMPANY: Akron Children’s Hospital
Born: Akron
Education: University of Akron for undergraduate, The Ohio State University for graduate school and a few honorary doctorates.
What advice do you find you give most often to young professionals who are looking for guidance as they develop in their careers? I talk about the importance of believing in your own capabilities, in yourselves — I think confidence is so important. I also tell people knowledge is a lot. You don’t know what you don’t know and don’t let it stop you from following your heart. Be courteous but also be proactive. Don’t be arrogant, but be in the game, get on the field, no sitting in the stands or on the sidelines. If you’re playing, get in the game. Be solution oriented, not problem focused.
If 1979 William Considine traveled forward in time and met 2015 William Considine, what would surprise him the most? What would surprise me the most? I still got hair. My dad had hair too, all my uncles don’t. My one brother doesn’t, but you probably think, well, you had the right gene.
I don’t know if I’d be surprised that I’m still here. I think it might be the one thing that would surprise me is that I wouldn’t be surprised — I still got the enthusiasm, that wouldn’t be a surprise. It would be a surprise that, you know, I stayed in the same job for 35 years.
For the past 35 years you’ve helped shape Akron Children’s Hospital strategically, culturally, physically. Your name is on the building, your wife’s name is on a building, you’ve seen it develop. When you move on from being CEO, what element of your legacy do you hope perseveres?
Well, I really hope my belief in our people is something that folks talk about and can point to specifics as to the kind of impact I had on carrying the phenomenal mission of this hospital forward. Quite honestly, what I’d really like to see is when I do leave, it’d be like taking a hand out of water: it fills in pretty quickly. This is not about an individual, this organization, it’s about this mission. I just want to make sure that when I leave people know it’s never been about me, it’s been about that mission, and those children.
