Cindy Baier is President and CEO of Brookdale, the nation’s largest senior living operator with 634 senior living communities. She first took the reins as the operator’s top leader in 2018 and has helped guide the company’s recovery ever since, including through the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In this Hot Seat interview, Baier shares more about the events in her that have shaped her leadership style, where she draws inspiration, and the extremely early time she wakes up every day.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I am most certainly a morning person. In fact, I often wake up to begin my day at 3:30 AM.
What is your personal mantra?
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
When I was younger, my mom got into a bad car accident that almost cost her her life. I became her caregiver before I was even in high school. Luckily she recovered from her accident. A few years later, my grandfather lost his sight and I moved in to help take care of him while I was in college. These events helped me to develop a tremendous sense of responsibility from an early age and taught me to appreciate the need to work hard and focus on what matters the most. It also created a servant’s heart inside me.
It’s 7 a.m. on a Saturday. Where are you right now?
Most likely I am working to help enrich the lives of the incredible seniors we serve at Brookdale. I feel incredibly lucky and understand the great responsibility I have to continue to serve seniors and lead our passionate team.
What inspires you?
I have always been a caregiver and that’s why Brookdale’s mission resonates so strongly and deeply within me. As part of that mission, I am driven to enrich the lives of those we serve with compassion, respect, excellence, and integrity. As we continue forward with this mission, I continue to find more reasons “why” I am compelled to work to enrich the lives of those we serve.
What’s your favorite destination worldwide?
My husband and I love Maui, Hawaii.
What was your first job in senior living and what was your biggest on-the-job lesson from that experience?
I first joined Brookdale Senior Living as CFO in December 2015. The biggest lesson I quickly learned in that role is the importance of levers that create strong cash flow.
If you could change one thing about senior living as we know it, what would it be?
Recover the pandemic occupancy losses more quickly.
What is your most important people management principle?
Hire people smarter than you are.
Who is your greatest career inspiration?
My mom is my greatest inspiration for the important work we do at Brookdale. Taking care of her taught me how incredibly important our role is in helping seniors and their families manage the challenges of aging by providing them with care, personal connection, and services in an environment that feels like home.
If you were recruiting someone to join the industry for the first time, what are three words you would use to describe the senior living industry?
Rewarding. Challenging. Impactful.
I have worked in many industries during my career, but senior living is incredible and unique. I admire our leaders’ extraordinary commitment and dedication. Their efforts prove what I have always believed; everyone wants to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Complete the sentence: In 2050, I hope senior living is: Thriving
