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Kerry Chartrand, Almara Group, Leadership & Tech Innovation

Writer's picture: Knew HouseKnew House

Updated: Jun 24, 2024



Kerry Chartrand

Founder, Almara Group



An operations executive with a finance background, Kerry has broad expertise in all aspects of Seniors Housing. Having worked for large and small organizations throughout the sector, in various stages of growth, Kerry is a change management, human capital, and process expert. She believes the most effective way to lead teams to success is by breaking down complexity, communicating with transparency, and maintaining high accountability to business results.

 

A key leader in the industry, Kerry has extensively developed high performing teams, implemented operational strategies, executed acquisitions and dispositions, led organizational restructuring, and championed Covid-19 recovery.

 

Kerry has a strong understanding of the disruption the industry has faced in the last 4 years, and the tenacity to harness this disruption into solutions for operators everywhere.




Kerry, can you please share a bit about your journey and what inspired you to begin a career working in senior housing operations.


It’s been a spectacular journey. 25 years ago, I was 21 and had my first daughter, Abbey, as a single mom. I had $11 in my bank account the day we came home from the hospital. I quickly made the decision to move us into a geared to income living complex and to go back to school for business. At the time, I felt a business diploma was the most efficient means to a solid paycheque even though it didn’t feel like my passion at the time. When Abbey was 6 months old, I started college with giant student loans, a backpack on one shoulder and a diaper bag on the other.

 

Once I graduated, I worked various accounting jobs which allowed me to build my experience and business acumen, most often in small companies where I wore many hats. This experience was invaluable! In 2007 we moved to the GTA in search of better opportunities than I could find in Chatham, and following a very quick search and a handful of interviews for accounting roles, I accepted my first position in the senior living sector. I had no knowledge of the industry but the hiring team (two of whom are dear friends to this day) brought me into a mid level regional role serving retirement homes in British Columbia. It was the beginning of what would become my life’s passion and what I often call the golden path of my career. I spent 11 years with that company and held several roles on the finance team before transitioning into operations, where I took a step back in ‘rank’ to become a General Manager, leading an individual retirement home. This step was intended to give me the foundational knowledge I needed at the front line to be successful in future growth and it was the best decision of my career so far. The year I spent in that role shaped me more as a leader than any other role I have held. It rooted me in my purpose, which was to serve well the people who dedicate their lives to this industry. It also poised me for rapid growth over the next several years where I moved to the executive level within one of the fastest growing retirement living companies in Canada. I spent 3 years growing their portfolio from 4 to 25 residences through 5 acquisitions. It was an incredible experience that gave me the opportunity to put to the test all the knowledge and experience I’d gained over the first half of my career.

 

It also gave me the confidence to know I could build a company on my own andprompted me to take the leap of becoming the founder and CEO of Almara Group. Almara Group is a development company building a groundbreaking software to ease workload and burnout for front line seniors housing managers. Our first product is called Wentoo.




You recently founded Almara Group, tell us about that. How did you navigate this transition? Were there any challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?


This was a huge jump for me because I am launching a tech product and don't consider myself to be at all technical. I also don't consider myself highly risk tolerant, so the investment has come with a few stomach turning moments. On the plus side, my operational and business expertise are major strengths, which are often gaps for tech people who have big ideas, but less of an understanding of marketability, end use need, and how to manage cash.

 

Admittedly, it's taken quite a bit of quieting the inner doubter to stay in my confidence but I believe so deeply in my product that the excitement wins the internal conversation every time.

 

One of the first steps I took was to start building out my network of tech contacts, particularly female and healthcare tech people. I took 20 minutes anywhere I could get it and I'd share openly what my gap was so they could lend any direction they felt would be useful. Of course, I had to be careful not to share too much about my product to protect myself, but a little bit of faith and trust in other humans is required.

 

I'm also taking one step at a time, letting not rushing decisions but also trusting that if I could get from $11 and a new born to here, certainly I can recover from any decision that ends up being a detour. To support myself as I learn and expand into entrepreneurship, I've also joined an accelerator program, started following tech advisors on LinkedIn, expanded my after hours social circle to combat loneliness in their solo days, and most importantly have joined Knew House!




In what ways do you see technology transforming the senior care industry in the coming years? How do you see yourself being a part of that?


There are a few issues facing the senior care industry currently, but the most pressing is that teams are short staffed and burnt out. The industry is pretty antiquated when it comes to tech, and despite some great effort happening to solve this, manual labour and pen to paper processes in day to day operations remain high. The tech solution Wentoo provides is focused first on easing the mental (and manual) load for leaders across the industry. It will naturally provide a host of other solutions at the corporate level for executives looking to gain insight through remote means, but the real problem is that front line managers in senior living turn over at a rate of sometimes higher than 50% per year. Wentoo will be the first in the industry to focus solely on easing workload burden, which we're pretty excited about.



With many years in leadership positions, what is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned along the way?


Ok, I can't possibly give one, so I'll be brief with three.

 

One: Clear is Kind - after years of dancing around hard conversations until I was irritated and then found myself being impatient, I read Dare to Lead. This learning has stuck and I have since become a totally different leader.

 

Two: Put your own oxygen mask on first - after making myself so sick I was being tested for cancer (thankfully, that wasn't the diagnosis), I realized I was living in my ego to think I couldn't possibly take care of myself and be good at my job. I was not nearly as important as I'd convinced myself and my career has only grown since I have slowed the hustle and started working (relatively) normal hours.

 

Three: Keep your exclamation marks - and by this I mean, just show up as you are. I am naturally animated, funny, and casual at work. Women are told to edit this part of ourselves so often there is even a Harvard Business article about it. For a time, I would revise my emails for overly (perceived) feminine language or grammer but one day I just stopped. My career hasn't suffered and I feel it gives the women in my reporting line permission to do the same. Yay!!!!



In many of your positions, you have been immersed in community, which is a significant aspect of both senior care, and leading a team. What does community mean to you, and how do you foster it in your personal and professional life?


This is such a tough one to answer because it's such an intangible thing. I can point at the people in my various circles and call them my community, but the value in my life is indescribable. I feel unbelievably fortunate to live a life that is heart centered both personally and professionally. I think the professional side has deeply influenced how I value personal community, because I work with such remarkable people. I did not come into my career nearly as vulnerable and open as I find myself today. It has definitely been the influence of really brave, authentic, and self-loving people around me who have taught me how beautifully rich every day gets when we lead from an open place. I don't know who wrote this but I love it... "the circles of women around us weave invisible nets of love that carry us when we are weak and sing with us when we are strong".



Making big moves in your professional life can be daunting, which makes having a community of like-minded people surrounding you is incredibly important. As a new member of Knew House in Toronto, what are you looking forward to most?


I am thrilled that I found Knew House exactly when I did. I'm a collaborative person by nature, so being on my own is a massive adjustment. I'm most looking forward to brainstorming and learning from other brilliant women, and leaning into a peer group that as an executive leader, has been hard to cultivate.



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