In preparation for the Silicon Club meeting which will deal with the topic of “Disorder Management” (to be held this coming Monday, June 29, 2020) and in which he will participate as a lecturer, we are pleased to host Eitan Schleifer, CEO of SHLA, which provides medical services. Complemented by close to 170 clinics in nationwide retirement. We asked them to share with us the way his girlfriend dealt with the corona crisis and how he is preparing for similar crises in the future? In an exclusive interview with Chiportal, Eitan says: “I watch a lot of presentations entitled ‘Back to routine.’ It should be internalized that such a “routine” will no longer exist, probably a different kind of routine. During the months of March – April, I often felt in pursuit of a sophisticated criminal (19 COVID) and tried to watch over and over again, what his next move was – and how we would be prepared for it ”! Here is the full interview with Eitan Schleifer:
1. How is your company coping with the corona crisis? (Did you fire employees, reduce activity, etc.)
In mid-March, we had to close the company’s 163 clinics and remove 4,200 of the company’s employees to the IDF. At the same time, we operated 11 clinics for emergency care (and another 130 private clinics). We set up a telephone screening (triage) of senior doctors in the company and even a mobile that provided emergency services to the isolated.
2. What managerial tip for dealing with the crisis can you give to other CEOs?
About a year ago, during a board meeting, we performed a simulation for an event with the characteristics of a “black swan” (in the outline of a ransom event). One of the insights of the exercise was identifying the people I would land by my side during a real crisis. At the end of February, when we internalized that S.L.H. Given the beginning of an event of a different order of magnitude (black swan), I gathered around me the same people in a group called the “Forum C” code. Eventually as we delved deeper into the crisis it became clear to me that this was the wisest decision I had made and I recommend others to prepare in a similar way to an unexpected crisis.
3. Following the corona, will you change habits, spread suppliers, prepare an emergency plan?
SLA is a very structured and orderly organization. The Corona crisis has forced us to mold material into the concept of AGILE that we have been trying to instill in society for several years. The ability to adapt to rapid and frequent changes in the face of a changing reality before your eyes is without a doubt the most important habit that the virus from China has made us adopt.
We are anticipating a second wave in the winter months and are preparing all of the company’s departments for work in an ongoing emergency routine, based on the lessons of the event from which we are now recovering.
4. What changes are you anticipating in the business world following the Corona crisis?
On February 20, I asked our IT and Digital Director to install all the leading virtualization systems at all of the company’s senior executives. Remote work is a concept that will become second nature and is here to stay. We will need to maximize its benefits and also recognize the limitations and unwanted effects. We will have to reduce our dependence on overseas suppliers as we have learned in the flesh that the globalization of the world has other prices as well (those that are not necessarily cheap). We will require local importers to have minimal emergency inventory in key products and open independent distribution chain capabilities (which today are mostly outsourced).
5. General conclusions and insights from the Corona crisis (what should you have done differently, what should the Israeli government do for the industry, what are your expectations of suppliers, customers, employees?)
I watch a lot of presentations titled “Back to Routine.” It should be internalized that such a “routine” will no longer exist, probably a different kind of routine. During the months of March – April I often felt in pursuit of a sophisticated criminal (19 COVID) and tried to watch each time again, what his next move was – and how we would be there prepared for him. Only those who are able to make quick changes and (no less important) be able to quickly break free from previous habits – will survive the following crises (on the way).
