Kent Thiry is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and civic leader whose work focuses on renewing democracy, protecting natural places, expanding economic mobility, developing leaders and improving health care.
From 1999 to 2019, he served as chairman and CEO of DaVita, helping lead the company from the brink of bankruptcy to the Fortune 500 while growing revenue elevenfold and expanding to more than 65,000 employees in 12 countries. During his tenure, DaVita became known for its employee-centered culture, clinical innovation and leadership development; Harvard and Stanford both produced case studies about the company.
Since leaving DaVita, Thiry has remained active in nonprofit and civic initiatives designed to create systemic change. He has helped lead good-government efforts intended to broaden participation in democracy, serves on the global board of The Nature Conservancy and supports conservation and outdoor-recreation work in Colorado. He graduated with honors in political science from Stanford University and earned his MBA with honors from Harvard Business School.