Be Human: Lessons from a CEO on How to Be Good and Do Right

Imagine being the CEO of a company that operates more than 475 senior living properties across North America and the United Kingdom during the time of COVID-19. No sector felt the crush of the global pandemic more acutely or more intimately. Having spent a career serving in leadership roles for public and private life science companies in Canada and Europe, Tom Wellner was uniquely prepared to demonstrate the innovation, collaboration, and compassion required to rapidly put in place safeguards for Revera’s residents and navigate the tumultuous organizational and economic disruptions caused by the pandemic.

In Leading with Humanity: How Purpose Creates Value, Wellner shares the ideas, traits, and innovative approaches all leaders in a post-COVID business climate will need to see their companies excel. Employing practical examples of creative problem-solving and applicable ideas for how to develop an effective business culture where people want to work and excel, Wellner provides leaders at all levels with the tools required for modern businesses. Readers will be inspired by the innovations Wellner has helped implement, and their passion for the people they serve will be reignited by this smart, accessible guide to human-focused leadership.

For nearly 10 years until his recent retirement, TOM WELLNER has been the CEO of Revera Inc., a leading owner, developer, investor, and asset manager in the senior living sector. Tom started his career at Eli Lilly, where he held a variety of global operational and leadership roles. He then spent two decades in the global pharmaceutical and biotech industry before coming to Revera.

Over his career, Tom has led with people and purpose at the center of decision making, and he shares these philosophies and experiences in his first book Leading with Humanity: How Purpose Creates Value. He also contributed to the book Unprecedented: Canada’s Top CEOs on Leadership during the Pandemic, sharing his experience at the helm of Canada’s leading senior living organization during the pandemic in a frank and personal account.

Tom holds an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Life Sciences from Queen’s University and has completed the ICD Directors Education Program at the Rotman School of Management and also done executive education through Harvard Business School. He sits on the boards of a number of public and private companies, and most recently was appointed to the board of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

Tom Wellner's profile page