Editor’s Note
I find myself measuring time frequently in B.C. – Before COVID. For example, when was the last time I traveled on a plane, attended a conference, or shook someone’s hand? All B.C. On the bright side, I’ve taken more road trips, expanded my horizons through virtual conferences and events, and, well, is anyone going to miss the handshake? I left the office on March 13 with the suspicion that I might not be back for a few weeks, maybe a month. I was a bit off in my estimate. Luckily, I invested in a new office chair and a second monitor early on. With an established workspace at home combined with a new routine sans commute, I’m more productive with my time. Working from home was a bit of a luxury prior to the pandemic – I could arrange a few days per month at home if I was lucky. Now, the inverse is true. I relish my time in the office where I might catch a few coworkers who happen to be there, too. As a predominantly face-to-face office culture prior to the pandemic, I look forward to the day Concord can once again invite all employees to congregate in the office. In the meantime, we’re thankful for the ability to keep moving forward while remote. Concord’s CEO Florin Ibrani shares a few ways to keep up the momentum despite a distributed workforce (page 20).
Short road trips – like this excursion to Lake Waconia – have been a silver lining of pandemic living.
At the onset of planning this issue, we identified the theme as “transition” long before the articles were ever complete. After conducting interviews, compiling stories, and building out content, an unexpected, yet entirely welcomed, theme emerged: there’s always a silver lining. MOBE’s CEO Chris Cronin showed us that the pandemic is encouraging a focus on living healthier lives and adopting new, positive habits (page 10). Nicole Atchison, PURIS Holdings CEO, revealed that people are making and sustaining better decisions at the grocery store (page 06). Scott Robertson shared that HealthPartners is more agile, and the industry as a whole is responding to change faster than ever before (page 32). It’s a happy thought – the silver lining. There will always be darkness and chaos in the world, but we can find the good if we’re willing to look for it.
Enjoy the positivity in these pages. Until next time.
Natalie Sheffield Director of Marketing, Concord Editor in Chief, MN Tech Mag
04 | Editor’s Note
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