OPEN MINDS Announces Executive Roundtable On Aligning Sustainable Service Costs With Operations
Gettysburg, Pa. (May 27, 2025) On June 5, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET, Mainstay Life Services Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jodie Esper will present how her team used consumer engagement tools to streamline service delivery, reduce unit costs, and improve both care outcomes and bottom-line results during the OPEN MINDS Circle Executive Roundtable, Improving The Consumer Experience While Cutting Costs: Lessons From Mainstay Life Services.
Enhancing consumer experience and improving financial sustainability are often treated as separate goals. Mainstay’s approach includes the use of consumer engagement tools to enhance consumer experience and to build competitive differentiation in contract negotiations and service design. This session will explore how Mainstay projected sustainable service costs by aligning operations with real-time consumer needs.
“The challenge of managing margins and staying in the black is a concern for every executive team,” said OPEN MINDS Chief Executive Officer, Monica E. Oss. “The CFO’s role is complex and includes activity-based and unit cost analysis, process optimization, technology deployment, performance optimization, and more. To do those things well, CFOs need to understand the service line operations and customer perspectives.”
What You’ll Learn:
- How to reduce unit costs without sacrificing service quality by using engagement-driven approaches.
- Techniques for projecting sustainable service costs and embedding them in financial planning.
- Practical ways to align consumer experience initiatives with cost control and growth strategies.
- The top three tools for reducing unit costs—and when each is most effective.
- How to prepare and present data to strengthen your position in rate negotiations.
- How to align cost reduction efforts with annual budgeting, strategic planning, and consumer engagement initiatives to drive sustainable profitability.
This roundtable is part of the OPEN MINDS CFO Consortium, developed to provide executives with the tools and abilities to strategically assess and position their organizations for long-term sustainability and growth. The consortium is open to all Elite members; to learn more and sign up, visit https://openminds.com/store/cfo-consortium/.
To register for the 1:00 p.m. ET, June 5 event, visit Improving The Consumer Experience While Cutting Costs: Lessons From Mainstay Life Services. There is no cost to register, but a free membership in the OPEN MINDS Circle is required.
Speaker Bio
Jodie Esper, Chief Financial Officer, Mainstay Life Services
Ms. Esper joined Mainstay as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 2017. As CFO, she is tasked with implementing the infrastructure and systems needed to support Mainstay’s mission, operations (including facilities, fleet, and information technology), financial objectives, and strategic initiatives. In 2023, she became the CEO of enTRUST Services LLC, a subsidiary of Mainstay that provides comprehensive financial services that enrich the lives of people with disabilities. Ms. Esper received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.) in accounting and a Master of Science degree in accounting from Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA.
About OPEN MINDS
OPEN MINDS is a national market intelligence, management consulting, and marketing services firm specializing exclusively in the high-needs consumer market—mental health, addiction treatment, cognitive disabilities, chronic health conditions, elder services, health-related social needs, and adjacent markets within the health and human service field. Its mission is to provide payers, service provider organizations, pharmaceutical, technology, and scientific firms that serve these consumers with the market and management knowledge needed to improve their organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Learn more at openminds.com.