In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, Jane Gentry sits down with Canada’s top medical supply distributor CEO to unpack how radical simplicity, obsessive customer focus, and authentic leadership culture can outperform any complex strategy.

If you’re a mid-market CEO drowning in complexity, this episode will change how you think about strategy, people, and growth.

Key Topics Covered:

• The 3-priority strategy that drove growth, and why less is more
• How to actually operationalize “customer centricity” (not just say it)
• Why Jamie puts himself in every single new hire’s onboarding — from warehouse to exec
• The “legends and heroes” culture framework that keeps long-tenured talent committed
• How to roll out strategy like a change management initiative (most CEOs miss this)
• Why your network is the most valuable career asset you’ll ever build
• What it’s really like working with private equity — and what to ask before you say yes

📌 Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 — Cold open: Growth with zero breakdowns — here’s how
• 00:54 — Welcome to CEOs Unscripted
• 02:29 — Meet Jamie Church, CEO of Best Buy Medical
• 03:07 — Jamie’s 20-year career path & how network got him here
• 04:06 — Why Jamie left McKesson to run a mid-sized company
• 05:41 — What drew him to Best Buy Medical’s culture & mission
• 07:08 — Culture as competitive advantage in healthcare distribution
• 07:54 — Why Jamie keeps strategy to just 3 priorities
• 08:19 — The 3 priorities: Customer Centricity, Innovation & Sustainability
• 08:39 — The growth story — how long & what drove it
• 09:58 — Investing in people, sustainability & domestic partners
• 11:12 — Involving the leadership team in strategy for the first time
• 12:11 — What “customer centricity” actually looks like in practice
• 13:40 — Legends & heroes: recognizing the people who go above and beyond
• 14:03 — How Jamie onboards every single new hire personally
• 15:46 — Why a strong culture self-selects out bad hires quickly
• 16:01 — Town halls, micro-meetings & keeping the whole org aligned
• 17:14 — Jane’s “sneak test”: walking the floor to check strategy alignment
• 18:59 — Milestone recognition programs & why personal notes matter
• 21:28 — The power of peer recognition over top-down praise
• 24:26 — What Jamie means by “network” — and why it’s everything
• 27:08 — Your network is your most valuable career asset
• 28:33 — The right way to build a network: give before you ask
• 30:45 — Building strategy with a leadership team of 8, all promoted from within
• 32:25 — The one-slide strategy: Jane’s reaction says it all
• 33:12 — How often the leadership team checks in on progress
• 34:44 — Remote workforce, bi-weekly rhythms & full-team alignment days
• 36:15 — Change management in action: the Calgary DC move story
• 37:31 — Why every strategy rollout is a change management initiative
• 38:17 — What ACTUALLY broke during growth (the answer may surprise you)
• 40:54 — The “slingshot effect” — pulling back to leap forward
• 42:30 — Keeping it simple is harder than it sounds
• 43:37 — What to know before taking a CEO role in a PE-backed company
• 45:21 — Rapid fire: best book — 5X CEO by Tabo Godstream
• 46:34 — Worst advice Jamie ever received
• 47:53 — Smartest person in his phone & why
• 48:33 — What to do when you feel stuck
• 49:08 — Jane’s closing thoughts

🎙️ About CEOs Unscripted:

CEOs Unscripted is a bi-weekly podcast for mid-market CEOs — no fluff, no jargon, just real conversations from leaders who’ve been in the trenches.