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Leading with integrity: Paul DiDonato CEO of ATI (Hot Firm #43 for 2018), a California firm rooted in philanthropy, and with a bright future on the horizon.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
“O ne of the greatest programs that we have put in place for our most senior leaders that are nearing retire- ment is a program to work on an ever-decreasing schedule until a comfortable point is reached for them to retire,” Di- Donato says. A CONVERSATION WITH PAUL DIDONATO. The Zweig Letter: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around? Paul DiDonato: There’s always an exciting hum of activity here as we strive to maintain the best environment for our employees to create and work in. We are dedicated to life- long learning, work-life balance, and building a strong team. Last year, we doubled our Sacramento office space to accom- modate our expanding staff. We also recently expanded our leadership team with the promotion of three principals and three associates. Additionally, we offer benefits such as professional mem- bership reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, various development programs, community and charitable out-
reach opportunities, and more. Finally, we embrace a com- plete transparent work environment. We regularly update our staff on company progress, risks, opportunities, financ- es, and more. We believe that this promotes trust which is paramount to success. “With an eye toward the future, we are constantly evaluating practices, hiring trends, and the latest technology to determine if they are a good fit for ATI.” TZL: Internal transition is expensive. How do you “sell” this investment opportunity to your next generation of principals? How do you prepare them for the next step? PD: Preparing the next generation of leaders has been a key element of ATI’s ongoing succession planning initiatives. Through this process, we developed a direct line of succes- sion for all of the senior leadership nearing retirement age and established a springboard for younger staff to reach more senior positions within ATI.
THE ZWEIG LETTER Ma
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