Sandra Preyale is known by her peers and co-workers as a pragmatic and creative thinker. Before joining Aegis Living, Preyale spent more than 30 years as a human resources leader with various global brands, such as Amazon, L'Oréal, and Coach.
Before assuming her current position in January 2022, Preyale served as Aegis’ chief people officer for four years, overseeing recruitment and retention strategies to bolster the company’s “employee-first” culture.
Today, in her role as president, Preyale is responsible for driving growth through program innovations, creating road maps for new development opportunities, and spearheading initiatives to differentiate Aegis and its culture from other senior-living communities.
We recently caught up with Preyale and asked her to share some of the lessons on senior-living management that she has learned along the way. Here’s what she had to say.
1. You must come to the job with passion and purpose. (This is) the most rewarding job I’ve had, and I think those coming from other industries will find the same if they join focused on why they are doing this important work.
2. Choose the company you work for wisely. Do your research; understand their vision; learn how they will onboard you and set you up for success; inquire about the career path available to you; and, most importantly, visit the community to see the energy among team members and residents for yourself.
3. This isn’t just a job; it’s a way of life where you bring your full, authentic self — not just your professional self — to work each day. When you do this fully and authentically, you will be blown away by the life stories of both residents and team members. You will be blown away with how your own life will be touched.
4. The most successful people have both heart and business skills. While we are in an industry centered on compassionate care for both our residents and our team members, senior living is a business, and we also must maintain discipline and rigor in all aspects of our operations — it’s exciting and rewarding.
