IN-PERSON | CEO Series with Children's Mercy's Paul Kempinski

The newly relaunched CEO Series is back! Initially established in 2001, the CEO Series will allow members and guests to connect with Kansas City CEOs as they share their leadership journeys and walk away with insights from their business experience and the latest business trends. Whether you want to learn how to enhance your own personal and professional performance or simply just hear from the best in the business, you will not want to miss this!

Moderated by CX board member Tracey DeMarea, join us January 30th for breakfast at Children's Mercy Hospital, as we hear from their CEO, Paul Kempinski!

Paul Kempinski, MS, FACHE, is the President and Chief Executive of Children’s Mercy Kansas City, one of the nation’s largest, independent, academic children’s health systems. He is also the inaugural Alice Berry, DDS, and Katharine Berry, MD, Endowed Chair in Executive Leadership at Children’s Mercy.
With not-for-profit hospitals in Missouri and Kansas, numerous specialty clinics, and a new world-class research institute, Children’s Mercy provides the highest level of care for children from birth through the age of 21. U.S. News & World Report has repeatedly ranked Children’s Mercy as one of “America's Best Children's Hospitals.” For the fifth time in a row, Children’s Mercy has achieved Magnet nursing designation, awarded to fewer than seven percent of all hospitals nationally, for excellence in quality care. Its faculty of more than 800 pediatric subspecialists and researchers across more than 50 subspecialties are actively involved in clinical care, translational research, and training the next generation of pediatricians.

Kempinski has nearly four decades of leadership experience in health care. Prior to joining Children’s Mercy in 2018, Kempinski served as President of the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, and Enterprise Vice President for Nemours Children’s Health System. Kempinski joined Nemours in 2003, serving as Chief Operating Officer before his promotion to president.

Prior to Nemours, Kempinski was the Chief Operating Officer of Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Pennsylvania. He also held senior leadership positions at Via Health in Rochester, New York; Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. He is a frequent presenter and panelist at regional and national conferences on healthcare issues.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Health Planning and Administration from Penn State University, Kempinski earned his master’s degree in Health Systems Management from Rush University in Chicago. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and an alumnus of Leadership Philadelphia. He received the Rochester Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” award for professional achievement and community service by young leaders. In 2018, he was the recipient of the prestigious Alumni Fellow Award from the Penn State University Alumni Association, and in May 2019, delivered the commencement address to 1,000 graduating students in the College of Human Development at Penn State, which included his daughter Jennifer. In 2021, Kempinski received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Rush University Health Systems Management Alumni Association.
Despite his busy schedule, Kempinski is committed to giving back. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Children’s Hospital Association and currently chairs the association’s Quality Committee. Kempinski is a trustee of the Missouri Hospital Association; a Board and Executive Committee member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce; and serves on the Boards of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, KC Common Good, and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Kansas City.

Kempinski lives in Leawood, Kansas with his wife Maureen. The couple has three grown children—Kristen, Brian, and Jennifer.