About Us

LeadSpark was formed in 2018 by three women with three distinct yet overlapping backgrounds and experience as a CEO, CFO, and COO and dozens of years of consulting for a variety of for-profit, non-profit and public sector clients. Based in Richmond, Virginia, Anna McKean, Paula Otto and Susan Rucker serve clients across the United States with customized solutions in four areas: People Development, Operations, Financial Management and Communications. ​

LeadSpark

Our Team

Susan Rucker
Managing Partner

Susan's Bio

Anna McKean
​Partner

Anna's Bio

Paula Otto
​Partner

Paula's Bio

Sonali Shetty
Principal

Sonali's Bio

Debby Betz

Principal

Debby's Bio

Tom Byrd
Principal

Tom's Bio

Chris Carney
Principal

Chris' Bio

Participants enjoy learning from (Susan) and being stretched by her. This series has exceeded everyone’s expectations!"

 

Managing Partner

Susan Rucker

Susan Rucker is a seasoned executive with over thirty years of progressively responsible positions managing high performance teams and growing businesses.  Her current focus is helping businesses and people navigate the rapidly changing business environment we all face today.  

​Susan leverages her experience as a senior operating executive in the professional services, technology, and higher education industries and an audit and consulting partner in one of the Big 4 accounting firms as she works with clients today. She has managed both domestic and global businesses of over $100 million in annual revenue, growing them through internal initiatives and acquisitions.

Susan currently serves as the CFO at the William & Mary Business School Foundation, and has an independent consulting business offering executive coaching, leadership training, and strategic consulting for businesses.

Susan has held senior management positions at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary, KPMG, Unisys, and Tatum LLC. In addition to managing client service delivery, she has also managed information technology, recruiting, human resources and accounting and finance functions.

Susan has served on a number of not-for-profit boards. She has served as board chair for LifeSpire of Virginia, a multi-site operator of continuing care retirement communities in Virginia, the Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation, one of the top 100 charities in the US on the Forbes Largest Charities List in 2017, and the River Road Church Endowment Fund. She is a former board chair for the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and served on the board of the Virginia Voice. Susan has served in the role of committee chair for each of the boards she has been on, and has been in leadership roles in CEO searches, strategic planning, and policy setting for multiple boards. 

Additionally, Susan served on the advisory board of High Street Partners, a venture-backed professional services firm that had a successful buy-out. She has also presented on board governance and financial management for both executives and board members at William & Mary and the University of Richmond.

Susan is a CGMA and a licensed CPA in the state of Virginia and a certified PDP administrator for ProScan, TeamScan, and JobScan. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from William & Mary.

 

Partner

Anna McKean

Anna McKean is a dynamic leader, fostering inspiration, driving innovation, and achieving notable outcomes in the ever-evolving healthcare sector. Serving as CEO of the Master Center for Addiction Medicine since 2019, Anna has steered its impressive growth from a single office to a network of nine, meeting the surging demand for top-notch outpatient addiction treatment throughout Virginia.

Anna's extensive executive experience spans her roles at Health Diagnostic Laboratory, PartnerMD, and KPMG, reflecting her depth of expertise in the industry. As chairman-elect, she is currently poised to take on the role of chairman for Virginia Health Innovation, serves as chairman of the board for the Richmond Strikers Soccer Club, and director of the PAN Foundation Board. Anna is a founding partner for LeadSpark, a consulting firm dedicated to driving business transformation.

Anna earned an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University and a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from the University of Richmond.

​Her visionary leadership and dedication are steering the healthcare landscape towards a brighter future.

 

Partner

Paula Otto

A visionary leader whose culture building skills and business acumen led the Virginia Lottery to record growth and profits in her ten years as executive director, Paula Otto helps her clients chart a path for success and develop the skills and processes to achieve their goals.

As a journalist, Public Relations professional, college professor and CEO, Paula Otto has held senior leadership roles for 30 years.  Paula was part of the leadership team that created the Virginia Lottery and served as its executive director from 2008-2018. In addition to nearly 20 years at the Lottery, she was a tenured professor and associate director at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture.  Paula’s consulting work includes projects for VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government, presenting and coaching at the Commonwealth Management Institute and workshops for the Virginia Executive Institute.

Paula’s areas of expertise include leadership, ethics, issues management, media relations, and business communications, including public speaking.

​Paula is also active in the community, volunteering with Virginia Voice and the Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia, co-chairing their Women’s Advisory Board.  In 2014, Paula received the Thomas Jefferson Award for Excellence from the Richmond Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) which “recognizes the achievement of a seasoned public relations practitioner who has made an ongoing commitment to the advancement of the profession.”  In 2017, she was named an honoree in the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Person of the Year program.

Paula has an undergraduate degree in Journalism summa cum laude from West Virginia University and an M.A. in Public Communication from American University.  She holds the Accredited Public Relations (APR) credential from the Public Relations Society of America.

 

Principal

Sonali Shetty

Sonali Shetty is an award-winning technology executive, recognized for her mastery in innovation strategy and technology leadership. With a dynamic blend of expertise in engineering, business, and consulting, Sonali has made her mark as a visionary leader, capable of navigating complex challenges and delivering transformative solutions.

​As the Chief Technology Officer for the CFA Institute—a global non-profit—she spearheaded initiatives that revolutionized IT operations, aligning technology functions with overall strategy to facilitate seamless service delivery worldwide.

A serial entrepreneur, Sonali served as Chief Growth Officer at Pienomial. This AI/Machine Learning platform was designed to streamline manufacturing processes in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. She merged her technical expertise with strategic business insights to drive digital transformation and operational excellence.

Sonali is also the founder of Kova Digital, a product innovation agency known for its innovative solutions for Fortune 500 companies and emerging startups. The agency is recognized for several industry firsts, including the creation of one of the first B2B chatbots and being among the pioneers in third-party mobile and social application development.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Ms. Shetty is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of technology leaders as an adjunct faculty member in the Master’s program at VCU’s DaVinci Center for Innovation and through her role as a founding member of the RVATech’s Women in Technology Forum.

Her academic credentials include an MBA from William and Mary and an MS in Bio-Medical Engineering from Texas A&M University.

 

Associate

Debby Betz

Debby Betz is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in the life sciences sector, specializing in global corporate communications, brand marketing, and strategic leadership. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team at Indivior PLC, Debby played a pivotal role in taking the company public on the London Stock Exchange, where she led the creation of a corporate brand identity and directed the launch of key products that transformed patient care. Her tenure at Indivior also included roles as Vice President of Commercial Development and Vice President of Marketing, where she developed and executed product strategies that drove significant market growth and strengthened brand positioning.

At Phlow Corp, Debby served as Executive Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations, revitalizing the company’s brand narrative, securing critical funding, and establishing Phlow as a leader in addressing drug shortages. Her leadership in launching the first Children’s Hospital Coalition demonstrated her ability to drive impactful initiatives that resonate with key stakeholders.

Debby’s extensive experience and strategic insights make her a valuable partner for organizations looking to enhance their market presence, navigate complex challenges, and achieve sustainable growth. Throughout her career, Debby has taken a strategic marketing approach, focusing on patient-centric product launches, lifecycle management, and data-driven insights. Her successful creation and execution of brand-building strategies have resonated with diverse stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, investors, and advocacy groups.

In addition to her professional achievements, Debby is committed to community service. She served on the Board of CancerLINC, where she chaired the Development, Marketing, and Communications Committees. 

​Debby holds a BS in Business Administration with a major in Marketing from the State University of New York at Oswego.

 

Associate

Chris Carney

Chris has 35 years of leadership experience in healthcare administration. He most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Diamond Healthcare Corporation and Chief Executive Officer of the Virginia Eye Institute. Prior to that, he served in a variety of leadership positions within the Bon Secours Health System for 24 years that culminated in his role as the President and CEO for 9 years. During that time, he was recognized with the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association’s Distinguished Service Award.

​Since his retirement in 2016, he enjoys serving as a consultant and community volunteer. Over the years, Chris has been active on the Boards of Directors of many local healthcare organizations, including the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, Crossover Healthcare Ministry, and the American Heart Association. In January 2020, he completed a term as Chair of the Westminster Canterbury Richmond Foundation's Board of Trustees.

Chris holds a Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) and undergraduate degrees in business administration and psychology from St. Louis University.

 

Associate

Tom Byrd

Tom Byrd strongly believes that success in life and business comes down to remembering that relationships matter. When leaders take care of their customers and their associates, the results will follow. Successful organizations are able to unleash associates’ discretionary performance to create innovative products and provide distinctive customer service. 

​Tom’s areas of expertise include building highly effective cross functional teams, CFO & financial management with a focus on transforming the finance function from standard reporting to valued business partner, employee engagement and board governance and development.  Tom’s experience is primarily in healthcare and healthcare insurance industry and the not-for-profit sector.

Prior to his work with LeadSpark, Tom founded Take Care Group to provide leadership advisory services to individuals who are committed to making a difference in their business, in their community, and in their family. 

In his role as president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia from May 2005 to June 2008, Tom was responsible for the operational and financial performance of the company’s business in the Commonwealth.  Anthem is Virginia’s largest healthcare company with over 2 million members. Prior to this role, Tom served as president of Anthem Specialty Business where he was responsible for the company’s pharmacy benefits management, behavioral health, dental, and vision and life business units.

Tom joined Trigon Healthcare Inc. in 1991 and served as senior vice president and chief financial officer from 1997 until Trigon was acquired by Anthem Inc. in 2002.  Before joining Trigon, Tom was a senior manager with the public accounting firm KPMG LLP.

Tom is active in the community and currently serves as Board Chair, Virginia Health Care Foundation, Board Chair, Corvesta, Inc., Board Member, Delta Dental of Virginia and Riverside Health System. Tom is past Chair of Greater Richmond Fit4Kids and Crossover Healthcare Ministry.

​Tom earned a Bachelor of Science in Business, summa cum laude, with an emphasis in Accounting from the Virginia Tech – Pamplin School of Business.