Lauren Dulin believes that everyone holds a superpower, leaders and team members alike. When asked to pinpoint my own, I have found that the one thing that has assisted me the most throughout my 20 years of leadership has been my intuition, she said. This has allowed for quick decision-making, navigating ambiguitysensing patterns, anticipating outcomes and making informed choices, risk-assessment and calculated decisions, innovation, creativity, and adaptability.
This intuition led Dulin to climb the ranks at Air Ambulance Worldwide (AAW) where she began as a flight coordination manager, advanced to executive vice president of sales and marketing to chief operating officer to chief executive officer. Air Ambulance Worldwide provides domestic and international critical care medical air transport to patients.
In her various roles since 2006, Dulin brought the company into international compliance by undergoing the European Aero-Medical Institutes (EURAMI) audit process, establishing AAW as a leader in the air ambulance industry. She helped the company navigate the process from a founder-led organization to private equity ownership and under the new structure, led the company through its first acquisition of another company and oversaw the integration.
Lauren believes that a company is defined by its culture, and she continues to put patient safety at the forefront of every decision – and a cornerstone of the companys culture, said her staff. She is positioning the company to grow from its current fleet size of 7 jets to add an additional 3 aircraft, while also adding strategically-placed bases in the U.S. to position AAW as the leading air ambulance provider for insurance companies, hospital groups, and private organizations globally.
Dulin has been a frequent contributor to industry publications, as well as a board member for the U.S. Travel Insurance Association (USTIA), and the Global Assistance and Medical Transport Institute (GAMTI). She has also been invited to speak on panels at industry events. Dulin said she is most proud of having led the company through the COVID-19 pandemic that essentially closed international airspace, rendered international travel moot, and would have grounded the AAW fleet and forced AAW to cease operations.
In her leadership roles, Dulin said embodying vision and empowering employees has been her primary goal.
When employees understand the organization’s vision and are given the autonomy to make decisions that propel the business forward, it creates a potent environment for success, said Dulin. Empowerment not only boosts individual and team morale but also cultivates innovation and agility, crucial in today’s dynamic business landscape.
