Pia Svanborg is a healthcare quality leader and advocate for person-centered care with more than 20 years of experience in quality improvement, process optimization, and organizational transformation. Guided by integrity, humanity, and professionalism, Pia is passionate about creating healthcare environments where systems and people work together to support meaningful experiences for clients, families, and care teams.
Since 2021, Pia has served as Program Manager Planetree at Rivas Zorggroep in the Netherlands, leading the implementation and integration of person-centered care across home care and long-term care services. In this role, she works across all levels of the organization to embed Planetree principles into everyday practice by developing supportive structures, improving processes, and inspiring teams to cultivate compassionate, relationship-centered care. Since 2023, she has also led the organization-wide initiative Living a Meaningful Life, Caring Together, focused on enhancing the quality and meaning of care experiences.
Prior to her current role, Pia served as Quality Council and JCI Survey Coordinator at Rivas Zorggroep, where she led the implementation and coordination of the Joint Commission International (JCI) quality system within Beatrix Hospital. She successfully guided the organization through two external JCI accreditation surveys, strengthening quality, safety, and continuous improvement practices.
A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Pia combines strategic thinking with practical improvement methodologies to create sustainable change. She believes quality is not simply something demonstrated during audits, but a way of working that reflects a daily commitment to doing the right things well and creating better experiences for all.
Pia holds a Master of Science in Economics from Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from the University of Amsterdam Business School. Known for her thoughtful, collaborative, and pragmatic leadership style, she excels at translating organizational vision into meaningful action.
As a member of the Planetree Global Certification Network, Pia is committed to helping organizations advance person-centered cultures where empathy, trust, and partnership guide the way care is designed and delivered.
