Meet the Instructor, Francesca E. Pregano, MBA

I started my career at the front desk of a dental practice, working part time while going to college full time. Twenty years later, I am the Chief Operating Officer of Smile Makers Dental Center, a six-location group practice in Northern Virginia. In between, I learned the lesson that became the foundation of this course: the people who keep a dental practice running are often its most underdeveloped leaders, and they don’t have to be.

From the Front Desk to the Executive Team

My turning point came in 2012, when I was introduced to the discipline of KPIs and leadership. I learned that running a practice well comes down to systems, numbers, and people, and that all three can be taught. By my early twenties, I was leading a team of 40 at a multi-million-dollar practice. In 2015, I took on regional oversight of three locations. In 2022, when the organization doubled to six locations, I stepped into the executive role. I earned my bachelor’s degree and my MBA during those same years, while carrying a full operational workload.

Every step was a role I took on before I felt ready. Each one required a new level of thinking, a new way of leading, and a new understanding of the business. My growth from receptionist to COO is the result I bring to this course, and it shows that the path is real.

Today I lead operations across six locations. I founded Empowered Management to bring that operational expertise to other practices. I am also a partner in Fairfax Dental Assisting Academy, a SCHEV-accredited dental assisting program that trains the next generation of dental professionals.

How I Lead

“Strong practices are built by strong teams, and strong teams are led by managers who are trusted to lead.”

I give my office managers real autonomy: ownership of their location, their decisions, and their results. I stay close enough to guide when the situation calls for it. That is how I developed as a leader, and it is how I develop the leaders around me.