Evening MBA transformers: Molly Moore

Molly MooreOnce: provider contracting, Regence BlueShield
Now: manager of business development, Cambia Health Solutions

Tell us about your previous career: When I entered the MBA program, I worked for Regence Blue Shield negotiating provider contracts and managing specialty provider networks. I had been in similar roles for Aetna and United Healthcare dating back to 2002.

What are you currently doing in your role? Cambia is the parent company of Regence BlueShield in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah. I am in a special division called Direct Health Solutions (DHS). DHS invests and builds companies that change the way people experience the health care system. We invest in healthcare companies only, in particular companies that create a more economically sustainable and person-focused health system. My role within DHS is to work with our invested companies (right now we have 15) to build the value of our portfolio. I help our companies explore business opportunities with the Regence health plans, other blue plan partners, consumers and employers within our four-state footprint. By leveraging my 17 years of healthcare experience, I am able to help our companies create better go-to-market strategies and identify unique partnership opportunities.

How did the Evening MBA Program help you transition to your new role? I have worked in healthcare since 1996 and have seen quite a few evolutions over the years. I wanted to stay in healthcare, but did not want to stay in my current role after I graduated. The two aspects of the Evening MBA Program that most prepared me for my current role were my participation in the UW Business Plan Competition and Lance Young’s entrepreneurial finance class. When my job opportunity came along, I was able to easily keep up with the financial discussions as well as the healthcare context. The Evening MBA Program gave me the skills I needed to feel confident in tackling all the other aspects of the role such as interacting with the C-suite of my company, presenting to large rooms of people, strategic planning and project management.

What advice do you have for part-time MBA students interested in making a career transition? The University of Washington Foster School of Business will prepare you for any type of career, which can make narrowing down your next career move hard. In order to narrow the field, I made a list of what aspects I was going to look for in a company, what aspects were important to me and the kind of culture I wanted to work in. This list not only helped guide my job search, but also enabled me to easily articulate why I wanted the role I was applying for and how I would be a great fit for the company.

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