Mark West, president of SharedClarity, is relatively new to healthcare, starting in the industry in 2005. However, while he may be somewhat new to the healthcare industry, he has a strong background in developing and implementing high-performing procurement and supply chain organizations. SharedClarity, a startup for which West gained approval from the Board of Managers to start operations in January 2013, is a new and different model of healthcare organization, focused on improving the quality and cost of medical supplies industry-wide. West’s experience in supply chain management and in leading organizations in a changing environment uniquely equips him to lead this exciting new startup company.
West explained that he got his start in healthcare precisely because he did not have a background in it. “I actually started my healthcare career at the Cleveland Clinic, and the biggest qualification that I had was that I had no healthcare experience. They wanted somebody to come in with new and different perspectives.” After almost four years with the Cleveland Clinic, West became the vice president of Supply Chain Management at UnitedHealth Group, where he stayed until helping launch SharedClarity and taking his current position.
When asked what the most important skills and attributes are that help him accomplish his job with excellence, West shared three:
- Empathy. “I’ve had the opportunity to be in the health system and be in our members’ shoes… I’ve done the job; I understand the pros and cons and the challenges that they face.”
- The ability to lead an organization in a changing environment. “The company’s running, you’ve got to take care of your customers, your patients; but then at the same time you’ve got all these re-engineering activities that you’re doing to try to take a quantum leap to the next level. Being able to manage in that type of environment has really helped me in this startup environment.”
- Hiring for the long-term and not for the short-term. “We hire employees who we can foresee filling multiple roles in our company in the future. I look for and appreciate well-rounded people who are not afraid to take on new challenges and know they have to wear many hats.”
Asked to give some advice to aspiring leaders, West shared five excellent pieces of wisdom that any leader should take to heart:
- Do the right thing, regardless of the consequences.
- Take on challenges nobody else will tackle.
- Seek out mentors and maintain relationships with them.
- Don’t be afraid to hire people who are more talented than you.
- Be aware of how your words and actions make others feel, because that’s what will be remembered far beyond your words.
In addition to those five pieces of advice, West also shared what he feels is the most important lesson he’s learned in life:
“I’ve learned that a person’s will is stronger than pretty much any obstacle you can put in front of them… if you really want it, obstacles can be overcome. Don’t put up any self-imposed barriers, because you can pretty much get through whatever you want if you really want to do it.”
West says some of the best advice he ever received was from a former boss: “Don’t be disappointed when you get what you expect.” Another great piece of advice came from his grandfather, who West described as a ‘work hard, play hard’ kind of guy. “He used to say, ‘Make sure you have a little fun every day.’ It was more of a balance of life type of comment.”
When it comes to balancing his life and having a little fun every day, West takes that advice seriously. He pursues several hobbies, first and foremost spending time with his wife and two boys. “My boys just love riding dirt bikes and quads. We have a cabin north of Phoenix, so we spend a lot of time up there riding dirt bikes and quads.” West is also a big sports fan, and having been born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, enjoys following all the Cleveland sports. When not riding dirt bikes or watching sports he enjoys golfing, fishing, and poker.
West admitted he has never put together a bucket list, but he does have a couple things he hopes to someday have the opportunity to do—play as an amateur in the World Series of Poker, and watch the Cleveland Browns compete in the Super Bowl.
In the meantime, when asked what he foresees for himself in the immediate future, he answered without hesitation:
“From a work point of view, this is it. It’s very rare that you get the opportunity to take a concept, build a business plan, get backed by well-established companies, and get the chance to run the company. We have an infinite amount of opportunities and work to do, so I’m really very, very happy with where I’m at and what we’re doing. From a personal point of view, in the next few years, I’ve got kids that will eventually start getting closer to making their way to college. You only get so many years with them, while they’re in your house, so my focus personally is more on that. I want to make sure we have as much fun as we can.”
West certainly has his focus and priorities in the right place!