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Zach, Head of Transformation at Optum: Advize Career Interview
A career journey blending cinema internships, real estate, international travel, and sustainability consulting led to an MBA and a transformative role as Head of Transformation at Optum Pacific West.
This path highlights the value of diverse experiences and intellectual curiosity in navigating a career.
The work involves unifying fifteen companies, demanding stakeholder management, data analysis, and strong communication skills to build consensus and drive positive change within the healthcare system.
Success hinges on a willingness to tackle ambiguous challenges, learn from others, and understand the bigger picture – impacting patient care and addressing a fundamentally broken healthcare system.
Entry-level opportunities exist for undergraduates in analytical roles and frontline positions, providing a clear pathway into this dynamic and impactful field.
The interview underscores the importance of continuous learning, networking, and asking questions, even if seemingly basic, to drive career success.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Zach Goldman
Head of Transformation
Optum
USC, 2007
UCLA Anderson MBA
Political Science, American Studies
Healthcare
Strategic Management and Executive
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
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Career Path Of A Head Of Transformation At Optum
Zach's career path demonstrates a fascinating blend of diverse experiences, starting with internships in cinema and then pivoting through commercial real estate, a period of travel following the Great Recession, and a consultancy focused on "corporate citizenship and sustainability." This led to an MBA from UCLA's Anderson School, Deloitte consulting, and finally a role at Optum in population health, allowing Zach to combine "impact-driven work" with refined management consulting skills.
Main Responsibilities Of A Head Of Transformation At Optum
As Head of Transformation at Optum Pacific West, Zach's main responsibility is "charting out the path" to unify 15 separately operating companies into a single national organization, focusing on the West Coast. This involves leading teams in building shared services ("claims processing or Revenue operations") and consulting on integration and provider experience improvement, leveraging Zach's prior consulting and operational experience to build "one large organization out of them".
A Day in the Life of a Head of Transformation at Optum
A Head of Transformation at Optum spends the workday heavily involved in "stakeholder management," meeting with leadership and teams to strategize long-term integration goals and address immediate quarterly performance. This includes leading projects focused on employee transition, and utilizing "modeling and analytics" to quantify the value of integration for patients and the business.
Most Important Skills For A Head Of Transformation At Optum
Zach, Head of Transformation at Optum, emphasizes that technical skills are learnable, prioritizing instead "intellectual curiosity" and a willingness to understand the bigger picture of the business and its impact on patients. Success, Zach explains, hinges on a desire to "help people" and "put yourself in uncomfortable situations," rather than limiting oneself to narrowly defined roles.
Favorite Parts Of Being A Head Of Transformation At Optum
Zach, Head of Transformation at Optum, most enjoys the "variety of stuff" their role offers, drawing on past experiences including medical expense analysis, network strategy, and field operations management in Long Beach. This diverse work, while sometimes "stressful," allows Zach to apply strategic thinking and operational experience toward solving "a huge social problem."
Biggest Challenges Faced by a Head of Transformation at Optum
Zach, Head of Transformation at Optum, identifies "consensus building" as the biggest challenge in the role, highlighting the inherent resistance to change when altering processes or organizational structures. The ability to tailor communication strategies—from data-driven arguments to mission-focused appeals—and to recognize when compromise or alternative approaches are necessary is crucial for success.
Favorite Parts of Working in the Healthcare Industry as a Head of Transformation
Zach, Head of Transformation at Optum, finds deep motivation in working towards a solution for "a fundamentally broken Health Care system," driving Optum's value-based care initiatives which align business success with healthier patients, a model that prioritizes "increasing access to preventative care and improved medical management." The five-year veteran's work contributes to solving a critical national problem, a factor that fuels their career.
Who Thrives In The Healthcare Industry According To A Head Of Transformation At Optum
Zach, Head of Transformation at Optum, highlights the importance of "being curious" and actively networking, advising early-career professionals to "make a habit of doing a lot of coffee chats" and "look for opportunities to be useful." He emphasizes the value of asking questions, even seemingly basic ones, to gain insights and build a strong professional brand, echoing Susan Wojcicki's advice on the significance of fundamental questioning.
What a Head of Transformation at Optum Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Healthcare Industry
Zach, Head of Transformation at Optum, learned that while technical skills are "table stakes," the ability to "influence people's thinking" and navigate "human politics" are crucial for success in leadership roles, particularly those involving ambiguous challenges like the West transformation effort. This involves mastering communication and consensus-building, as "managing human emotions" becomes a significant aspect of the job.
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Healthcare Professionals At Optum
Optum primarily recruits graduate program alumni, but entry-level analytical roles are available for undergraduates with relevant skills, focusing on "explaining drivers of hospitalizations" and improving care. Additionally, the company hires undergraduates for frontline positions such as medical assistants, patient relations liaisons, and provider relationship managers, offering diverse career paths within healthcare.
Significant Career Lesson From a Head of Transformation at Optum
Zach, Head of Transformation at Optum, emphasizes the importance of asking questions, even if it means admitting, "hey, I don't understand what's going on here," because clarifying complex situations by saying "can you dumb this down to my level?" ultimately accelerates learning and rarely diminishes respect; in fact, a dismissive response reveals more about the respondent than the questioner's capabilities.
College Experiences That Helped a Head of Transformation at Optum Succeed
Zach's undergraduate experience, marked by "a lot of different things," including three majors and extracurricular activities, initially seemed haphazard but ultimately proved valuable. The breadth of experience fostered flexibility and "a lot of ways of problem-solving," skills now essential in their current role as Head of Transformation, demonstrating that diverse experiences, beyond coursework, yield significant long-term career benefits.
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