Why Clients Think Certus Advisors Is Different

 It’s pretty unique to have access to a seasoned veteran who has such depth of healthcare experience and the decades-long strategy pedigree of a former BCG partner (and I’m ex-Mck so I know what great can look like). You just can’t get someone of Mary’s level and caliber who is actually doing work that quickly gets to the heart of the matter in a very thoughtful and provocative way. Consultants often say ‘we’ when talking about their clients but Mary embodies the ‘we’ as part of the team, she says it and really means it and I feel it in my bones. Certus helped us devise a superior strategic plan that not only catalyzed our transformation but when MacKenzie Scott’s foundation came calling we were able to respond quickly so on top of all the benefits we were seeing in our business we were awarded a grant that was >10X multiple of the Certus fees.

- Repeat client - CEO & President of Government health services organization 

 We absolutely wouldn’t have realized anywhere near the market value we did without partnering with Mary. She challenged us to be self-aware; her way of working created a supportive culture so we weren’t defensive. At the same time she recognized the possibilities of what we had and she helped us see what we could be if we made some bold moves. Working with Mary was truly a phenomenal experience and one of the landmarks of my career. 

- CFO, publicly traded pharmaceutical company

The new CEO brought Mary in to rapidly set strategy for an organization in transition where I serve as Board Chair. I was so impressed that I hired her to help in my role as CEO of a health system. I find Mary’s ability to provide C-suite counsel remarkable. The main difference with Certus is its laser focus on useful and actionable transfers of skills, knowledge, and insights in support of a living, breathing strategic plan.

- Repeat client - President & CEO of FQHC, Board Chair of Medicaid/Medicare program innovator

Truly came in as a partner to us to be in it together and find the right answer for us. I love that you didn't come in with assumptions on where to go or tried to drive to conclusions that benefitted Certus. In fact you wrapped up the project early - so refreshing! Very purposeful and has a level of intelligence most people don't have to bring people along in their roles especially when coming from for profit to a non-profit culture.

- EVP of national non-profit Medicaid-funded health care services provider

My senior leaders are very seasoned experts but were stuck on how to best deal with a morass of market uncertainties. Mary was extremely credible with the team and quickly unraveled our thinking while injecting new ideas into the debate. Even during this relatively short engagement I saw my team learn and grow their strategy skills.

- SVP, leading Medicaid managed care company

Certus helped us with a major organizational turnaround in the face of significant urgency and ongoing team disruption. I couldn’t believe we found someone like Mary with such depth of experience, health care expertise, and innate business instincts, who’s also able to connect with people ranging all the way from board members to early career employees. You just can’t find that in other firms. Mary has this exceptional way of building trust and getting people to think and work in new ways and that’s when the magic really happens – she moved the conversation forward when we were churning over the same old ground and accelerated us getting to agreement on the best strategy for growth. The Certus work has already paid off and we continue to use the strategic plan and the skills she taught us. I wholeheartedly recommend Certus and Mary if you need help navigating your really tough challenges and choices.

- Chief Administrative Officer (incl. CHRO, IT, Legal & Compliance) for leading health care services organization