MAINTAINING MOMENTUM
F irmly established in the belief that healthcare is built on trusted relationships, Andrea Walsh is leading HealthPartners through the next phase of the pandemic with care and grace. Our conversation with the Minneapolis/St. Paul B usiness Journal’s 2021 Executive of the Year revealed her passion for health and wellbeing, commitment to collaboration, and ability to achieve results that make a difference – for the organization and the community.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Born in Kansas City, Kansas, and raised in Rochester, Minnesota, Andrea spent her childhood in the Midwest. She returned to Kansas for her undergraduate college degree, attending the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk, Jayhawk) for a degree in Business and English to pursue her passion around language and communications. Like every college senior, Andrea considered her various career paths and ultimately decided to pursue a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School. “I thought a law degree would allow me to blend that business and English background in a different way than an MBA,” shared Walsh. So, how did she get here, as the Chief Executive Officer of the largest consumer governed nonprofit health care organization in the nation? “I come from a healthcare family. My dad, grandfather, and great- grandfather were all physicians. Living in a family surrounded by healthcare for the majority of my life, interestingly, I didn’t think that healthcare was where I would necessarily end up,” she says with a laugh. Walsh made several interesting stops throughout her career before ending up at HealthPartners. One of her earliest working experiences started at St. Mary’s hospital cooking and serving in the cafeteria – an early taste of the health care system. During law school, she enjoyed the moot court litigation courses and began her litigation career at Rider Bennett.
“That firm was fantastic – great people, I learned a lot.”
12 | Maintaining Momentum
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