How do you build a satisfying, robust career in a rapidly changing world? Ann Bray would tell you to never stop learning. Bray’s M.B.A. adds a business perspective to a career already shaped by education and experience in health care and law. As vice president of strategic initiatives and general counsel at Hazelden, Bray brings all of these perspectives and more to the table.
Bray spent 13 years as a registered nurse. “I loved medicine, but I was concerned about issues such as how care was delivered. I couldn’t influence the system,” she said. Deciding to pursue a position that would help her play a role in influencing policy decisions, Bray originally thought of pursuing a graduate degree in public health, but after taking a law class, she decided to pursue a J.D. She worked as a lawyer for a while but discovered that, despite the important influence law can have on health care delivery, she needed an understanding of business to give her access to work on the leading edge of the issues. “Credibility is important. I needed an M.B.A. with a health care focus,” she said.
Republished from the Spring 2012 edition of B. Magazine, click through to read the complete profile.