Mesbah Ahmad

Redwoods Analyst 2008
Senior Director– Clinical Strategy & Innovation Clinical Enterprise

I joined DaVita because of a meaningful opportunity to have a positive impact, the caliber of my teammates and roles that afforded me the ability to stretch and grow in a number of areas. The genuine interest and support of the Redwoods team, and mentors for me as an individual rather than as an employee, helped me make critical career decisions that have allowed me to grow as a person and professional; I learned to be more confident in my own abilities, and, through that, to be more vocal, to more strongly advocate for ideas and my team, and to be less reliant on the approval of others. I've had the opportunity (and need) to develop a number of styles in ways that are still authentic to me, while also understanding what the best fit for a given circumstance is. I have also grown in understanding my role as a person of color in supporting others' journeys.

The biggest opportunity has been to chart my own path. I've been blessed with the ability to express and pursue my interests, to identify opportunities and chase them down. I had the opportunity to lead an R&D portfolio focused on improving patients' overall care, which allowed me to dig deep into nurses' roles and patient needs, and think expansively about how to best support them.  I learned a tremendous amount, and was able to push the envelope in a number of ways that had a direct impact on our patients' care and quality of life. Through that, I've gotten a breadth of experience, developed new skills and knowledge areas, and been able to stay fulfilled even as my personal needs have evolved.

My advice to candidates would be to focus on skills and responsibilities early on, voice your needs/advocate for yourself and your experience, and understand what's important to you and what drives your fulfillment. Don't worry about titles and your status relative to peers. Leadership isn't a single style, it's a toolbox of styles that you can pull from based on the situation.

Outside of DaVita I've ridden an ostrich, played with tiger cubs and been stranded on a deserted island. I received my undergrad degree from USC in business administration and my MBA from University of Michigan Ross in strategy and management & organizations.

DaVita Journey: Redwoods Analyst > Sr. Analyst, DaVita > ROSS MBA > Director >Senior Director