The Consulting Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Healthcare Consultants and Leaders of 2024. As healthcare systems contend with increasingly complex medical needs and the rapid pace of technological innovation, they face mounting pressure to improve efficiency, manage costs, and meet evolving patient expectations. To navigate these challenges, healthcare organizations are increasingly relying on external guidance. The global healthcare consulting services market is estimated to hit an impressive $57.5 billion by 2031, growing at an annual rate of 9.5%.
This surge in demand underscores the vital contributions of this year’s awardees, who excel delivering strategic solutions to address key challenges in the sector. From optimizing patient engagement and claims management to implementing advanced technology and driving process improvements, their expertise not only helps streamline operations but also ensures that patient care remains at the forefront. By helping to create a more financially sustainable and equitable healthcare system, these leaders are shaping the future of healthcare.
Among this year’s awardees, Kristin Ficery, Senior Managing Director at Accenture, is noted for her leadership in digital transformation within North America’s healthcare sector. Timothy J. Dragelin, Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, is recognized for his expertise in restructuring, interim management, and turnaround consultation within the healthcare sector. Shantanu Baruah, Executive Vice President at HCLTech, is celebrated for his innovative integration of advanced technologies in healthcare to enhance global healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
This year’s awardees were selected through a methodical nomination process and careful consideration of each candidate’s career track record and industry contributions. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 Healthcare Consultants and Leaders of 2024.
1. Jan Ascher
Firm: McKinsey and Company
Title: Senior Partner
Jan Ascher is a Senior Partner in McKinsey and Company’s Zurich office, where he specializes in the biopharmaceuticals and healthcare industries. He helps his clients develop corporate and business-unit strategies and serves leading companies in Switzerland, the broader Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, as well as the United States, partnering with organizations to architect and deliver ambitious transformation programs in commercial, medical, R&D, and corporate functions.
Ascher co-convenes the global strategy-and-corporate finance domain for the Life Sciences practice. He also advises private-equity and principal investors on pre-investment decisions and post-investment management and leads McKinsey’s private-equity hub in Switzerland. His areas of focus include innovation, portfolio strategies, and customer-engagement transformations in biopharma and commercial due diligence in life sciences and healthcare.
Ascher also supports end-to-end performance transformations in mid-sized companies, focusing on improving effectiveness in R&D functions, operations, and organizations. He is particularly interested in performance excellence, exploring how companies can drive executive performance through prioritizing well-being. Ascher received an MBA-equivalent degree from the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany and a master’s degree in finance from HEC Lausanne in Switzerland.
2. John Derse
Firm: Marsh McLennan
Title: Senior Partner
John Derse is a Senior Partner at Mercer, where he leads the firm’s Healthcare Provider Industry practice. Based in Charlotte, NC, Derse has been with Mercer for over 30 years, specializing in people strategy, including strategy alignment, change management, workforce analytics, and rewards. He provides comprehensive strategic advice on the design, implementation, and operation of human capital and HR functions.
Derse has led successful projects for several prominent academic health systems across the US. At a respected central US health system, he directed initiatives in human capital strategy, total rewards, nurse retention, and leadership development, guiding the organization through post-merger integration and strategic planning.
At another large health system, Derse oversaw the implementation of a new technology platform across HR, finance, and supply chain, managing change and developing new role architectures. He also led predictive workforce analytics at a southeastern US health system, linking nurse turnover to patient outcomes and focusing on the needs of a growing Ambulatory Division.
Derse is also recognized for leading the team that developed Mercer’s US Healthcare Labor Analysis, completed in 2021. This research focused on the serious shortage of available healthcare talent and how organizations can respond. Derse holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Lawrence University.
3. Timothy Dragelin
Firm: FTI Consulting
Title: Senior Managing Director
Timothy J. Dragelin is a member of FTI Consulting’s Corporate Finance and Restructuring segment and co‐leads the firm’s Healthcare Restructuring practice, where he leads the healthcare interim management initiatives. With over 30 years of experience, he has provided advisory services to companies and various stakeholders throughout the business life cycle in several industries.
Dragelin’s experience includes in- and out-of-court restructuring, turnaround consultation, interim management, including serving as CEO, CFO, CRO and PMO, creditor advisory, due diligence, sell‐side mandates, valuation, process improvement, forensic investigations, and litigation advisory. He has provided these services in a number of industries, most notably healthcare, real estate, and financial services.
Dragelin previously served in the Financial Advisory Services practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers and in financial and sales positions at Capital One Financial. He is a published author and frequent speaker on financial and accounting topics at both regional and national conferences. Dragelin holds a BBA in accounting from The College of William and Mary.
4. Kristin Ficery
Firm: Accenture
Title: Senior Managing Director – Global Health Strategy Lead
Kristin Ficery is a Senior Managing Director and Global Health Strategy Lead at Accenture, a leading global professional services firm that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth, and enhance citizen services. Ficery demonstrates executive leadership as Accenture’s Health Care Provider Practice lead in North America.
Before her current role, Ficery served as Senior Director at SCIENT Corp. Earlier in her career she worked with Andersen Consulting as a Senior Consultant. She earned an MBA in finance and healthcare management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an undergraduate degree in mathematics and political science from Vanderbilt University.
5. Sander Visser
Firm: Strategy&
Title: Managing Partner
Sander Visser is the Managing Partner for Strategy& in the Netherlands and the leader of the Strategy& and PwC Consulting healthcare practices in Europe, based in Amsterdam. Visser specializes in payor-provider collaboration and hospital transformation, leading numerous projects for a wide range of clients. Notably, he co-developed an approach focused on eliminating overuse in healthcare, which improves quality and reduces costs.
Visser joined the firm in May 2011 and has 12 years of experience in strategy consulting. Before joining Strategy&, Visser was a Managing Director at Optisense Technologies, where he was responsible for the development of a medical diagnosis device.
Previously, Visser was a Director at Booz and Company and before that a Managing Director at Optisense. Earlier in his career he worked with The Boston Consulting Group as an Associate. Visser earned an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and a master's degree in economics from the University of Amsterdam.
6. David Dominguez
Firm: Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
Title: Managing Director, Advisory Services
David Dominguez is the global head of Life Sciences for Grant Thornton International Ltd. In that role, he concentrates on fostering a unified global community within the Life Sciences industry, aiming to drive growth, enhance capabilities and ensure quality throughout the Grant Thornton International network.
Dominguez brings to Grant Thornton more than 25 years of leadership experience, gained both in the private sector and as a business consultant. His acumen spans multiple industries, with a strong focus on the domestic and international healthcare and life sciences sectors. He has helped clients navigate transformational initiatives and achieve business value.
Previously, Dominguez served as a managing director of Technology Modernization Services within Grant Thornton’s Advisory Services practice. In that role, he provided service to domestic and international companies in areas such as business continuity and disaster recovery, technology strategy and optimization, performance improvement, IT integration, program management, intelligent automation, and operational and technology transformation.
Dominguez received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with a minor in mathematics from New Mexico State University. He obtained his Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) in 2004 and became a PMI Agile Certified Practitioner in 2021.
7. Marcelo Compte
Firm: Alvarez and Marsal
Title: Managing Director
Marcelo Compte is a Managing Director at Alvarez and Marsal within the healthcare consulting team. With over 20 years of experience in strategy and management consulting, he has worked across multiple industries, particularly healthcare and consumer goods, focusing on corporate strategy, productivity improvement, cost reduction, and valuation. He has experience working with organizations such as AB-InBev, Aluar, Athena Saúde, European Commission, Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz, JSL, PepsiCo, Tigre, Unilever, Unimed, Via Varejo, Whirlpool, and more.
In the past eight years, Marcelo has focused his career on healthcare service organizations, having executed projects in more than 50 operations in Latin America. At A&M, he developed the Healthcare Providers platform for the region, creating new methodologies and approaches for clients and consolidating partnerships with the main associations. Marcelo has supported several clients in business planning, raising funds, and improving operational performance through revenue, cost, and SG&A optimization.
Before joining A&M, Marcelo held leadership roles in other consulting firms, where he built a strong track record in financial results and customer satisfaction. Earlier in his career, he worked in the banking sector and was an Assistant Professor of microeconomic theory. Marcelo studied economics at Universidad Católica Argentina and holds an MDP from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he also participated in other executive education programs.
8. Zara Muradali
Firm: Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
Title: Managing Principal
Zara Muradali is the national Life Sciences industry leader at Grant Thornton Advisors. With nearly 30 years of experience in the public accounting industry, she specializes in finance and tax strategy and transformation, federal tax, cost and performance improvement, finance operations, change management, strategic planning, business development, corporate integration, business intelligence, mergers and acquisitions, post-merger integration and enterprise resource planning financial systems.
Prior to joining Grant Thornton in 2018, Muradali was a Tax partner at KPMG LLP, where she successfully launched its Accounting Methods and Credits practice. Muradali is a certified public accountant in Massachusetts and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She also serves on the board of MassMEDIC. In 2023, Muradali was named a Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association luminary for her dedication to the healthcare industry. Additionally, she is an active member of Chief, a private network designed for the most powerful women executives to strengthen their leadership, magnify their influence and pave the way to bring others with them.
Muradali’s leadership also extends beyond the teams she leads and the clients she serves. As an executive sponsor for Grant Thornton Equality GT business resource group, she helps cultivate an inclusive environment for the firm’s professionals who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Muradali received a master’s degree in taxation from the D’Armore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
9. Costa Magas
Firm: Huron
Title: Managing Director
Costa Magas is a Managing Director at Huron, where he brings over 20 years of leadership and healthcare consulting experience. He specializes in process improvement, project implementation and strategic planning for academic health centers, multifacility healthcare systems and community hospitals.
Since joining Huron at its inception in 2002, Magas has held various leadership roles, including Healthcare Leadership team member, Client Services Executive, Co-Leader of Huron’s Academic Health Center Market Segment, Revenue Cycle Leadership team member, and Regional Leader. He has led numerous multidisciplinary projects across the country to help healthcare organizations improve operational efficiency, enhance quality, drive tangible financial and nonfinancial benefits, and increase stakeholder engagement.
Throughout his tenure at Huron, Magas has assessed over 50 hospitals and healthcare systems, led more than 25 performance improvement engagements, and managed revenue cycle redesign initiatives to optimize operations and implement technology systems. Magas is a member of several professional associations, including the American College of Healthcare Executives, Healthcare Financial Management Association, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Prior to joining Huron, Magas served as a Consultant at Arthur Andersen. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from DePaul University and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Illinois.
10. Lucy Thorp
Firm: Teneo
Title: Managing Director
Lucy Thorp is a Managing Director with Teneo’s management consulting business segment in London. Teneo is a global CEO advisory firm that partners with clients globally to solve complex business challenges. Drawing upon its global team and expansive network of senior advisors, Teneo provides advisory services across five business segments, either on a stand-alone or fully integrated basis.
Thorp predominantly works in the Health and Social Care practice in London, advising CEOs, boards, and senior executives on a wide range of challenges, from formulating long-term strategies to addressing immediate pressures. She has developed clinical and organizational strategies, facilitated the development of new models of care, supported the redesign of acute services across local health economies, and supported organizations to work more effectively through new approaches to organizational design and development.
Within the NHS, Thorp is an expert in multi-agency organizational and system design, working with organizations, teams and individuals to understand their challenges, design and shape solutions, and support the delivery of new organizational forms. Through this approach, she has supported the development of federations, clinical networks, provider groups, and integrated care systems. Previously, Thorp was a Director at Credo Business Consulting LLP. Earlier in her career she worked with Dstl as an Analyst. Thorp earned a master’s degree in physics from the University of Oxford.
11. Jason Rife
Firm: EY
Title: Managing Director
Jason is a Managing Director in EY’s Health Transformation practice with a deep focus on provider enterprise strategy and operations. Working closely with both providers and health system leaders, Rife helps drive transformation of the infrastructure that supports care delivery across the continuum of care. EY is a global professional services firm providing assurance, consulting, tax, and advisory services to help clients grow, transform, and build trust.
Before joining EY, Rife gained nearly 20 years of health care consulting experience advising leading health systems on driving process improvement and other efficiencies. Rife holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Yale University and a master of public health from Columbia University.
12. Tina Wheeler
Firm: Deloitte
Title: Partner
Tina Wheeler is a Partner and US Health Care Leader at Deloitte, a global firm providing audit, consulting, tax, and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 8,500 US-based private companies.
Wheeler serves as the global health care audit leader, and leads the overall strategic direction of the health care practice as well as its go-to-market strategies and resources. The sector spans advisory, audit, consulting, and tax services, with a strong focus on helping clients navigate the ever-changing health care landscape.
With more than 30 years of experience at Deloitte, Wheeler has managed the delivery of accounting and auditing services to large multi-system health care payor and provider clients. Her consulting experience includes acquisitions, divestitures, and SEC regulatory reporting. Wheeler graduated from Hope College with an undergraduate degree in accounting.
13. James Cleary
Firm: Bain and Company
Title: Partner
James Cleary is a Partner of Bain and Company’s Healthcare and Life Sciences and Private Equity practices. He has more than 10 years of experience in consulting serving investors and healthcare companies. Bain and Company is a global consultancy that serves clients across 65 cities in 40 countries. Since joining Bain, Cleary has developed deep expertise across a variety of healthcare businesses serving corporate clients, financial investors, and portfolio companies in corporate strategy and due diligence work.
Cleary’s PE experience spans the healthcare value chain, including medtech, pharma services, payers, providers, pharmacy, and related technology solutions. Prior to joining Bain and Company, Cleary worked at a boutique consulting firm serving pharma, biotech, and PBM clients across a variety of commercialization and R&D strategy projects. Cleary holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University.
14. Deirdre Baggot PhD
Firm: Oliver Wyman
Title: Partner
Deirdre Baggot PhD is a Denver based senior partner at Oliver Wyman where she leads healthcare deal work for the firm. Oliver Wyman, a business of Marsh and McLennan is a management consultancy that combines deep industry knowledge with specialized expertise to help clients optimize their business, improve operations and accelerate performance. Baggot not only plays an important role leading healthcare mergers and acquisitions for the firm, she also enjoys advising her payer and provider clients on corporate strategy. Previously, Dr. Baggot spent ten years in academic healthcare, first at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and later at the University of Michigan.
She holds a PhD from University of Colorado, an MBA and Gregory La Vert Scholar from Loyola Graduate School of Business and a BSN, Summa Cum Laude from Southern Illinois University. She also holds a certificate in Healthcare Executive Leadership from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Deirdre and her husband Ted live in Denver Colorado with their two children, Harry and Emily.
15. Andrew Aijian
Firm: DeciBio Consulting
Title: Partner
Andrew Aijian is a Senior Partner at DeciBio Consulting, with over 15 years experience in life science research and consulting. Aijian serves as the head of the pharma practice and works with stakeholders throughout the precision medicine ecosystem, including pharma, diagnostics companies, research tools manufacturers, and clinical and research services providers to optimize the development and delivery of precision medicines.
Aijian supports pharma with all aspects of precision medicine strategy, including global landscape assessments, market sizing and forecasting, biomarker and diagnostic technology and commercial assessments, patient treatment and diagnostic journey mapping, and strategic partnering and M&A. Aijian regularly publishes, presents, and lectures on key topics in precision medicine, with particular expertise in oncology biomarkers and diagnostic technologies.
At DeciBio, Aijian serves as the Partner lead of the marketing team and syndicated reports business, overseeing the expansion and diversification of the firm’s market-leading reports portfolio. Aijian holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and a bachelor’s degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
16. Jacque Myers
Firm: Slalom
Title: Global Healthcare Capability Lead
Jacque Myers leads go-to-market capabilities for Slalom Healthcare, which includes more than 1,000 healthcare consultants in 49 offices and eight countries. With almost 20 years of experience across the healthcare ecosystem, Myers is committed to building solutions at the intersection of strategy and technology to advance human healthcare.
In her role at Slalom, Myers works with executives from some of the world’s leading healthcare organizations to translate bold ideas into pragmatic solutions that improve health equity, economics, and outcomes. She has driven multiple large-scale transformations, from digital health product strategy to personalized patient and member engagement, care coordination, and population health and wellness.
Prior to Slalom, Myers held multiple roles at Booz Allen Hamilton with a focus on healthcare marketing and behavior change. Her award-winning campaigns covered topics including behavioral health, prescription drug safety, and adherence to preventive care guidelines. Myers has a Master’s in Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.
17. Christopher Collins
Firm: ECG Management Consultants
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Christopher Collins is the President and Chief Executive Officer of ECG, where he previously led the Academic Healthcare Division. With over 25 years of experience in the healthcare services sector, Collins supports the corporate operations and consulting teams at ECG to carry out the firm’s mission to achieve the full potential of its people and each client it serves.
Collins’ central focus is to ensure ECG continues to recruit, develop, and retain top talent to deliver high quality work in partnership with clients, ultimately making a positive impact in the communities they serve. Previously, Collins was a Principal of the Center for Health Innovation at Noblis. Earlier in his career he worked with PwC as a Healthcare Manager. Collins graduated from The George Washington University with an MHSA in healthcare administration.
18. Brad Boyd
Firm: BDO USA
Title: Principal
Brad Boyd is the Co-Leader of BDO’s Healthcare Industry, where he specializes in developing and delivering high-value consulting engagements that focus on improving the quality of care, enhancing patient and provider experiences, and driving operational efficiencies and financial performance. He brings over 25 years of experience working with provider organizations, payers, private equity, and digital health companies to the role.
In his role, Boyd collaborates with practice leadership throughout the BDO Center for Healthcare Excellence and Innovation to provide seamless support for clients. He provides executive sponsorship for IT strategy, digital transformation, and performance improvement engagements. Additionally, Boyd sponsors the BDO Private Equity Healthcare Forum and co-leads the EHR to Azure program.
Boyd joined BDO in December 2021 through an expansion. Prior to BDO, he served as President of Culbert Healthcare Solutions, where he led the business development team, growth strategy, and service line development.
19. Shantanu Baruah
Firm: HCLTech
Title: EVP, Healthcare
Shantanu Baruah is an Executive Vice President leading the healthcare business at HCLTech. With over 24 years of experience across multiple disciplines, Baruah has played a key role in advancing the fields of healthcare, digital, and information technology at HCLTech. His leadership has been instrumental in guiding the delivery and development of innovative solutions within the healthcare sector.
A leader with global exposure, Baruah has successfully led teams across India, Singapore, France, and the US. His technological expertise and innovative leadership qualities have placed him at the forefront of important business acquisitions. Baruah has also been recognized for his contributions to healthcare IT, being named one of The Top 25 Healthcare IT Executives of 2020 and 2022 by The Consulting Report.
20. Travis Burd
Firm: Booz Allen Hamilton
Title: Senior Vice President
Travis Burd is a Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton, a global consulting firm advancing civil, defense, and national security priorities. Burd is a leader in the firm’s civil health business, supporting technology initiatives for clients such as the Department of Health and Human Services.
Most recently, Burd led the Marketplace System Integrator contract for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where Booz Allen provides leadership for systems integration for Healthcare.gov. This complex system allows individuals to shop for and purchase health insurance through the individual marketplace.
Prior to joining Booz Allen, Burd led large systems development outsourcing and modernization programs for commercial clients in the telecommunications and health insurance industries at Keane, Inc. Burd holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
21. Cassie Pike
Firm: Cielo
Title: Executive Vice President
Cassie Pike is the EVP of Strategic Client Partnerships at Cielo, where she is responsible for the growth and advocacy of clients globally. With over 20 years of experience in the talent acquisition industry and eight years of experience at Cielo, Pike collaborates with C-level executives on strategic workforce planning and business transformation initiatives. She is known for developing innovative solutions that effectively leverage human capital and technology to drive value creation.
Pike has worked with a diverse range of clients, including large hospital systems and global life sciences organizations. She also leads Cielo’s Healthcare Advisory Board and is an active member of The Institute of Healthcare Executives and Suppliers, the Health Management Academy, and The Equity Collaborative.
22. Abhijit Sarkar
Firm: Infosys
Title: Vice President
Abhijit Sarkar is the Vice President and Head of Healthcare Northeast and EMEA at Infosys, a global company specializing in digital services and consulting. Sarkar is a business development executive with nearly 15 years of success working with Fortune 500 companies and establishing, growing, and managing relationships.
Sarkar has consistently been selected to lead account growth, applying scalable structures and sales strategies to achieve significant results. He excels at securing new business and increasing client retention through a collaborative, cross-functional sales approach. Sarkar holds an undergraduate degree in engineering from BIT Sindri.
23. Manish Mehta
Firm: Atos (Eviden)
Title: Head of Healthcare & Life Sciences
Manish Mehta is the Industry Head of Health and Life Sciences at Atos (Eviden), where he leads a business unit responsible for over $400 million in revenue. With a focus on North America’s diverse healthcare and life sciences ecosystem, Mehta and his team drive digital transformation across the payers, providers, pharma, medical devices, and healthtech sectors.
His expertise in leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI, data analytics, and cloud computing has been instrumental in advancing patient engagement, claims optimization, and overall healthcare delivery. Under his leadership, Atos delivers innovative solutions that enhance operational efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and create tangible value for clients in the healthcare and life sciences industries.
Starting as a technology enthusiast, Mehta quickly ascended through leadership roles, bringing a wealth of health care expertise to the table. His experience spans consulting, service delivery, sales, and digital transformation, with a deep understanding of healthcare technologies and practices.
Mehta has managed large-scale modernization projects, complex turnarounds, M&A, end-to-end P&L responsibilities, and alliances and client partnerships, making him a versatile leader in the healthcare and life sciences landscape. With a keen focus on operational excellence, client satisfaction, and driving growth, Mehta consistently delivers exceptional results, contributing to the evolution of healthcare technologies and practices.
24. Christiana Voelker
Firm: Avanade
Title: Director, Healthcare Industry Lead
Christiana Voelker is a Director and Healthcare Industry Lead at Avanade, a global provider of digital, cloud, AI and advisory services, industry solutions, and design-led experiences across the Microsoft ecosystem. Voelker has over 15 years of experience working in the healthcare technology sector. She has experience with a variety of solutions including electronic medical records, clinical and financial analytics, population health, care coordination, nurse triage, home health, and patient engagement.
Voelker has worked at multiple vendors across technology sales, delivery, and product development to help healthcare customers overcome challenges. She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership as well as an undergraduate degree in human and organizational development from Vanderbilt University.
25. Maryann McGivney
Firm: Willis Towers Watson
Title: Healthcare Industry Vertical Division Leader, North America
Maryann McGivney is the Healthcare Industry Vertical Division Leader, North America of Willis Towers Watson. WTW provides data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. With a global presence in 140 countries and markets, WTW helps organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce, and maximize performance.
McGivney brings 34 years of experience to her current role. Before joining Willis Towers Watson, McGivney was a Southeast Regional Healthcare Underwriting Manager at Zurich. Earlier in her career she worked with AIG as a Senior Underwriter. McGivney graduated from Seton Hall University with an undergraduate degree in math.
