Nancy Hess is a seasoned healthcare executive and consultant with over 25 years of industry experience, distinguished by her ability to drive strategic growth, foster executive relationships, and implement innovative solutions across the healthcare sector. A thought leader in the field, Nancy specializes in redefining success in the payer marketplace through cutting-edge strategies and partnerships beginning at the C-Suite. Her expertise spans value-based care, consumer engagement, provider network optimization, and new market entry strategies. Her proven track record includes leadership roles that emphasize growth, operational excellence, client success, and transformative innovation, consistently achieving results that exceed expectations.
Currently, Nancy serves as the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Spiras Health, where she oversees revenue growth and strategic initiatives targeting Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid, D-SNPs, ACOs, and value-based care organizations. In this role, she drives growth through engagement with C-Suite executives, develops market-shaping strategies, new market entry approaches, and spearheads innovations in care delivery, contributing to Spiras Health’s competitive edge in the market. Her efforts focus on fostering collaboration, accelerating sales cycles, refining and maturing the product and service offering for future success, and enhancing the company’s brand presence, all while maintaining an eye toward external market dynamics and customer needs.
Prior to her tenure at Spiras Health, Nancy was the Senior Vice President of Growth, Strategy, and Operations at TurningPoint Healthcare Solutions. There, she expanded the sales pipeline by 80% and provided thought leadership for new products in chronic condition management and value-based care. Her ability to bridge operational execution with strategic innovation allowed her to establish and maintain key partnerships that drove substantial growth in the payer market. .
Nancy also spent a decade at Optum as Vice President, Strategic Client Executive, where she managed a portfolio exceeding $1.5 billion and delivered consistent year-over-year revenue growth of over 50%. Her leadership was instrumental in transforming client relationships into strategic partnerships, aligning all Optum’s offerings with payer client objectives, and driving the development of advanced solutions in the digital and retail health spaces.
Earlier in her career, Nancy held leadership roles at CSC, TriZetto Group, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and TriBrook/AM&G, where she honed her skills in client operations, strategic planning, and sales management. Notably, her role as Client Partner and Relationship Executive at CSC earned her the “Platinum Award” for top sales performance, reflecting her dedication to achieving outstanding results and cultivating long-term client relationships.
Nancy’s academic background includes an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Roosevelt University, a Master’s in Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy from the Adler School of Psychology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance, Music Theory and Composition from Carthage College. Her diverse educational foundation complements her strategic and creative approach to problem-solving and innovation.
Beyond her professional achievements, Nancy is deeply committed to the arts and inner-city community engagement. She currently serves as Vice President of Membership on the Women’s Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where she advocates for the arts, expands the visibility and involvement in classical music, and promotes educational and fundraising initiatives.
With her unparalleled expertise, forward-thinking approach, and dedication to driving meaningful change, Nancy Hess remains a transformative force in the healthcare industry. Her leadership continues to shape the future of value-based care and payer initiatives, leaving an indelible impact on the organizations and communities she serves.
Character: Nancy Hess exemplifies integrity and dedication, consistently fostering collaboration and innovation to drive meaningful change in the healthcare industry.
Knowledge: With over 25 years of experience, she possesses deep expertise in value-based care, payer strategies, growth strategies for large national organizations and start-up companies and strategic consulting.
Strategic: Nancy is a visionary leader, adept at developing transformative strategies that deliver growth, optimize operations and client success, and position organizations for long-term success. Nancy is also not afraid to roll up her sleeves and lean in to execute on the company’s strategies and drive towards achieving results quickly.
Communication: She excels in building and nurturing executive relationships, effectively articulating value propositions, and inspiring teams across diverse stakeholders.
