Welcome to Balestrand Strategic Advisors

We provide expert counsel to help senior leaders strengthen organizational positioning and accelerate growth.

About Balestrand Strategic Advisors

We provide expert counsel to CEOs, boards of directors, and senior leaders of companies.

Maureen Sullivan, president, has over 35 years of heath care experience, serving as Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Balestrand Strategic Advisors offers consulting services in areas such as strategic planning, growth strategies, market assessments, business development and marketing/communications.

Balestrand Strategic Advisors draws on exceptional talent for larger engagements. The expanded team is reviewed/approved by the client in advance.

Our Experience

Learn about some of our recent engagements:

  • Consulting encompasses facilitating strategic discussions with health plan executives to determine if a new offering is a fit in their company portfolio of solutions and to develop insight on potential obstacles to growth, which is critical for sharpening the value proposition. Consulting also includes market testing to reveal areas of greatest company growth potential – e.g., lines of business, types of health plan.

  • Consulting focuses on identifying potential partnership opportunities that add value to company offerings and/or open new channels for distribution as well as facilitating conversations with key executives to understand relative interest in solutions that improve quality, access and/or affordability of health care.

  • Consulting includes providing strategic planning support by building consensus among members of the advisory council through one-on-one interviews and group discussion.

  • Consulting includes advising on go-to-market strategies and providing ongoing counsel to senior leadership.

  • Consulting is centered on developing a strategic plan for achieving three-to-five-year goals. This is comprised of evaluating company position relative to competitors and expected market demand and assessing impact/influence of key stakeholders and implications of the legislative/regulatory environment. Consulting also includes the development of strategic options.

Meet Our Founder

About Maureen Sullivan

President, Balestrand Strategic Advisors

Maureen Sullivan provides senior advisory and decision-making facilitation services to boards, CEOs, and c-suite executives.  With over 35 years of experience, including as Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Maureen has worked with senior leadership in all 50 states and Puerto Rico across different sectors including healthcare, business, and government.

Maureen’s extensive experience in facilitating decision making spans a broad range from working with boards on strategic direction and reaching consensus on strategic initiatives across diverse stakeholders to shaping and leading operational and organizational decisions.  

Maureen has led numerous efforts to create efficiency, improve service, and increase affordability across healthcare stakeholders. Notably, Maureen facilitated the Blues’ development of a new subsidiary within CivicaRx to bring affordable generics to the market. This followed earlier success bringing the Blues together to form a national data warehouse that enabled members to access data on providers across the country. Similarly, Maureen led the effort to acquire an expat company to provide coverage for members abroad. 

An effective public speaker, Maureen has spoken at multiple forums including Aspen Institute, Association of Healthcare Journalists, and industry events.

Maureen is currently advising several innovative companies. She is also serving as a senior advisor to McKinsey and CivicaRx. Previously, Maureen served on CivicaRx Board (Finance Committee) and the GeoBlue Board (Chair of CEO Search Committee; Chair of Strategy Committee). Maureen graduated with a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a BA with honors from Albertus Magnus College.

Testimonials

Hear what industry executives have to say:

  • "Maureen is one of the most thoughtful, creative, and inspirational thinkers I have encountered. She is a brilliant strategist and thought partner as she builds with you new ideas for how to handle the difficult problems we must face up to as an industry. We need more people like Maureen helping us find new ways."

    Mike Bennett
    Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer
    Highmark Health

  • "Maureen is the rare individual who combines vision and execution. Her leadership was critical to the development of CivicaScript. I hold her in the highest esteem."

    Dan Liljenquist
    Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
    Intermountain Healthcare
    Board Chair, CivicaRx

  • "I have worked with Maureen Sullivan, both as board members and executive advisor. She possesses a strong business acumen, very thoughtful and is engaged participant. Maureen is well respected within the healthcare business environment."

    Alan Krigstein
    Former Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer
    Independence Blue Cross
    Chair, GeoBlue Board of Directors

  • "I have had the privilege of an over 25 year relationship with Maureen. She is among the best strategic thinkers I have ever worked with, and more than just that, she has a remarkable ability to execute strategy not merely express it. Maureen partners well with operating executives and pushes organizations to think beyond their traditional roles to envision what is possible. Mission driven, results oriented are the cornerstone of her work ethos." 

    Scott Serota
    Retired President and CEO
    Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

  • "Maureen is an unusually talented strategist and has a practical understanding of health care operations. She recognizes patterns and identifies opportunities well ahead of the crowd. On top of all that, she’s just a good human being – and while she could apply her skills in any sector, she has chosen to work in health care – where the needs are great, and the issues profoundly challenging. She is mission driven to her core."

    Sarah Iselin
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

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