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:
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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.
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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.
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Consulting includes providing strategic planning support by building consensus among members of the advisory council through one-on-one interviews and group discussion.
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Consulting includes advising on go-to-market strategies and providing ongoing counsel to senior leadership.
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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.
