Tell me about your upbringing, how did your upbringing inform how you thought about your career?
“My parents have always modeled the value of learning and education. My dad is from Iran and got his associate degree when he was 45 partly to show me and my sister how much he valued education. My mom is a professor of practice at Texas Tech University, so she has dedicated her life to learning and educating others. In terms of my career, I have sought opportunities where I can learn a lot. I look for opportunities where I think, “I don’t know anything about what that person is an expert in and I want to be around them and learn from them. I also have a deep sense of how lucky I am to have been born in the US in my circumstances. I try to bring a sense of gratitude into any opportunity I have.”
Have you always known you wanted to be in leadership?
“I’ve never thought in those terms, but I’ve always liked finding the thing that someone is incredible at and helping them capitalize on it and reach their potential, whatever the definition of that is to them. One of the functions of any leader is to serve those in their organization and look for ways to help them grow. I also know how important it is for people to be respected and included at work and that tone is set at the top.”
What inspired your transition from health care into business?
“I saw that the innovations or initiatives that achieved the most impact and received the most resources were those that made good business sense. It’s a skill to be able to translate what you want to get done into reality and part of that is demonstrating how the project makes sense for the company. I wanted to learn how to do that.”
How did you come to know Evergreen and how did you know it was for you?
“I got to know Evergreen as a part of Alpine Investor’s CEO-in-Training program. Evergreen stood out to me as a group that was deeply committed to empowering CITs and allowing us to take on significant opportunities. I was excited to work with people who are equally generous and supportive.”
How has your experience been with Evergreen so far?
“So far, so great! My favorite experience with the Evergreen team so far was a team happy hour. I was pleasantly surprised to learn how close the Evergreen team is. I’m excited to work within such a family-like atmosphere.”
Has there been anything that surprised you the most about Evergreen thus far?
“It would go back to how close everyone is at HQ and how that translates to the CIT program. Joe Viater, a fellow CIT within Evergreen, and I joined at the same time. We want to emulate that closeness and continually keep in touch. I’ve also been impressed by the group of CEOs within Evergreen. Each one I’ve met is an independent thinker, analytical, humble and has a great sense of humor.”
How are you most excited to grow going forward?
“I am really excited to learn about the MSP industry. One of the reasons I chose Executech is because I will be learning from world-class tech experts.”
What are you most proud of thus far in your career?
“I’m proud I had the opportunity to manage the design and construction of a new hospital in my hometown. Today, I am so glad to see that there are great doctors providing excellent care to patients in the building. It was inspiring to start with a dirt patch and see it transform into a beautiful landmark!”