Michael O. Ugwueke is a visionary healthcare executive who leverages business acumen, financial discipline and strategic innovation to advance performance of diverse healthcare organizations. Over the past 20 years, he has designed and launched game-changing initiatives that deliver on revenue, growth, expansion and quality targets. Michael was named to Modern Healthcare’s 2020 honor roll of “Top 25 Minority Executives in the Nation,” and he recently was honored with the Baldrige Foundation’s “Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award,” as well as the Tennessee Hospital Association’s “CEO of Distinction” in 2021. In 2017, Michael became President and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH), a $2B, six-hospital integrated system in Memphis, Tennessee; following a four-year stint as the organization’s COO. Michael instilled a culture of excellence that enabled MLH to achieve top decile performance levels across all publicly reported measures and rate among the “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare” (Becker’s) “Best Regional Hospital” (US News & World Report); “Best Employers for Diversity” (Forbes). Michael’s commitment to exceptional care extends beyond the MLH campus. He has collaborated with dozens of local agencies to support programs that benefit the economic health of the community. In recognition of these efforts, MLH was named “2018 Corporation of the Year” by the Mid-South Minority Business Council for its $38.7M in direct and subcontracted spending. As a healthcare thought leader, Michael is a sought-after speaker for industry conferences, such as Press Ganey, Becker’s and the American College of Healthcare Executives. He serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Tennessee Business Leadership Council, the National Civil Rights Museum, the Memphis Chamber of Commerce, the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank Board of Directors, and the ACHE Board of Governors. Prior to joining MLH, Michael held executive roles at Provena Health in Mokena, Illinois and MedStar Health Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. He received a Doctorate in Health Administration and Leadership from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston: Master’s Degree in Public Health from Emory University and Bachelor’s Degree from Shaw University.