Staff Spotlight: Andrew Derksen, Manager, Group Purchasing Organization

We recently welcomed Andrew Derksen to The Health Collaborative team to lead efforts and manage relationships for our Group Purchasing Organization.

Oct 9, 2019

Andrew Derksen, Manager, Group Purchasing Organization

We recently welcomed Andrew Derksen to The Health Collaborative team to lead efforts and manage relationships for our Group Purchasing Organization (GPO).

 

The GPO helps healthcare organizations save money, enabling better healthcare delivery and results, and it also helps vendors connect with their consumers in a more meaningful way.

 

Most recently Andrew has been working as a recruiter but prior to that he spent several years working in medical sales. We spent a few minutes getting to know more about Andrew and his background.

 

 

Q: Welcome, Andrew! Let’s get started by briefly telling us about a current activity or project you’re working on, or involved in.
A: Managing the GPO: connecting with vendors and members, creating best practices, saving members money, growing the vendor offering for our members, etc.

 

Q: What is your background?
A: Sales. First for a medical device company where I was in the Operating Room 4 days a week. Then for an IT consulting company.

 

Q: What are you most proud of, personally or professionally?
A: My wife, Anna, and our 3-year-old son, Theodore (Teddy).

 

Q: What’s the oddest job you ever had (besides this one)?
A: All in college – intramural referee (football and basketball), worked in the dining hall, and worked in the pizza place in the basement of my dorm.

What’s the greatest piece of advice you’ve received?

“Treat everyone as if they are a CEO because you never know when they might be one.”

Q: What is your current favorite Netflix or Hulu show?
A: Currently in the middle of the new Great British Baking Show. Favorite genre is historical fiction: Peaky Blinders, Vikings, Last Kingdom, Frontier, Turn, etc.

 

Q: What was your favorite outdoor activity as a child?
A: Basketball

 

Q: Did you play any sports in high school or college? Let me guess… basketball?
A: High school: basketball and track (ran the 800). College – women’s basketball (scout team at Notre Dame)

Q: What is one thing on your bucket list?
A: I want to ski on every continent!

 

Q: If you won the lottery, what unnecessary thing would you splurge on?
A: Charter a private yacht around the Mediterranean Sea for several months.

 

Q: If you were a superhero, what would you want your superpower to be?
A: Flying. I hate traffic.

 

Q: What’s the greatest piece of advice you’ve received?
A: “Treat everyone as if they are a CEO because you never know when they might be one.”

 

 

Ready to geek out on the last season of Peaky Blinders with Andrew? Connect with him at aderksen@healthcollab.org.

 

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