Alumna Susan DeVore ’81 stepped onto the stage of the Popp Martin Student Union at UNC Charlotte. Over the next hour, she shared life lessons with hundreds of students and responded to their questions during the fall 2016 Belk College CEO Speaker Series on Oct. 19.
DeVore is president and CEO of Premier Inc., a leading healthcare improvement company. DeVore is an industry-leading thinker who has been named multiple times to Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People and Top 25 Women in Healthcare lists. DeVore has also been recognized as a UNC Charlotte Distinguished Alumnus (2016), one of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business’ 100 Influential Leaders (2015), Charlotte Business Woman of the Year (2014) and the recipient of the 2014 Silver Stevie Award for Executive of the Year. DeVore currently serves on the board of trustees of the Healthcare Leadership Council, board member of the Coalition to Protect America’s Healthcare, board member, finance committee member and audit committee chair of the Medicare Rights Center, member of the Charlotte Chamber executive committee and member of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees. She also serves as a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Aspen Health Strategy Group.
As one of seven children, DeVore had to carefully plan her finances to attend college. When she applied to UNC Charlotte, she received the Bonnie Cone Scholarship. “By working through college, and with the scholarship, I was able to put myself through college and pay all expenses,” she said. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1981.
She said the skills she learned in the Belk College of Business were invaluable. “The Belk College and life and career experience has taught me that college is all about 'learning to learn,' and that business principles are applicable across all industry groups. I was able to get a very foundational, grounded grasp of all kinds of business principles – finance, accounting, marketing, policy, economics and organizational design. All of these learnings have been applied in many ways to many different industries over the years,” she said.
Learn more about the CEO Speaker Series.