Liyuan (Lily) Beng, MBA ’24: From Volunteer to Visionary Leader

Finding purpose in healthcare operations

Beng didn’t always know she wanted to work in the business of healthcare — or business at all. She started her career journey studying education in college, with dreams of becoming a teacher. During her time as a student, however, Beng began volunteering at a local medical group, an experience that changed her perspective and prompted her to explore a new path.

“I was drawn to the operational side of improving healthcare and delivery, and I learned that I love solving problems, big and small,” Beng said. “While I liked education and working with kids, I loved the volunteer work I was doing, and it started really pulling me in a different direction.”

Beng decided instead to pursue a bachelor of business administration, management and operations at Grand Canyon University, eager to explore what a career on the operations side of healthcare could look like. From there, she kicked off a career that would lead her to multiple C-suite positions in healthcare operations and eventually to her role as chief strategy officer of OrthoArizona, one of the largest privately-held orthopedic groups in the nation.

“I’ll always be grateful that I had that opportunity to be a volunteer and really get to know different departments, gaining that basic knowledge,” Beng said. “I think starting from scratch and learning everything from the ground up has helped me gain perspective and a deeper understanding of how to support teams, understanding how the operation is running behind the scenes.”

Tackling workplace challenges with a Ross EMBA

At OrthoArizona, Beng aims to drive growth, bolster the organization’s reputation, and improve operational efficiency while keeping positive patient outcomes the top priority. With years of experience in healthcare and an MBA, she’s already well familiarized with the challenges she’s leading her team through.

“In general, especially in outpatient settings, healthcare is evolving rapidly. But the legacy system silos often slow innovation. So, I think one of the biggest challenges working in this industry is balancing financial sustainability with patient-centered care,” Beng explained. “This has been especially true in our post-pandemic environment. Now, with staffing shortages, shifting regulations, and insurance company reimbursement pressures, it can be a real challenge for companies to grow and provide the best possible care to patients at the same time.”

Beng credits her Michigan Ross Executive MBA with helping prepare her to tackle these types of challenges at every level of the business. The Ross MBA’s focus on action-based learning and collaboration was a key reason she chose the program: if she was going to go back to school, she wanted an experience that she could truly learn from.

“I think a lot of people see an MBA as a ticket to get somewhere, or an award, and when I was deciding to go back to school, I knew I wanted more than that,” Beng said. “I chose Michigan Ross because I wanted more than just a credential; I wanted a community of high-value, driven leaders to collaborate with and challenge my thinking. When I spoke to alums before applying, I felt that confidence and connection, and I knew Ross would be the program for me.”

As an EMBA student, Beng commuted from her home in Arizona to the Michigan Ross Los Angeles campus.

“It was very unique, not being on the main campus. The same faculty team from Ann Arbor flew out to teach us,” Beng said. “And the fact that we were all together in the city made the non-traditional learning environment really fun and more engaging than a normal classroom.”

Beng says that one of the things she valued most about the program was the chance to collaborate with her peers, who were all experienced leaders. Learning alongside such talented colleagues broadened her perspective, helping her approach business challenges with fresh insight.

“Working collaboratively with all these value-driven leaders and professors really changed my perspective. I learned that collaboration is everything,” Beng said. “It can be very different, working alongside other senior leaders in the program, rather than just dictating what should be done. Now, when I’m running meetings at work, communicating, or writing reports, I have a different mindset. I want everyone I’m working with to feel like it’s a safe environment where we are all equal and can actually discuss things and find solutions together.”

Lessons for leaders at every stage

As she looks to the future, Beng aims to keep growing as a leader, guiding OrthoArizona toward its goals, and making a lasting, meaningful impact in whatever she does.

“One important thing I took away from my MBA experience is that growth is not a destination, it’s a journey. It’s a lifelong process, and there’s always something we can learn along the way to continue to grow and be our best selves in the workplace,” she said.

Beng’s advice to Michigan Ross students looking to reach their own leadership goals was inspired by her own journey of pivoting to a new industry and learning leadership from the ground up.

“My advice is to say yes to messy problems. When things are complicated, it’s human nature to hesitate to move forward; we don’t like to fail,” Beng said. “But, sometimes we can only learn when we are brave enough to solve problems that others aren’t willing to. Even if you’re not fully ready, it’s important to remember that there is no perfect moment to do anything. Start where you are, and you’ll figure it out as you go.”