It is not uncommon to find Wharton EMBA alumni working together. Nick Smith, WG’19, Clay Andrus, WG’19, and Dan McCarty, WG’19, are good examples. When Nick, principal of Cimarron Healthcare Capital, was looking for a vice president, he knew he wanted to recruit Clay. After all, they had spent hours getting to know each other in the EMBA program as well as during their commute from Salt Lake City to Wharton’s San Francisco campus. And when Cimarron Healthcare Capital invested in Infusion for Health, Nick recruited classmate Dan to serve as an advisor and then CEO. “Wharton’s EMBA program is a big stamp of approval. It shows you are smart, dynamic, and have ambition to do something more in an already accomplished career,” explained Nick. We asked Nick, Clay, and Dan to tell us more about the value of the Wharton network.
Nick Smith, WG’19
Currently
- Principal, Cimarron Healthcare Capital
- Board Member, Infusion for Health
Based In
Salt Lake City, UT
Wharton Campus
Philadelphia and San Francisco
Prior Education
Brigham Young University, BS and Master’s in Accounting
Getting to Know Classmates
“I met Clay when I moved to Salt Lake City midway through the EMBA program. I was able to get to know him during our commute to campus and in classes. We even went to China for our Global Business Week trip. We were the only students traveling to China from Utah, so we spent 18 hours together on the plane. Through all of this, I was able to observe his personality and work ethic, and I was extremely impressed.
I met Dan on the San Francisco campus too. I was looking to invest in an infusion services company and asked Dan if he knew about this space. It turned out that he was leading this space at McKesson and knew a lot about it. Every other weekend, I made a point to talk to Dan and get his perspective on the investment. I even asked him to join as an advisor. After a year-long recruitment, Dan came on board as CEO.”
The EMBA Network
“This program is comprised of students who are further along in their careers and who are working on exciting projects. Having been on both campuses, I met 225+ highly capable, intelligent, and driven people from all kinds of backgrounds, geographies, perspectives, and experiences. When you put us together in the ecosystem of the EMBA program, we will find ways to work together.”
Wharton Value
“In addition to a top business education, I have found people to surround myself within the Wharton network. My career is much more exciting and interesting with them in it. Working together is helping to advance our careers in meaningful ways, and I’m not done working with people from this network.”
Clay Andrus, WG’19
Currently
Vice President, Cimarron Healthcare Capital
Formerly
Director of Finance & Strategy, Traeger Pellet Grills
Based In
Salt Lake City, UT
Wharton Campus
San Francisco
Prior Education
University of Utah, BS Finance
Getting to Know Classmates
“I met Nick when he relocated to Salt Lake City and transferred to the San Francisco campus. We started to build a friendship in classes and flying to campus together. A few months after Nick relocated, his company was looking to expand their team and it was a natural fit for me to join him at Cimarron Healthcare Capital. At Wharton, Nick and I also built a friendship with Dan, who has spent his entire career in healthcare and was an executive at McKesson. It was great to merge our collective experience professionally when he came on board as CEO at Infusion for Health.”
The EMBA Network
“Students are working on interesting projects, which they talk about with classmates. That naturally leads to wanting to work together. The EMBA program is also organized into relatively smaller cohorts, so we are constantly forming strong bonds. We are in the trenches together for two years and we see each other’s intellect, ethics, morals, and values. Our classmates are the obvious first calls we make when we need advice or see an opportunity.”
Wharton Value
“I would not be sitting where I am today without Wharton. This position is what I wanted to achieve when I came to this program, and Wharton delivered on its value proposition.”
Dan McCarty, WG’19
Currently
CEO, Infusion for Health
Formerly
General Manager, Multi-Specialty and Infusion Practice Management, McKesson
Based In
Los Angeles, CA
Wharton Campus
San Francisco
Prior Education
University of San Francisco, BA Philosophy
Getting to Know Classmates
“So many Wharton EMBA alumni work together because there is a legitimacy of shared experience. We all went through this program because we have a strong desire to grow our careers. We also appreciate people who are able to do the schoolwork required while maintaining a career and other responsibilities. I had always said that if I ever left McKesson, it would be to work at a private, high growth business, where there is greater potential to positively disrupt how patients access and receive care. At school, Nick and I talked about some of the areas he was considering for investment and Infusion for Health was one of those opportunities. I was excited about this space and initially joined Infusion for Health in an advisory role. As I grew closer to the business, I was impressed with the team and came on board as CEO.”
The EMBA Network
“Students come from diverse backgrounds, so there is always someone I can call in the network about any issue. For example, I have reached out to a dozen alumni who have been there and done that — and done it very well – when it comes to being successful private equity operators and scaling small businesses. They are helping me make more effective decisions in real time.”
Wharton Value
“This career move wouldn’t have been possible without Wharton. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to leave the comforts of a large company to run a small company. I went from being on the Queen Mary, a large boat that takes time to turn and a lot of decisions to make those turns, to being on a C boat, which can turn on a dime. C boats are fun, but dangerous because you can flip them over in a hurry. I learned at Wharton how to be more entrepreneurial and also deliberate, so that when I am making decisions, I can make the right turns without flipping the boat.”
— By Meghan Laska
Posted: May 24, 2021
