The routine for Paul Markovich ’88 at CC was simple. Eat, sleep, go to class, go to Tutt Library, play hockey, recover. As a defenseman on the hockey team, he didn’t have time for much else.
“I loved it. I wouldn’t change anything about that level of focus. I thrived on it,” he shares. “I mainly focused on being the best student and the best hockey player that I could be.”
That focus and discipline became a foundation for success – Markovich now serves as CEO of Blue Shield of California.
When Markovich joined the company in 1995, he had no healthcare education or background. Instead, Markovich studied International Political Economy at CC, studied in Russia, then completed his Master’s in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
He recalls a question posed to him on the Rhodes Scholarship application. “What is the world’s fight to you?” That question crystallized a desire to make the world a better place. He eventually found his answer.
“I realized how complex the healthcare system was and how poorly it was functioning for people. And I thought, we’re all human. We’re all mortal. If we can make this system better, it’ll improve the lives of everybody.”
Since Markovich was named CEO in 2013, healthcare has faced many challenges, primarily affordability. To lower costs and improve outcomes, he’s spearheaded initiatives like creating digital health records and working to tie pay to value. The company has grown under his leadership, approximately doubling its membership and tripling revenue.
“To lead, you have to make a lot of decisions and explain those decisions to people both inside and outside the company. If you don’t have a coherent philosophy as to why you’re doing what you’re doing, it’s very difficult to convince people to follow you.”
Paul Markovich ’88
“I think everybody in the company has fully embraced our mission, which is to transform a dysfunctional system into one that’s worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable for everyone,” says Markovich. “We use that as our guiding North Star.”
But he acknowledges that the healthcare system still has a long way to go. “If we can get on a completely different trajectory, where we have a healthcare system that is accessible, equitable, and affordable, that would be a tremendous legacy.”
Looking back, Markovich credits much of his intellectual and emotional growth to a liberal arts education. In particular, how political philosophy helped him develop and articulate his own beliefs.
“To lead, you have to make a lot of decisions and explain those decisions to people both inside and outside the company. If you don’t have a coherent philosophy as to why you’re doing what you’re doing, it’s very difficult to convince people to follow you.”
His best campus memories include good times with friends and teammates, enjoying the beauty of Pikes Peak, and of course, hockey. While he recalls exciting conference games and wins, one distinctive memory was playing an exhibition game against the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.
“Even though we lost, just being out on the ice with a team that could play at that level was really special,” he says.
And, while he’s left behind the cold winters of Colorado and North Dakota, where he grew up, Markovich still plays hockey every Sunday.