Chad Grant ’99 Named President and CEO of McLaren Oakland

Chad Grant believes work ethic and the drive for excellence can overcome many obstacles. Including age. He’s living proof.

The 40-year-old Grant has risen quickly up the corporate ladder since starting his career in health care with the Detroit Medical Center in 1995. He became one of the youngest executives in DMC history when he was named chief operating officer (COO) of the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in 2012.

In December 2014, Grant was appointed to his current position as President and CEO of McLaren Oakland, a subsidiary of the 10-hospital McLaren Health Care system.

“Even at an early age, I was always the youngest, so I had to work harder to really maintain within my peer group,” Grant said. “Even with the 10 CEOs of McLaren, I am by far the youngest. I need to work hard and learn. I think that work ethic has helped.”

The 1999 graduate of Siena Heights University’s Southfield campus said his education also set the stage for his success.

“Education is the foundation of the knowledge that I use, especially at Siena Heights,” said Grant, who received a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in nuclear medicine. “I focused on as many finance classes as I could. For me, that’s what really separates me from everyone else in my career. I took advantage of the instruction and (expertise) of the instructors at Siena Heights. … They helped me connect the dots. I use a lot of the skills even to this day.”

In his new role with McLaren Oakland, Grant oversees the overall administrative operation, including implementing and overseeing critical strategic initiatives.

“There are two things I focus on,” he said of his daily duties. “The first thing is in the morning we have what we call a daily safety huddle. We review the last 24 hours of operations in the hospital and the next 24 hours. That’s how we’re sure we are providing the safest and highest quality care. That’s the most critical meeting of the day. And at some point, I’m always walking through the hospital, just so I’m visible and resolving challenges. … It’s really balancing my time between providing the highest quality care and looking to remove obstacles for our patients.”

He compares his leadership style to a “field general,” explaining that “I like to lead from the front. I never ask to do things that I wouldn’t do myself. I try to connect (my employees’) actions with a purpose. It’s really a key to be visible. Leading from the front, not sitting in a fancy office barking out instructions. That’s how I worked my way up.”

In 2011, Grant was named to the Crain’s Detroit Business “40 under 40” list. He also serves on the Midwest Chapter of American College of Healthcare Executives board of directors. He credits part of his leadership success to having some great mentors and “being in the right place at the right time.”

“If there was an opportunity, I took advantage of it,” he said. “I never looked at it as extra work. I looked at it as an opportunity. Numerous times I had the opportunity to get in front of prominent people. I looked at those as job opportunities that paid off.”

He said he is excited about his current opportunity at McLaren.

“My move to McLaren really allows me to gain experience in a totally different health care organization and setting, and the ability to learn new things,” Grant said. “I love what I do. I’m constantly in a learning mode. From a career perspective, I like making a difference. I leverage my strengths and I focus on achieving excellence. If we’re going to take on a task, we’re going to do it right.”

Grant, who is in the process of moving to Clarkston, Mich., with his wife, Jessica, and their three children, Ty, Ethan and Ava, said the health care industry is a rewarding-yet-challenging field.

“There’s a lot of opportunity,” he said. “It’s also a field that is very complex. … The qualities that are necessary are compassion and flexibility. Our business is to care for patients. Everything needs to revolve around doing the best thing for our patients. … And having flexibility is really key to be successful in health care. You don’t have to be a nurse to make a difference.”