DGTL Voices with Ed Marx

Episode: Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare (ft. Michael Alkire)
Date: January 29, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Ed Marx sits down with Michael Alkire, President and CEO of Premier Inc., to discuss leadership, career development, technology-driven transformation in healthcare, and Premier’s evolving journey. The conversation offers personal insights into Alkire's upbringing, pivotal career moments, and his passion for innovation and continuous learning. Listeners gain valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing healthcare organizations and get actionable advice on effective leadership.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Background and Influences

• Upbringing and Early Work Ethic

  • Michael Alkire grew up in Akron, Ohio, in a blue-collar family where hard work was essential. He recalls mowing lawns, painting houses, and delivering newspapers from a young age.
    • “Hard work was really all part of who we were growing up.” —Michael Alkire [03:38]
  • All siblings became college swimmers and earned scholarships — a family challenge initiated by their parents.
    • “My folks said, look, you all are going to go to college and you’re going to go to Akron U...unless you earn scholarships.” —Michael Alkire [04:16]

• Influence of Athletics

  • Alkire was an All-American swimmer in high school and participated in a Guinness World Record swim in college.
    • “We did set a world record...20 of us swam 100 miles in under 24 hours.” —Michael Alkire [05:22]
  • Swimming remains a mental and physical retreat for him, providing time for deep thought and personal reflection.
    • “It’s sensory deprivation...you get the opportunity really just to be to yourself and think about issues.” —Michael Alkire [06:17]

2. Pivotal Career Moments

• Technology and Healthcare Intersection

  • Alkire’s dual background in computer science and consulting (Deloitte, Capgemini) exposed him to technology-driven change and healthcare transformation. A project with Arizona's Medicaid system sparked his deep interest in healthcare.
    • “Those are two pivotal moments: healthcare from my Deloitte days, high-tech technology enablement from Capgemini, and then the third was... going through Covid...” —Michael Alkire [07:54]

• Unplanned Tenure at Premier

  • Initially intended as a short-term advisor, Alkire’s role at Premier evolved into a 22-year (and counting) career.
    • “I thought of this as being short-term... and you kind of look back and you’re like, wow, I’ve been there 22 years.” —Michael Alkire [09:47]

• Premier’s New Chapter (Going Private)

  • The recent partnership with Patient Square and Premier’s move to private ownership is seen as a catalyst for innovation and investment.
    • “...excited about the future for this organization.” —Michael Alkire [11:18]

3. Premier Inc.: Services and Differentiators

• High-Level Overview

  • Premier operates in two main segments: Supply Chain and Performance Improvement.
  • Their legacy is in group purchasing (GPO), with technology enablement and advisory services as differentiators.
    • “We’ve really differentiated our group purchasing organization through the technology enablement...” —Michael Alkire [11:52]
  • The fastest-growing segment is performance improvement, including advisory and advanced technology solutions (data analytics, labor management, AI-powered clinical decision support).

• Misconceptions and Customer Journey

  • Not all customers use both the GPO and advisory services; many fast-growing customers are leveraging only the latter.

    • “People have this idea you have to be in the GPO to actually utilize our services... That’s not true at all.” —Michael Alkire [13:57]

  • The customer journey with Premier starts with change management and technology integration, followed by embedding measurable improvements into workflow and budgets.

    • “We believe you fundamentally have to get the change... embedded into the budgets, into the numbers, into the P and L.” —Michael Alkire [16:45]

4. CEO Role and Leadership Approach

• Responsibilities and Focus Areas

  • The day-to-day is operationally focused but differs in managing culture, strategy, investor relations, and transformational vision.

    • “Being the CEO is really not that significantly different...in that you’re still focused on operations...but you’re also focused on culture.” —Michael Alkire [17:57]

  • Emphasizes the shift toward leveraging advanced technology (AI, large language models, data analytics) for customer/patient care integration.

    • “We are in an incredibly unusual time with this advanced technology that we have at our fingertips to truly transform businesses.” —Michael Alkire [19:12]

5. Impactful Client Success Stories

• Alkire mentions several transformative partnerships (e.g., Logan Health & Billings Clinic, Oregon Health Sciences, McLaren Health), highlighting how technology and services drive measurable impact.
  • “I could probably pick 25 where we are making an incredible impact.” —Michael Alkire [22:26]

6. Leadership Lessons and Keys to Success

• Curiosity and Continuous Learning

  • Encourages aspiring leaders to always be curious, learn from customers, and stay abreast of emerging technologies (e.g., early adoption of ChatGPT).
    • “I was one of the very first adopters of ChatGPT because my youngest was like, ‘Dad, are you aware of this’...” —Michael Alkire [24:05]

• Humility and Customer Engagement

  • Emphasizes humility—learning from criticism and embracing personal growth.
    • “Just be humble and be open that... you’re going to be constantly learning throughout your entire life...” —Michael Alkire [25:57]

• Passion for Innovation

  • Advocates focusing on both near-term and long-term innovation — without getting distracted by every new idea.

• Pragmatic Perspective on Aspiring to CEO

  • Advises listeners not to fixate solely on the CEO title but rather on significant leadership where their talents can shine.
    • “Aspire to be a very significant leader where your talents can be utilized and your voice heard in terms of... driving change...” —Michael Alkire [23:35]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Swimming...is just a nice respite from just the busyness of life.” —Michael Alkire [05:52]
• “You kind of do a diagnostic of how’s my heart, how are my lungs...you’re thinking about issues of the day.” —Michael Alkire [06:17]
• “I always said aspire to be a very significant leader where your talents can be utilized and your voice heard...” —Michael Alkire [23:35]
• “Always be curious...I use ChatGPT now...but more importantly, being out with customers, hearing what’s working, what’s not working.” —Michael Alkire [24:05]
• “Be humble...it’s okay that, you know, you make mistakes and you’re, you’re hearing about, you know, issues...you want to...ask for more.” —Michael Alkire [25:57]
• “We are in an incredibly unusual time with this advanced technology that we have at our fingertips to truly transform businesses.” —Michael Alkire [19:12]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:38] – Michael Alkire’s family background and early work ethic
• [05:15] – High school and college swimming experience; mental benefits of swimming
• [07:34] – Pivotal career moments: Deloitte, Capgemini, and COVID transformation
• [09:32] – Joining Premier: from short-term advisor to CEO
• [11:47] – Overview of Premier’s business segments
• [13:57] – Performance improvement and customer journey
• [16:45] – Necessity of embedding change in operational budgets
• [17:55] – CEO role: culture, strategy, and advancing technology in healthcare
• [21:39] – Client success stories: transformative partnerships
• [23:16] – Leadership advice: curiosity, humility, innovation
• [27:34] – Final thoughts and excitement about Premier’s future

Summary Tone & Takeaways

The episode is candid and reflective, blending personal anecdotes with strategic insights into healthcare leadership. Listeners are encouraged to value continuous learning, humility, customer engagement, and focused innovation. Alkire’s enthusiasm for emerging technology and commitment to customer impact is palpable, and his practical advice for aspiring leaders resonates beyond the healthcare sector.

For those who haven’t listened, this episode offers both an engaging professional journey and actionable leadership lessons, with real-world examples of how digital innovation is transforming healthcare today.