More than 8,000 Harvard Business School (HBS) alumni are working in the health care industry around the world—in biotech, digital health, financial services, and other sectors. We asked seven alumni to explain why they chose their careers in health care.

To solve complex problems in the health care industry. “I was inspired by the complexity of the problems we have across the health care ecosystem and immediately wanted to be part of the change. It was important for me to spend time understanding and appreciating various perspectives within the industry, so I could determine where to apply my skills and expertise to make a difference. I have a background in finance, and I believe you can reduce a lot of the friction by solving how the money flows. So, I was ultimately drawn to the payer/ insurance side of the house.” — Meghan Oliver, MBA ’12, Senior Vice President Care Partner and Consumer Enablement, Bright Health

To bring life-saving treatments to patients. “Since a very young age, I’ve been strongly inspired by the potential of science to improve the world. Now, in my career, I evaluate and develop strategies to optimize the pipeline of pharmaceutical and biotech companies. This allows me to help push the frontiers of science forward to bring life-saving medicines to patients. I am fortunate that my chosen career path fulfills the sense of purpose that I need.” — Antonio Henriques MBA ’17, Senior Commercial Business Development Manager, Amgen

To improve the health care delivery system. “As an industrial and systems engineer with vast experience in process improvement and design, I am passionate about saving patients’ lives by improving the health care delivery system. Through teamwork and collaboration, my goal is to share my lens and help change the system we are all striving to transform.” — Diannette Figueroa, MBA ’13, Senior Business Transformation Consultant, Accountable Care Solution and Joint Venture Partnerships, Aetna

To streamline how patients access health care. “When so many dated processes are in dire need of a better solution, what other motivation do you need? I am energized at the chance of any small improvement or dent in the status quo that advances access to equitable care and offers simplicity to the health care consumer. It’s a difficult problem, but I believe creative solutions exist that can genuinely make a difference.” — Aanchal Falken MBA ’15, Senior Director of Strategy, NovuHealth

To tackle a challenging industry. “I love starting and running challenging businesses. And what better industry than health care—it is in such disarray in the US.” — Margot Adam Langstaff, MBA ’91, Managing Partner and Founder, LifeHealth

To help people better understand health care. “A few years ago, I witnessed my grandpa’s fight with cancer. The most frustrating part of his journey was navigating the health care system. I learned through talking to others that this is not an issue unique to us, which inspired me to explore using business to provide solutions for better access to care. I joined Johnson & Johnson after graduation as a marketer in the Consumer Health division, and I very much enjoy my job bringing products backed by science to millions of consumers in a fun and intuitive way.” — Richard Qian, MBA ’17, Associate Brand Manager, AVEENO

To bridge the gap between science and business. “I am very passionate about the intersection of science and business. I do what I do to help clients bridge the gap. I speak to scientists about R&D based on my background in biology, and I also communicate with corporate finance and investors about commercialization. There needs to be a bridge between these areas, a cross-pollination of ideas, to make the most progress in this industry.” — Katherine Cheng, MBA ’18, Consultant, The Boston Consulting Group