The 2019 Rising Stars of the Profession: Blair Bellamy

Age: 34

Blair Bellamy, a Senior Manager, Health Advisory at EY, says helping clients serve their patients more effectively is the accomplishment she's most proud of at this point in her career. Healthcare is a fascinating field, she says. It's in the throes of massive transformation—in digital connectivity, in patient engagement, in data-driven decision-making—while not often being one on the forefront of innovation. "Our job as consultants is to bring them solutions, help them problem solve, and make sure our work is sustainable," Bellamy says. "It is always rewarding to see our work implemented—as that means we are helping to drive improvement in an incredibly complex, and often broken, healthcare system."

It's no surprise then that she says being at the forefront of an industry undergoing significant change is what she enjoys most about the work. "We all recognize that our healthcare system is broken," Bellamy says. "Having a seat at the table in effecting change is incredibly rewarding." She also enjoys building the next generation of leaders, she says. "In order to do this, you need to be accountable, available, dependable and honest. Learn everything you can from others and share what you know."

Always having strong mentors at the firm who have paved the way, she says, has been one of the keys to her success so far. Being given opportunities and committing to the success of the team and engagement is vital, she says. As is recognizing the importance of mentorship and sponsorship and "paying it forward" for others.

One way to pay it forward is to pass along some excellent advice she received early in her career when a partner would often repeat the adage: Be comfortable with the uncomfortable. "As consultants we will always be in tough situations, delivering difficult news, making unpopular recommendations."