Michael Brouthers is a proven healthcare leader with experience at some of the world's largest healthcare payers, providers, and IT firms (United, Humana, CIGNA, DaVita, and DXC Technology) as well as in some of its most creative entrepreneurial niches (hospitalist medicine, e-healthcare directives, quality and pricing transparency).

Most recently, Michael was the Founder/Principal of Ikigai Growth Partners, a growth consultancy that focused on uncovering the best early-stage healthcare technology or tech-enabled services firms and connecting them with name-brand Payers, Providers, Self-Insured Employers, and TPAs. By doing so, both the early-stage firm and the name-brand customer accelerated the kinds of innovations that improved healthcare delivery for patients, employers, and providers of care.

At the core of Michael's experience is his grounding with Payers. From his roots in provider contracting and customer service at CIGNA to his leadership of Humana's North Florida health plan, to his Regional Vice President position with UHG's Specialty Care Services division (now Optum), Michael has lived in and understands the Payer world and the world of delivering cost-effective, high-quality care.

Michael has always enjoyed working closely with clinicians. At DaVita, for example, he worked with clinical leadership to create and implement a new clinical strategy and a more effective clinical program delivery model (called the DaVita Clinical Quality Pyramid) in order to achieve the firm's goal to become the clear, clinically differentiated leader in the dialysis industry.

At DXC Technology, Michael worked with Market Leaders, Account General Managers, and Salespeople in the US Payer, Provider, and Life Sciences segments to grow their revenues, create new partnerships and products, and evaluate potential acquisitions.  He has also been the CEO or a senior executive in several cutting-edge entrepreneurial healthcare niches.

He created and was the CEO of Embark Health, Inc., the nation's most comprehensive end-of-life planning firm (electronic advance directives and database).

He was the CEO of Cogent Healthcare, Inc., (now a part of Sound Physicians) one of the nation's first hospitalist organizations.

At Healthcare Bluebook (quality and pricing transparency) Michael was responsible for establishing and maintaining outstanding long-term strategic and operational relationships with the firm's largest employer, payer, and provider clients.

As a young engineer shortly out of college, Michael was the Founder and CEO of one of the world's first video game cartridge companies, Funware, Inc.  

Michael has an MBA and a BS in Management Systems Engineering, both from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.