Championing the Future: HBA CEO Mary Stutts Joins The HBA Foundation Board of Directors
From member to Chief Executive Officer, Stutts continues her HBA impact through the newly launched Foundation.
Mary Stutts first discovered the HBA through a colleague at Genentech who encouraged her to attend a local event. From her very first experience, she was struck by the energy in the room: the openness, the authenticity, and the way members actively supported one another.
“I knew right away this was more than just another professional association,” she recalled. “It was a true community with a mission I wanted to be part of.”
Stutts quickly got involved, attending local events in the San Francisco Bay Area and finding inspiration in the strong network of women and men committed to advancing careers in healthcare. In 2010, after publishing her first book, The Missing Mentor: Women Advising Women on Power, Progress, and Priorities, the HBA invited her to speak at a chapter event.
“The room was packed,” Mary recounted. “What struck me most was how proactive HBA members were, not just in showing up, but in lifting each other up. It was a community of people as eager to give as they were to gain.”
Stutts’ impact as a speaker quickly elevated her profile. She was later invited to New York to share insights on representative healthcare, then to deliver a keynote speech at the 2019HBA Annual Conference in San Diego. Both appearances drew strong engagement and put her squarely on the radar of the HBA’s Global Board of Directors. Encouraged by peers and mentors, she applied for a board seat and was selected. By the time the CEO position opened in 2023, Mary had already built a reputation within the HBA as a dynamic leader with vision and authenticity.
“When the opportunity came to lead the HBA, it felt like everything aligned,” she said. “Throughout my career I’ve focused on mentoring, creating access, and building a strong healthcare workforce. This role brought all of that together. It’s truly my dream job.”
Mary’s leadership has taken on an additional dimension as she joins the Board of Directors for The HBA Foundation, the newly launched philanthropic arm of the HBA.
“The HBA Foundation was born out of conversations with our corporate partners and members who wanted to engage more deeply with programs that are philanthropic in nature,” she said.
With its 501(c)(3) status, The HBA Foundation makes it possible to drive impact in areas where resources and reach are most needed.
“The Foundation allows the HBA to pursue initiatives that go beyond membership, expanding our ability to support leaders in healthcare and address workforce challenges,” Stutts said.
At the heart of The HBA Foundation are four core pillars: Educational Pathways, offering scholarships and grants to students; Mentorship and Leadership Programs, matching participants with mentors to accelerate growth; Pipeline Programs, working with schools and universities to introduce healthcare careers earlier; and Training, including virtual internships with HBA Corporate Partners. For Mary, these pillars reflect both the urgency and opportunity she sees in healthcare.
“Women make up nearly 80 percent of the U.S. healthcare workforce and more than 70 percent globally,” she said. “They are the caregivers, the decision-makers, the leaders—and yet they’re often underrepresented at the highest levels. Through The HBA Foundation, we can do more than acknowledge that imbalance. We can build pathways, fund opportunities, and create systemic change.”
Her perspective is shaped by decades of experience in corporate philanthropy and nonprofit leadership. Stutts has managed foundation budgets at major healthcare and biotech companies, served on nonprofit boards, and founded her own nonprofit focused on mentoring youth and professionals trying to navigate education and career paths.
“I’ve sat on both sides,” she noted. “I’ve seen what it takes to raise funds and deliver impact, and I’ve also led the philanthropic arms of companies trying to connect with society’s greatest needs. That dual perspective is something I’m excited to bring to The HBA Foundation.”
Already, Mary sees the Foundation as a powerful engine for innovation. Whether it’s scholarships for students, exposure to healthcare careers for high schoolers, or leadership programs that pair emerging talent with seasoned mentors, the work is designed to shape not just individual careers, but the future of the healthcare industry itself.
“Building the healthcare workforce of the future is critical,” she said. “If we don’t inspire and support young people at every stage, from middle school to leadership roles, we risk leaving critical gaps in care and innovation.”
For Stutts, joining the Board of Directors is not just an expansion of her role, it’s a continuation of the work that has defined her career.
“The HBA has been helping women and men carry the weight and legacy of healthcare for 50 years,” she reflected. “The HBA Foundation gives us new tools and resources to keep that work alive and evolving.”
You can learn more about The HBA Foundation and its Board of Directors here.