A compelling story is just a heartbeat away for this global leader

Blake Simpson

Head of comms and corporate affairs at healthcare education giant adapts to constant change.

By Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan Communications. 

When Blake Simpson joined Adtalem Global Education as head of communications and corporate affairs in late 2022, she finally had the opportunity to report directly to a CEO, and that CEO was a person of color, like her. Both were firsts for Simpson.

“This is the first time I’ve had the ability to speak to a leader who can truly relate to the challenges I’ve gone through as a person of color,” said Blake, referring to Chairman & CEO Steve Beard. “That was important to me.”

As the chief communications and corporate affairs officer of the publicly traded national leader in post-secondary education for the healthcare industry, Blake juggles the demands of corporate communications, investor relations, government relations and alumni engagement.

Blake, who’s had high-level comms roles at NBC News, Levi’s, CKE Restaurants, Yahoo, Gap Inc and Under Armour, hopes that through education and advocacy, Adtalem can improve health equity in the U.S. by bringing people of diverse backgrounds into the healthcare workforce at scale. Adtalem is the parent organization of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Chamberlain University, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Walden University.

Blake and I had a chance to catch up recently on a range of topics, including how she’s able to weave together the work of the various units within her communications department and how Adtalem’s stock price has more than doubled since she’s come on board. Coincidence? Read on.

Living Local
Living Local

 

Origin Story

DIANE: Did you know you wanted to be a communicator from early on in your career?
BLAKE: No. As an undergraduate I was actually on track to become a veterinarian until my junior year at the University of California, Davis. At that point, I changed my major and graduated with a BS in comparative politics before going on to complete an MS in journalism from Boston University.

DIANE: When you were looking for your next career change, what was on your wish list?

recognition

BLAKE: At the top of the list was having the communications role expanded to include corporate affairs and sit within the C-suite.

More and more companies are doing this, recognizing that a broader remit inclusive of government, investor and impact communications is critical to achieving business objectives, and it’s so smart. It is also important that I work for an organization that is impacting society in a meaningful way where diversity of race, gender, ethnicity and experience is reflected throughout the board, executive leadership team and organization.

Leadership

DIANE: What’s the most important quality a comms leader must possess?
BLAKE: Adaptability. So much about communications is reliant on quick reactions and shifts, whether that is sharing breaking news or new data, responding to issues or emerging crises or strategically timing a campaign to reach your audience at the right time. Crafting a great strategy is vital to communications, but it does not serve the organization without a leader capable of adapting to the ever-changing opportunities and challenges that arise as that strategy is implemented.

DIANE: With Adtalem’s mission of educating the next generation of healthcare leaders, how would you describe the current state of healthcare equity and in particular how women and marginalized communities are impacted?
BLAKE: When it comes to achieving healthcare equity, along with education equity, we still have a long way to go — which is why I feel so privileged to work at a company like Adtalem. Women and marginalized communities are among those most impacted by pervasive health inequities, whether it is lack of funding and research in areas like perimenopause and menopause, or the ability of Black mothers in rural or low-income areas to access the care they need. As I wrote about in an op-ed for Fortune, health equity is a public health imperative and a matter of life or death for vulnerable populations.

DIANE: As a leader overseeing corporate communications, investor relations, government relations and alumni engagement, how do you ensure cohesion among the teams and consistent messaging?
BLAKE: We approach communications holistically, with the understanding that what impacts one function impacts all the others. But ultimately our message is consistent because our commitment is consistent: to help shape the future of healthcare and education, dismantle the barriers to access, empower lifelong learners, and create more and better opportunities, and better health, for all. That commitment is the north star for all of our communications and ensures cohesion among our teams.

Leadership Team
Leadership Team

 

DIANE: For women in leadership roles, there’s been slow, but steady progress, with small percentages of women in CEO roles and board roles. What are some tangible ways to speed up change?
BLAKE: Enabling and empowering women to advocate for themselves is a tangible way to advance employment and leadership equity. I have been encouraged by women leaders being vocal about their perspectives, using their platforms to advocate for others, and working to destigmatize pregnancy, menopause, subconscious biases and a range of other issues that have historically blocked women’s career growth. This destigmatization brings greater awareness and opens the door for more equitable opportunities for leadership.

Culture

Fill in the blank: Adtalem’s culture is   empowering.   
Our guiding mission is to empower students, to prepare them for success not only in the classroom, but in their careers.

DIANE: Tell us something about Adtalem that the ordinary consumer might not know.

Adtalem is the leading provider of healthcare education in the U.S., Chamberlain University is the largest nursing school in the U.S. and Walden University is the leading grantor of Master of Science in Nursing degrees to minority students in the U.S.

Additionally, we  graduate more Black physicians, both male and female, than any U.S. medical school with Ross University School of Medicine graduating      more Black female physicians than any U.S. medical school.

Adtalem Team
Adtalem Team

 

DIANE: What are some ways you’ve been able to bridge culture gaps and boost employee engagement – be it across your offices and or with a diverse, multi-generational workforce?
BLAKE: Cultivating an environment of respect and recognizing the importance of representation and space to voice opinions is crucial in diverse workplaces and essential to boosting employee engagement. In fiscal year 2024, we launched the Your Voice, Your Story campaign, an engagement survey that provided colleagues with an opportunity to offer feedback on their work environment and help identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Following the survey, our leaders were tasked with integrating the findings into their team’s goals to help drive engagement and enablement. As a result, our colleagues report they feel respected, understand expectations and have strong relationships with their immediate managers.

The Work

DIANE: Our readers will be fascinated to hear more about how comms can also play a role in driving stock price for their organization. Since you’ve been at Adtalem, the stock price has rocketed from $40 to $90+ without any major changes at the organization. To what do you attribute that?
BLAKE: The saying “it takes a village” truly comes to mind with this question. In the case of Adtalem communications and broader corporate affairs, it was simply an untapped and underdeveloped resource. For years, this company has been doing exceptional work across all areas of the business, our schools have been graduating tens of thousands of incredible healthcare-focused alums who have gone on to do work that is changing society for the better, and our leadership team has successfully managed the business with discipline, focus and performance-driven results. This is a story that deserves to be told.

The amazing stories of Adtalem’s great academic programs and what our alumni are doing after graduation has understandably generated a lot of interest and excitement from those key external key stakeholders who may not have been as familiar with us before.

on targetAdtalem’s business strategy and the discipline with which we execute on that strategy is incredibly important. Effectively communicating, in unison, across all areas of corporate affairs on how our business strategy is expanding opportunities and solving real world challenges for people and the U.S. healthcare system will continue to be the primary driver of our continued success .

DIANE: How is generative AI helping you and your team to be better communicators? Pros and cons with any emerging technology.
BLAKE: On my team, we’re currently using AI — as we would any intelligence tool — to help us brainstorm or as a gut check when we’re building out a storyline to make sure we have considered every possible angle and left no stone unturned. I am concerned, however, about how AI might be used as a substitute for original thought and about the potential for perpetuating misinformation.

When it comes to content generation, I am much more inclined to turn to my team of exceptional writers and storytellers who I believe are best able to capture all that Adtalem institutions have to offer. My hope is that the next generation of communicators will not solely rely on AI but will tap into their own unique voices to tell compelling stories.

Self

DIANE: Take us through a typical workday – what time do you wake up, what’s your morning routine, how many meetings, best part of day? How do you close out the day?
BLAKE: Daily workouts are non-negotiable for me. I try to balance my day with a cluster of back-to-back meetings followed by a 30-minute walking meeting. If I am unable to take a longer walk, I make a point of standing up and moving around — even if it’s just to loop around the office. I also try to close out each day meeting with my executive assistant to review any outstanding items and prepare for what is coming tomorrow.

DIANE: Personal habits that work? A habit you want to shed?

time managementBLAKE: Time management is very important to me. I work hard to stay on track with my schedule each day and start and end meetings on time. I have been known to occasionally extend meetings when I get excited about an idea and I don’t want to lose the magic of the moment.

But generally speaking, I am very cognizant of staying on track. One habit that I would like to shed is the urge to constantly check my work phone over the weekend. While urgent issues occasionally pop up, most things can wait until Monday morning.

DIANE: Take us through a typical weekend day.
BLAKE: My weekend is largely spent driving my middle schooler around to all of his activities. In addition to my role as a chauffeur for my highly engaged child, I love to cook complex dishes and get lost in a good read.

Other Tidbits

Family heart

Family:
My husband, my son and our Portuguese water dog.

Book Game of Thrones GOT

Favorite book:
I’m going to pick the one that introduced me to the world of fantasy: “Game of Thrones” (GOT)! Years before anyone was on the GOT train, one of my husband’s patients gifted us the series, and I got hooked.

best advice

Best Advice:
Have a point of view — no matter the topic or the people around the table.

worst advice

Worst Advice:
The worst advice I have received is to make sure you say something in every meeting. Sharing an insightful viewpoint is valuable, but talking simply to talk is not.

graphic bestmistake

Best Mistake:
Taking a job that paid me less than the job I was leaving. While the pay may have been less, I later learned that the reward it provided was far greater.

Mentors

Industry Mentors:
Early in my career, NBC Chief Financial Correspondent Mike Jensen was an important mentor to me. Jill Nash was instrumental in showing me the importance of a unified corporate affairs function. Finally, I am very fortunate that the best mentor I could ever ask for — and someone who has shaped my life in numerous ways — is my mom.

To all Wonder Women: If you’re looking to connect with other women leaders in communications, consider joining us for the next Ragan’s Business Summit & Retreat in September 2025: Details are here.

COMMENT

2 Responses to “A compelling story is just a heartbeat away for this global leader”

    Nicole Kenney says:

    This was an awesome read! Thank you for featuring Blake’s voice and showcasing her exceptional leadership! I learned a lot!

Ragan.com Daily Headlines

Sign up to receive the latest articles from Ragan.com directly in your inbox.