Angela Miller
Division Vice President, Strategic Sourcing
Kindred Healthcare
Louisville, Kentucky
Growing up on a 25-acre farm in Wentzville, Missouri, Angela Miller learned skills that have served her well over the years, including a sense of responsibility and accountability, satisfaction in accomplishing a goal, a desire to make her parents (Ron Balducci and Brenda Jones) proud of her, and the ability to figure out a way to get things done even when you don’t have what you need to do so. “I learned to be creative,” she says.
A highly recruited track athlete coming out of high school, Miller ultimately chose to join the Air Force. “I was attracted to the idea of serving my country, meeting new people and learning a valuable trade in the process,” she says. Military life provided the self-discipline and team-centric environment she desired.
“My brother had joined the Marine Corps, and I was encouraged by his career choice to follow a similar path,” she says. “It seemed like a perfect fit.”
For nine years, Miller assumed supply chain management roles at Air Force hospitals in Illinois, Alaska and Nebraska. (She met her husband at Scott Air Force Base in southern Illinois.) After her discharge, she served as vice president of operations for MediGroup Physician Services (a non-acute-care-focused GPO) and then as director of med/surg for Intalere. In 2010, she joined Resource Optimization & Innovation (ROi) as a senior strategic sourcing manager; ultimately, she was named executive director of medical contracting. (ROi was acquired by HealthTrust in October 2019.)
In April 2019, she joined Kindred Healthcare, the Louisville, Kentucky-based system of transitional care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, subacute units, and other non-acute services. She is charged with developing and leading a strategic sourcing team as part of Kindred’s supply chain.
Describe a key mentor or event in your life.
“I have been blessed to have had some truly fantastic co-workers and leaders throughout my career, who helped shape the person and leader I am today,” says Miller. “I gained a solid foundation in supply chain management during my time in the Air Force, and my post-military career has been filled with opportunities to learn from talented individuals who mentored, supported and trusted me as I took on increased levels of responsibility.”
In what way(s) are you a better supply chain leader than you were, say, five or 10 years ago?
“I am a better leader today than I was a decade ago because I’ve learned the value of collaboration,” she says. “Knowing that one person cannot and does not have all the answers, and being a participant of the teams, you lead, are critical to success. I’m a firm believer that creating a culture where fun is central is key to building and keeping a dedicated and focused team.”
Describe the key characteristics of the successful supply chain leader of the future.
“It is important to build true, meaningful relationships,” she says. “Listen and hear your team and customers and find the common ground that moves everyone forward to a mutual goal. Be a mentor, but understand mentoring goes both ways – you can learn as much as you teach.
“Last, and most important to me: Be nice. It can be contagious and create a more relaxed work environment where people are encouraged to express their thoughts and ideas. It’s simple, yet powerful.”