Faculty Profiles

Wendy M. Smith, DSc, MHA
Partner | Healthcare Executive | Strategic Advisor
Present Responsibilities
Wendy is a Partner for Mercer based in Austin, TX working for the Health and Benefits practice in the Central Region. Wendy is a distinguished healthcare executive with over 35 years of experience leading transformation in healthcare delivery, strategy, and operations across payer, health system, and consulting sectors. Wendy is recognized for her expertise in value-based care models and innovative strategies to enhance healthcare quality, reduce costs and enhance patient experience.
Experience
Wendy’s career spans leadership roles in diverse areas of the healthcare ecosystem, including as CEO of health plans (Managed Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Duals and Commercial populations), and key positions within health systems. Wendy’s exceptional ability to drive systemic change in complex organizations has established her as a leading authority in healthcare management. Before her Mercer role, she served as the National Practice Leader for Delivery System Transformation at Aon, where she developed strategies to optimize care delivery, improve total cost of care, and enhance quality for large and jumbo self-insured employers across North America.
Education
Wendy holds a Doctorate in Healthcare Leadership from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a master’s in healthcare administration from Texas State University, and a bachelor’s in biology from Southwestern University. She also serves as a professor at Texas State University in the Executive MHA program and is a frequent lecturer and conference speaker. Wendy advises multiple health tech start-ups in Women’s Health, Longevity, Chronic Diabetic Management, and Wound care as a passion project.