Oglethorpe University students received lessons in leadership and insights on the healthcare industry from Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals chair and CEO Greg A. Adams ’79, April 15 at the 2025 Spring Mack A. Rikard Lecture in the Cousins Atrium.

Adams told the students his career path from clinical healthcare to the C-suite was propelled by the recognition that you don’t always get to choose the moment you lead, the moment chooses you; leadership requires courage, and humility will take you farther than trying to have all the answers yourself.

“None of us knows everything,” Adams said. “Always listen. You must have the ability to hear other people. None of us can do this alone.”

A 1979 Oglethorpe graduate, Adams is based in Oakland, Calif., and runs integrated care and coverage under the Kaiser Permanente brand, the KP Medical Foundation and Risant Health and its subsidiaries.

Hammack School Dean, Dr. Stephen Craft, interviewed Adams and moderated a question-and-answer session with Oglethorpe students that ran the gamut from healthcare disparities based on socioeconomic conditions, what a week as CEO of Kaiser looks like and how organizations can hold onto a core value of inclusion in the current political environment.

“That doesn’t mean we step away from our values,” Adams said. “It just makes sure we implement our values so that we don’t exclude. The test for us as a country is can we really step up and be an inclusive organization or inclusive society.”

Adams has responsibility for the entire Kaiser Permanente enterprise, which provides coverage for over 13.2 million people and touches the lives of millions more every year. Over 260,000 employees and 25,700 physicians work together to provide high-quality, affordable care and coverage while improving the health of communities in nine markets across the nation. 

With more than 40 years of experience in the health care industry, Adams has held leadership roles at Kaiser Permanente for the past 25 years. Prior to assuming the role of chair and chief executive officer in 2019, Adams served as executive vice president and group president, with direct responsibility for health plan and hospital operations in all Kaiser Permanente regions. 

Adams was named one of the most influential people in health by Time magazine in its TIME100 Health list. He was also named to Modern Healthcare’s most influential people in health care for four consecutive years, ranking number 10 on the 2023 list.

Adams grew up in Carrollton, Ga., and graduated at age 15 from Villa Rica High School. He wanted to be a physician, pursued nursing school and began working at Crawford Long Memorial Hospital, now Emory Midtown, Atlanta.

He found Oglethorpe by living in Brookhaven. He realized he liked being a leader and had a good understanding of complex organizational systems.

“I realized I could have a larger impact by being in charge rather than being a single clinician,” Adams said. “Oglethorpe was in a time of transition and was opening up to nontraditional students.”

He credited the close relationship with professors, especially in mathematics, that ultimately helped him earn his bachelor’s degree in biology and reach for more.

“The classroom, the professors and the mentors were there for me,” Adams said. “I remembered that I struggled with math. I could do it in my apartment, but when I was in the classroom, I would shut down. I had a math professor who recognized what was happening. He reached out to me and arranged for me to take the tests in his office. I have never forgotten that. When I think about my time at Oglethorpe, what I remember most is the relationship with professors.”

In addition to his bachelor’s degree from Oglethorpe, Adams has a graduate degree from Wichita State University. He became CEO of his first hospital at age 31. That’s when he learned that sometimes the moment chooses us rather than us choosing the moment to lead.

“Healthcare has never been a job for me. It’s a calling,” Adams said. “I believe healthcare is a right in this country, and people deserve to have optimal health.”

The Mack A. Rikard Lecture Series introduces students to current issues in business as presented by business and civic leaders who are recognized leaders in their professions. Established in 1991, it is named after the late Mack A. Rikard ’37, an Oglethorpe alumnus, honorary degree recipient, Athletic Hall of Fame member and Trustee Emeritus. Rikard was the former president of Allied Products Company in Birmingham, Alabama, and a supporter of Oglethorpe athletics and student scholarships.

“Greg Adams gave our students thought-provoking ideas on leading and the healthcare industry,” Craft said. “We are grateful he gave time to our students. We loved having him back on campus. This was a great Rikard Lecture and great day for the Hammack School of Business.”