About Mary
Chicago Pacific Founders’ Co-Founder and Managing Partner Mary Tolan brings to the table a track record of successful innovation, perhaps greatest being her ability to bring new ventures to life. In her years in the financial and health sectors, she has distinguished herself among her peers early, with vision and persistence that have created beneficial results for patients and investors alike.
Mary has been recognized for her leadership with numerous accolades, including the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2010 in the Services Category, and her company Accretive Health being named the Illinois Venture Capital Association’s Company of the Year in 2011. Previously, she was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40” and Consulting Magazine’s Top 25 Consultants. More impressive than any award she’s earned, however, are the results of her value creation work in many companies.
Mary made her initial impact in the world of value creation at renowned consulting firm Accenture (previously known as Andersen Consulting). Joining the company early in her career, she worked her way up (taking classes and earning her M.B.A. along the way) to a partnership in the prestigious firm in 1993. During her tenure, she took on multiple leadership roles, including Group Chief of Accenture’s Resources Operating Group overseeing $2.3 billion in annual revenues. She also served as the company’s Corporate Development Officer and Managing Partner of Growth & Strategy and was one of the driving forces in taking the company public in 2001.
In 2004, Mary founded Accretive Health, a company focused on creating financial solutions for healthcare providers. At Accretive, Mary built and guided a team dedicated to building relationships with various providers, helping them to improve care while reducing costs. Accretive’s suite of services included a full-accountability managed service, driving funding initiatives while keeping a balanced budget, with a focus on recovering lost revenue. During her decade as CEO, Accretive grew to a major player in revenue cycle management, led by Mary into an IPO valuing the company at $1.2 billion.
A true Chicagoan, Mary earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Loyola University and her M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. She now serves on the Boards of Trustees for both of her alma maters, and served for over 15 years at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She is also a council member of the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business. She serves as director of Arise Virtual Solutions, Inc. as well as the Illinois Technology Development Alliance.
Over multiple decades, Mary Tolan has brought ingenuity and leadership to a diverse set of experiences. Chicago Pacific Founders represents a culmination of sorts of her years in financial wellness and healthcare-integrated initiatives. By bringing private equity into healthcare provisions, CPF through the guidance of Mary and her fellow founders has already distinguished itself as a leader in a highly populated field. For creating transformative changes to a field in eager need of them, Mary Tolan’s experience has proven the ideal preparation.