Jérémie Secher, an out-of-the-box hospital manager

From hospital management to a strategic position with a major insurance company, Jérémie Secher's career has been rich in back-and-forth experiences, notably in the Federation, and in union involvement. He demonstrates that organizations are gaining confidence in risk-taking and hybrid career paths. It's a trend that seems to be gaining ground among hospital managers.

Can you tell us about your career path, which took you from the hospital to the mutual insurance world?

"In the twenty years or so I've spent in the hospital world, I've already taken a few steps away from a traditional career path. After a spell as deputy director of a university hospital, I joined the Fédération hospitalière de France (FHF) as chief of staff to the president, Jean Leonetti, and the general delegate, Gérard Vincent. I was responsible for coordinating hospital communities, strategy and influence with public authorities and hospital partners. Later, while managing groups of hospitals, I chaired the Syndicat des manageurs publics de santé (SMPS). In fact, I divided my time between the territories and the national level, interacting with public authorities.

In 2018, by a twist of fate, MGEN director Isabelle Hébert offered me the chance to join her as deputy general manager for health and head up the Vyv group's care division. That was my turning point in the private not-for-profit world. In this case, I was once again in charge of a broader field of activity than hospitals, which enabled me to push the envelope in terms of overall knowledge of healthcare activities and to acquire a complete vision of patient care at regional level, in particular the links between private not-for-profit and for-profit, public and liberal players...

Then, in 2022, in response to current issues, MGEN's new director, Fabrice Heyriès, entrusted me with the brand-new cross-functional position of DGA Stratégie Transformation Coopérations et Risques, created to update the mutual's strategy in light of a historic change in its business. Indeed, MGEN has moved from individual health and provident insurance to group health and provident insurance, implying a major transformation of the company. An even more radical shift, from Livre III - i.e., prevention and health promotion, social action and the management of mutualist establishments - to Livre II - the insurance sector, with a particular focus on strategic issues, insurance transformation, cooperation, risk and CSR.

What motivated you to make this move? And what was your strategy for doing so?

Curiosity and the opportunity to set the record straight guided my choice. I had the good fortune to take on management responsibilities in hospital groups at a fairly young age, which enabled me to see this mid-career turning point as a very stimulating "risk". Joining the insurance industry at the age of 45 is even more challenging, as it involves a change of profession and ecosystem, with no real network and no particular knowledge of insurance. To help me through the various stages, in addition to my very operational duties, I was able to count on the Executive MBA from the Centre des Hautes Etudes d'Assurances.

I'm convinced that the role of hospital director allows you to tackle a wide range of issues and to be very well equipped. Working in a hospital requires advanced generalist skills, combined with technical expertise in a wide range of subjects.

"Hospital practice is a guarantee of a solid foundation of skills for understanding different functions in different ecosystems."

Including in insurance, a business sector that values expertise and technical skills.

Does your career path reflect a general trend among hospital directors?

As a former president of the SMPS, I can testify to the fact that there have always been moves outside the hospital world, admittedly mainly towards central administrations, federations or ESPIC (Établissement de Santé Privé d'Intérêt Collectif) clinics. While this dynamic is not new, what is new is the fact that we are moving into significantly different sectors. There are a few of us in this situation, and I sense that it's becoming more widespread among the younger generation. Many of my colleagues call me as they reflect on their career plans, with a desire to discover new horizons. I myself have recruited several hospital directors since joining MGEN.

"I'm convinced of the value of these bridges, both for the hospital and for the ecosystems these profiles join. We all stand to gain from cross-fertilizing skills.

That's provided, however, that we make it even easier to return to the hospital setting, which is what the professional organizations are working on.

What skills can these profiles bring to the business world?

Thanks to my atypical profile, with one foot in the regions and one at national level, I've been able to draw on a dual approach that's very useful in corporate "staff" functions. It's a question of combining knowledge of the healthcare system and players within the ARS, ministries, Parliament, etc., with a mastery of technical subjects and the running of establishments, in particular the issues at stake with the various players in the field.

"When taking such a step sideways, the first quality to adopt is humility."

Quite simply, because private sector players don't expect us to prove ourselves outside our track record or CV. We have to be willing to start from scratch, far from our foundations and comfort zone. This is all the more true in the case of a genuine change of profession.

In particular, I see two types of skills that are of interest to recruiters. To begin with, a hospital profile knows how to manage in a highly complex and uncertain environment. A management style that sets aside hierarchical logics to use managerial levers that correspond to the expectations of the private sector. The other major advantage for recruiters is to bring on board "bilingual" profiles, i.e. those who speak both the language of the public sector and the language of the private sector, with an understanding of the logic and rationality of the public sector, and the ability to integrate into the workings of the private sector".