What are your responsibilities? Oversee the Office of Finance and Treasury. Responsible for institutional level capital planning, financing, financial planning, budget analysis and finance technology.
Career high so far? Working on the business plan for the Knight Cancer Institute $1 Billion Challenge.
Who is your real-life hero? My father, Pravin Patel. He was an immigrant to this country, started a family, moved from the Bay Area in the 1980s to rural Eastern Oregon, and started a successful business. He took real life chances, worked hard through setbacks, and has succeeded in all measurements of life.
Have you had an influential mentor; how did he/she help you? Matt Mroczek, who has helped guide me through both professional and personal strategic points in my life and introduced me to the opportunity at OHSU.
Something about you that might surprise people? I lost 50 pounds and have kept it off for over eight years.
Book you’d recommend to a friend or colleague, why? “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. His take on the American dream and how the desire for success influences the decision-making process is a valuable lesson.
Where are you from, what do you love about the place? I spent most of my youth in John Day. Growing up in a small town, you learn to find fun in everything. When there isn’t a mall within 200 miles of your town, a concert every weekend, a sports stadium or an amusement park nearby, you learn there’s more to life than just going places.
What was your first job, what did you love/hate about it? The most valuable business lessons I’ve ever learned didn’t come from reading a book or going to college. They came from working in the family hotel business. As soon as my hands and attention span were capable, I was helping them out by doing paperwork, folding laundry and helping with maintenance.
How do you relax? Planning. I know — what a nerd. But making my to-do list for the next day, going through the calendar for the upcoming week, and making appointments gives me a burst of satisfaction. Then I know I will get to maximize what I really enjoy — spending time with my family.
Maulin Patel
AGE: 39
HOMETOWN: John Day, Oregon
COMPANY: OHSU
JOB TITLE: Vice President for Finance & Treasurer