I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Mari Considine, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at Acenda Integrated Health, and I walked away inspired by her approach to leadership in behavioral health. Mari's journey, from international flight attendant to healthcare marketing executive, illustrates how diverse experiences can create transformational leaders in our industry.

The Power of "Building Together"

What struck me most about Mari was how naturally she encourages and enables authentic collaboration. When I asked about Acenda’s core values, she immediately highlighted "building together" as the one that resonates most deeply with her work.

Mari emphasized the collaborative nature of her department's work. "Everything we do is grounded in partnership", she shared. "Our teams work closely with therapists and program leaders to support content development, share insights and strengthen marketing initiatives that help more individuals connect with the care they need."

This reflects the reality of modern behavioral health, where strong communication across departments enhances the visibility of services and supports access. Mari sees this level of collaboration as essential to every healthcare partnership.

An Internal-First Strategy

Mari's approach to brand building resonates deeply with our belief in putting people first. Her "internal-first" strategy, focusing strongly on employee engagement, demonstrates wisdom that extends far beyond behavioral health.

"We know it's the people working with our patients that are really making the difference and making the brand experience," she told me. "If they're happy, they're going to make our patients happy."

This mirrors what we've learned at Wise Wolves: technology implementations succeed when we prioritize the human experience. Mari's success in improving staff retention while competing against organizations with deeper pockets proves that authentic engagement trumps compensation alone.

The Future of Behavioral Health: Human + Technology

Mari's perspective on AI (have you heard of AI!?) also introduced some much needed guardrails. While AI has a lot of potential to help connect the dots and facilitate tactical outreach, she isn’t recommending crying on the shoulders of your favorite LLM. 

"You need that human element and humans can see things that machines cannot, nuance, tone of voice, all that kind of stuff," she emphasized.

This balanced view reflects the thoughtful leadership our industry needs as we navigate technological advancement while preserving the deeply human nature of healthcare.

Why Mari's Approach Matters

Mari represents the evolution of healthcare leadership, someone who understands that brand experience and patient experience are inseparable, that internal culture drives external outcomes, and that true collaboration requires intentional strategy, not just good intentions.

Her journey from building nursing recruitment pipelines to creating comprehensive behavioral health ecosystems shows how healthcare leaders can adapt and grow while staying grounded in core values. Most importantly, she demonstrates that sustainable success comes from building together—exactly the kind of partnership approach that makes our work at Wise Wolves both meaningful and effective.

As behavioral health continues its integration into mainstream healthcare, leaders like Mari are showing us the path forward: grounded in human connection, powered by strategic thinking, and always focused on the ultimate goal of better patient outcomes.

At Wise Wolves, we're privileged to work alongside healthcare leaders who share our commitment to putting people first, building trust through transparency, and creating lasting positive impact. Mari's story reminds us why we chose to focus exclusively on healthcare and life sciences—because this is where thoughtful leadership can truly change lives.