An Interview with New AWESOME Leader, Deborah Avalos

I first heard about AWESOME through two of my coworkers and then again at the Gartner Symposium. I work in healthcare supply chain, and at this year’s Gartner Symposium there was an Advancing Women Leaders Track. I’m also part of the Advancing Women Leaders group from the Strategic Marketplace Initiative, so that’s how I’ve been introduced and connected to AWESOME.

For me, it’s really about connecting with other women and seeing the growth of this community. Healthcare supply chain is very male-dominated, honestly, all of supply chain is, and it’s inspiring to see women come into the field and succeed. What I’m most looking forward to is building relationships and community with other women leaders.

I’m a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and auntie. I started my career at my organization 24 years ago as a student nurse extern. I’m a nurse by training, and I began in the emergency department, then worked in cardiovascular thoracic step-down, and eventually returned to the ER.

All along, I was exposed to supply chain without realizing it…supplies just “appeared” when I needed them, and the only time I noticed was when something was missing. After maternity leave, I ran into a nurse I had precepted who was now working in supply chain. When she explained that their work was about saving money for the organization so jobs could be saved, it really struck me, especially since our organization had just gone through layoffs. At the time, I was pursuing my MSN/MBA, so I met with the supply chain director and manager, and they thought I’d be a good fit. I decided to transition.

It was a tough transition moving from a busy, high-adrenaline Level 1 trauma ER to a quiet office role. I told myself I’d give it a year, and if it didn’t work out, I could always return to nursing. I still keep my license active today. But over time, I found my footing, had some wins, and grew along with the organization. We’ve expanded from two hospitals to 11, and my responsibilities have grown too.

Today, I oversee about a $3 billion portfolio that includes pharmacy, medical/surgical, lab, capital, and Strategic sourcing. I also lead value analysis, procurement analytics, and supplier inclusion. Alongside that, I chaired our Latinx employee resource group for two years, focusing on community outreach, small business support, cultural responsiveness and professional development. My journey has been a journey of growth and challenges, but also one I’ve found very meaningful.

Honestly, it took a lot of self-belief, patience, and support. There were many tears, but I also had a coworker, who’s still on my leadership team today, who patiently taught me about data and analytics. That helped me discover a new passion. I realized I could still help patients, just in a different way, by lowering costs, advocating for them, and making healthcare more affordable.

Support from my husband, mom, and sister was crucial. I also gave myself space to learn. I knew it would take six months just to understand the business and another six to build relationships. It felt like starting from scratch—going from being the go-to leader in the ER to being a novice in supply chain—but I held onto the belief that I could do it.

Actually, mentorship was something I lacked early on. I didn’t network much in the beginning of my career, and I didn’t have an official mentor until about two years ago. That came through the Strategic Marketplace Initiative (SMI), SMI is a non-profit, member-driven community that includes providers, suppliers, distributors, and disruptors working together to reshape the healthcare supply chain. .

I was sponsored into their  Advancing Women Leaders program, and through that I was paired with my first formal mentor. That experience, along with SMI’s mentorship structure involving mentors, mentees, and executive sponsors, gave me the guidance I hadn’t had before.

Before that, I learned through trial and error. But now I try to be the mentor I wished I had earlier. I’ve spoken at national conferences, with interns, and on panels, and I always share honestly about rejection, setbacks, and how careers don’t follow straight paths. Mine definitely didn’t, it zigzagged, and I’ve learned to embrace that.

One of the biggest challenges is that women don’t always advocate for themselves. I told my boss about the program I wanted to join, and he said he never would’ve thought to recommend it for me if I hadn’t spoken up. We can’t assume others know what we want…we have to voice it.

Another challenge is the male dominance in the field, but we can counter that by building strong networks and communities. I think women sometimes hold back from sharing their networks, out of fear it might cost them an opportunity. I see it differently, I believe in connecting people, even outside of my professional life. Someone once told me I was “generous with my network,” and I take that as a compliment. There’s enough opportunity to go around, and we rise faster when we lift each other up.

For me, balance comes from my faith, family, and community. Recently, I was feeling overwhelmed and had to step back. I took two weeks off to process everything, reconnect with my faith, and lean on my husband, children, and support system.

I also rely on tools like therapy, which I see as preventative maintenance. Even when life is going smoothly, I maintain it as part of my wellness. Not everyone has access to that, but for me, faith, family, community, and therapy are what keep me grounded.

Don’t be afraid to network, not for what others can do for you, but for what you can contribute. Believe in yourself and be willing to bet on yourself. I once heard a woman say, “I bet on myself,” and it really resonated. Looking back, that’s what I did.

Did I ever expect to end up here? No, but it turned out better than I could’ve imagined. So my advice is: build your network, add value, bet on yourself, and trust that your path doesn’t have to be linear to lead somewhere great.