Denise Christy, President of Humana Michigan, to Address Students, Public
Published on
Grand Rapids, Michigan (November 1, 2007) - The Aquinas Business and Accounting League
will sponsor a presentation by Denise (Holtgreive) Christy '82 entitled "Office Politics"
on Tuesday, Nov. 6 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in the Wege Center Ballroom at Aquinas
College. The event is free and open to the public, and participants are invited to
bring their own lunches. President of Humana Michigan, Christy said she plans to offer
advice to those seeking to avoid political entanglements at work. "In large corporations,"
she said, "there's always a lot more paranoia and a heightened sense of politics."
Indicative of Christy's witty aphorisms is one of her favorite phrases: "be friendly;
don’t be friends."
"Every office has some sort of politics," said Erin Tupper, League public relations director and senior at Aquinas. "I expect she’ll discuss how to stay out of it, or at least stay above it." Christy, who earned an interdisciplinary B.A. in Community Relations from Aquinas in 1982, speaks of office politics as "rampant" in the corporate environment.
Founded in 1961, Humana Inc. has been hailed by Fortune magazine as one of the Top Five Most Admired Healthcare Companies in the United States. As president of the medical insurer’s Michigan operations, Denise Christy is responsible for administering the health benefit plans of over 170,000 members. Christy was appointed to her present post in 2003 following 20 years in executive positions with such companies as Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare and Priority Health of Grand Rapids. Always a community leader, Christy has served on the boards of Aquinas College, Junior Achievement, the Grand Rapids Art Museum and Frederick Meijer Gardens. She currently serves on the Michigan Colleges Foundation board, raising funds for the 14 private liberal arts colleges in Michigan. Christy was recently named one of the top 90 most influential women in Detroit by Crane’s Detroit Business magazine, and was selected from a field of 3,000.
Founded in 2000, the Aquinas Business and Accounting League seeks to build a bridge between the academic and career worlds, focusing on programs that complement and add to classroom experiences. League student officers determine the year's programs, so there is a real emphasis on offering events that help participants understand what they need to successfully launch their careers.
"Every office has some sort of politics," said Erin Tupper, League public relations director and senior at Aquinas. "I expect she’ll discuss how to stay out of it, or at least stay above it." Christy, who earned an interdisciplinary B.A. in Community Relations from Aquinas in 1982, speaks of office politics as "rampant" in the corporate environment.
Founded in 1961, Humana Inc. has been hailed by Fortune magazine as one of the Top Five Most Admired Healthcare Companies in the United States. As president of the medical insurer’s Michigan operations, Denise Christy is responsible for administering the health benefit plans of over 170,000 members. Christy was appointed to her present post in 2003 following 20 years in executive positions with such companies as Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare and Priority Health of Grand Rapids. Always a community leader, Christy has served on the boards of Aquinas College, Junior Achievement, the Grand Rapids Art Museum and Frederick Meijer Gardens. She currently serves on the Michigan Colleges Foundation board, raising funds for the 14 private liberal arts colleges in Michigan. Christy was recently named one of the top 90 most influential women in Detroit by Crane’s Detroit Business magazine, and was selected from a field of 3,000.
Founded in 2000, the Aquinas Business and Accounting League seeks to build a bridge between the academic and career worlds, focusing on programs that complement and add to classroom experiences. League student officers determine the year's programs, so there is a real emphasis on offering events that help participants understand what they need to successfully launch their careers.