Carey alum Emmanuel Elorm Nortey-Adom earns FortyUnder40 award

When Emmanuel Elorm Nortey-Adom (MPH/MBA ’25) arrived at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, he brought with him nearly a decade of experience as a physician in Ghana. But his ambitions reached beyond the walls of the clinic. He wanted to understand how strategy, innovation, and economics could be woven together to make health care more equitable and effective.

Nortey-Adom pursued the Healthcare, Technology, and Innovation specialization at Carey and earned a certificate in Health Economics from the Bloomberg School of Public Health. That combination, he said, gave him “a powerful lens for solving complex health challenges at scale.”

For Nortey-Adom, the intersection of medicine and business isn’t just an academic exercise, but also a calling. 

“My career has evolved at the intersection of medicine, business, and innovation,” he explains. “After nearly a decade practicing as a physician in Ghana, I transitioned into health care strategy and consulting—helping organizations bridge clinical insight with business strategy and solve their most complex challenges.”

Turning clinical experience into strategy

At Carey, Nortey-Adom immersed himself in opportunities that connected his clinical roots with real-world problem-solving. He served as vice president of strategy for Carey’s Africa Business Club and as a board member of the Full-time MBA Association, experiences he says strengthened his collaborative leadership. His efforts were recognized with the 2025 Collaborative Leadership Award at Carey Values Night, an honor that affirmed his belief in teamwork and empathy as drivers of impact.

He also gained international exposure through an Innovation Field Project with Laerdal Global Health in Stavanger, Norway, where he helped design solutions for global maternal and child health challenges. Back in Baltimore, he worked on consulting projects with Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures and participated in the SPARK accelerator through the Pava Center for Entrepreneurship. His internship with the Johns Hopkins Health System, within the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, allowed him to merge strategy and implementation in real-world healthcare delivery.

Today, Nortey-Adom is a senior consultant with Guidehouse LLC’s Life Sciences Advisory practice in Arlington, Virginia, focusing on patient services and commercialization strategy for pharma and biotech clients. It’s a role that draws on every element of his training—from understanding complex data to navigating global healthcare markets.

Recognized among Ghana’s rising leaders

Even as his work takes him across continents, Nortey-Adom remains deeply connected to his home country. Earlier this year, he was honored with Ghana’s FortyUnder40 Award in the health category, a national recognition that highlights emerging leaders across industries.

“The award celebrates my contributions to advancing health systems innovation and chronic disease prevention,” he says. Through initiatives like the OT Cares Foundation and NR Meds, he’s helped expand outreach programs that promote preventive health and access to care in underserved communities.

Days shaped by balance and purpose

Nortey-Adom’s days are full and fast-paced, but he begins each one with intention. 

“My days are dynamic—mornings start with a quick workout and a cup of tea,” he says. “From there, it’s on to team huddles, strategy sessions, or data analysis for ongoing life sciences projects.”

Outside of work, he invests his energy in mentorship and volunteerism. “I mentor young health professionals, coordinate chronic disease outreach programs in Ghana through the OT Cares Foundation, and volunteer for causes that promote chronic disease awareness,” he said. His volunteer work spans the Army Ten-Miler organized by the Association of the United States Army, the Walk & 5K to End HIV by Whitman-Walker, and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

When the workday ends, he unwinds with music. “I listen to Afrobeats—music that keeps me grounded, creative, and connected to home.”

Making innovation accessible

For all his professional achievements, Nortey-Adom’s focus remains on the human side of health care. 

“My priorities center on building sustainable health care systems that expand access and equity,” he says. His approach is anchored in data analytics, research insights, and stakeholder collaboration and aims to design business models that deliver measurable outcomes.

Looking ahead, he sees both challenge and promise in the rapid evolution of medical technology. 

“The defining challenge and opportunity is ensuring that innovation equals access,” he notes. “As AI and precision medicine evolve, our responsibility is to make sure these advances reach the patients and systems that need them most—globally.”

The Carey connection

When asked why he chose Carey, Nortey-Adom doesn’t hesitate.

“I chose Carey because of its philosophy of the business of health with humanity in mind,” he says. The school’s core values—boundless curiosity, collaborative leadership, relentless advancement, and unwavering humanity—aligned perfectly with his own.

He credits his dual degree for shaping how he approaches leadership. 

“Every element of my dual degree shapes how I work in teams, think, and lead,” he explains. “The integration of public health and business strategy allows me to balance human impact with commercial sustainability.”