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In his first role at BlueCross as a customer service representative, Mark Holland responded to calls from members and provider offices. He answered each one with the same goal in mind — to make a meaningful connection with the person on the other end of the phone.

With the rapport he created, people often asked for him by name if they called back with another question or need. That offered a valuable lesson in making an impact, one that Mark’s carried with him throughouthis 30 years here.

“Customer service is often where first impressions of BlueCross are made, and it taught me so much about the company and those we serve,” Mark says. “It let me see many opportunities we have here to make a difference.”

Inspiring others to take the lead

Several years later, Mark took a training role where he used his experience to prepare new customer service employees for their roles and enhance the skills of those already taking member calls.

“I hoped in some small way to use what I’d learned to inspire others,” Mark says. 

His 10 years in that role sparked a desire to impact others on a larger scale and prompted his move to the organizational development team in human resources as a learning consultant.

That’s given him opportunities to interact with employees across the company and contribute on projects, like helping to build the company’s career development hub, BlueUniversity. He’s also developed coursesfor those in leadership and management roles.

Another program that’s his creation, called Aspire, is one of 17 courses he’ll lead in 2026. He’s broadened its scope over several years, reaching more employees who want to develop their leadership skills.

“My job is invigorating, challenging and always adapting. Who doesn’t like that?” he asks. 

As he helps others grow in their careers, Mark looks to continually expand his own skills. He devotes up to 100 hours a year studying topics like leadership trends, psychology and behavior.

“If I can prepare people to be leaders and can contribute to an environment where they want to make a difference, then in some small way, I’ve made a difference,” Mark says.

He says he’s honored when employees say that his courses further their career journeys.

“When someone attributes meeting their career goals to what I taught, I tell them, ‘I’m only delivering the information. You’re the one who builds the skills and makes it work,” Mark says.

Taking everything to ‘heart’

Mark challenges himself outside of work, as well, often thinking of the words his father spoke to encourage him in his athletic endeavors.

“’If you do anything, do your best at it,’” Mark remembers.

He took that to heart, passing that inspiration to another generation by coaching his son’s soccer teams at the select and collegiate level.

“It was like a family,” Mark says. “Some of them still call me Coach Dad.” 

Doing his best also means striving to be active and healthy, from regular exercise to hiking, camping, kayaking and getting annual physical exams. He credits those pursuits and disciplines for helping him through a heart disease diagnosis in 2014.

“My primary care doctor suggested a heart stress test due to my family’s medical history. I wasn’t worried about the test until they stopped the treadmill soon after I started the test and people came pouring into the room,” he remembers.

He learned that he had a blockage in an artery referred to as the “widow maker.” Surgery followed later that day.

“My doctor said I was a walking miracle,” Mark says. 

As he recovered, he shifted his mindset to what he could still do rather than worrying about what he might not be able to do.

He continued his long-standing habit of taking the stairs instead of elevators. He takes daily walks in his neighborhood, and he still enjoys kayaking and hiking. He’s training for an Appalachian Trail hike later this year with his wife, Joy, also a BlueCross employee.

He shares his heart surgery story often and has participated in events to raise awareness of heart disease. He enjoys encouraging others who also have faced this diagnosis.

“We all have an opportunity to make a difference,” Mark says. “My personal journey isn’t about me, but about helping other people move forward on their journey.”