Mary Cook, MBA
Mary Cook, MBA, is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience leading veterinary services and global contact center operations. Her career began in veterinary medicine as a child, instilling in her a lifelong commitment to care and operational excellence. In her mid-20s, she pivoted to the service operations space when three remarkable women hired her at Danka Omnifax (now Xerox) as a call center manager, recognizing her people skills over technical experience. That early mentorship launched her into a career in contact centers, now spanning multiple industries including veterinary medicine, fintech, healthcare, and media, where she has driven $500M in revenue impact while maintaining 28% EBITDA margins across teams of 1,700+ FTE.
Mary’s career highlights include building a BPO contact center from the ground up for CallSocket in Oakland, California—designing every aspect from people and processes to technology and facilities. She has scaled emergency veterinary regions from 2 to 10 hospitals in under 12 months, led a $300M global service delivery portfolio generating $22M in annual savings, and consistently delivered measurable outcomes while improving customer experience and protecting team well-being. At every stage, Mary has emphasized operational clarity, workforce predictability, AI-enabled systems, and governance that ensures sustainable results without relying on heroics.
Mentorship and talent development are core to Mary’s leadership philosophy. She has benefited from outstanding mentors, including leaders at Capgemini and her current colleagues at Slalom, and has dedicated herself to mentoring others throughout her career—from a temp at a contact center who became a patient advocate, to long-term mentees like Colleen, now a senior director in contact centers. With a degree in leadership and management, Mary’s focus on coaching, developing leaders, and positively changing people’s lives is central to her approach, making her an executive who delivers both results and lasting impact.
• Project Management Certificate
• Judson University - BS, Management and Leadership
• Strayer University - MBA
• National Association of Veterinary Community (NAVC)
• Alpha Chi National College Honor Society
• Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society
• SOCAP
• ICMI
• Feeding America
• Animal care organizations and shelters
• ASPCA
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a combination of formal education, hands-on experience, and the guidance of exceptional mentors throughout my career. My academic foundation a Bachelor’s in Management and Leadership, an MBA, and my current pursuit of a Master of Science of Law with an HR concentration, expected in May 2027 has equipped me with strategic, operational, and people-focused expertise. Coupled with over 30 years of experience building and leading high-performing teams in veterinary services, contact centers, and customer experience operations, these experiences have taught me how to translate strategy into measurable outcomes, scale operations sustainably, and foster cultures where people thrive. Mentorship, both received and given, has also been a cornerstone of my growth, shaping my approach to leadership, team development, and meaningful impact across organizations.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
A couple of things. One, be authentic. I can tell you, I think my authenticity has got me very far. I'm very uniquely who I am, and I don't hide that. And I would absolutely say make sure that you really are including technology in your education. When I started, it wasn't necessarily needed, but these days, you have to have technical knowledge in a contact center environment. There's always an IT group that will support you, but you do not want to be lacking in that knowledge for your contact center. And it doesn't have to be a degree. It could be a certificate. There's AI certificates out there now. There's all sorts of different certificates you can go after. But, yeah, that would be my biggest step of advice, is make sure you have some technology in your background.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me in both my professional and personal life are integrity, empathy, and service. I strive to lead with transparency and accountability, ensuring that teams have the clarity, support, and trust they need to succeed. I am deeply committed to making a positive impact beyond the workplace, which includes active involvement with nonprofits such as Feeding America and various animal care organizations, reflecting my dedication to giving back and improving the lives of others. Balancing high-performance leadership with compassion, mentorship, and community engagement is central to how I operate and the legacy I aim to leave.