Mara Addison
About Mara Addison
Mara Addison is a Senior Vendor Performance Manager and Senior Contract Specialist at Highmark Inc., with extensive experience in vendor management and compliance oversight. She has a strong background in analyzing vendor performance, identifying cost-saving opportunities, and ensuring compliance across various health plan programs.
Current Role at Highmark
Mara Addison currently serves as the Sr. Vendor Performance Manager/Sr. Contract Specialist at Highmark Inc. since 2021. In this role, she operates in a hybrid capacity from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her responsibilities include overseeing vendor performance and managing contracts. She has implemented a program for the monthly review of contracting expiration dates, ensuring that agreements are not renewed without proper review. This initiative assigns responsibility to Performance Managers for managing agreements based on business needs and financial impacts.
Previous Experience at Highmark
Prior to her current position, Mara worked at Highmark Inc. as a Vendor Management Analyst from 2019 to 2021. During her tenure, she was selected for performance oversight of 30 external vendors within the Data & Analytics division. She acted as a Subject Matter Expert for Business Owners regarding contracting and best-practice service level agreements. Her efforts led to the identification of underutilized services, resulting in the closure of agreements and savings exceeding $1 million.
Background in Compliance and Publishing
Mara has a diverse background in compliance and publishing. She worked at UPMC Health Plan in various roles, including Medicare Compliance Specialist and Compliance Editor/Specialist, from 2014 to 2018. Her responsibilities included performing an enterprise-wide assessment of compliance requirements across health plan programs. Additionally, she served as Managing Director and Director of Publishing Services at Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc. for nearly 23 years, where she managed publishing operations.
Education and Expertise
Mara Addison holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Communication Rhetoric and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh. Her educational background complements her extensive professional experience in vendor management, compliance, and publishing. She has developed expertise in contract management, compliance oversight, and vendor performance analysis, contributing to her effectiveness in her current role.
Freelance Writing Experience
Mara also has experience as a Freelance Writer, having worked with Zipjob from 2018 to 2020. This role allowed her to develop strong writing and communication skills, which she has applied throughout her career in various positions. Her background in writing supports her ability to create clear and effective documentation in her current and previous roles.