Keeping an open mind helps employee keep moving forward
Published January 16, 2025
Part of a series about employees who have advanced in their careers and are filling different roles within Yale New Haven Health.
Michael Viner followed a career path that led him from his native England to YNHH.
Michael Viner is proof that career paths aren’t always linear. You can start off in one role and field and go in many different directions – sometimes crossing an ocean along the way.
He was one of five employees from Yale New Haven Health who shared their stories during a fall Pathways to Career Success webinar presented by YNHHS’ Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging councils.
Viner worked as a logistics manager in the Forensic Science Service in his native England for 15 years when he met his future wife – a Connecticut resident – on a bike trip in France in 1998. In 2001 Viner moved to the United States.
He joined Yale New Haven Health in 2003 and worked as a senior corporate contracts specialist with Corporate Supply Chain, negotiating contracts for equipment and supplies.
“I made it a point to understand how the items I was negotiating for were used,” Viner said. “I talked with clinical staff in the Cardiac Catheterization Labs and Radiology, who explained the equipment and supplies, and with physicians, who helped me better understand their clinical needs.”
Viner said he enjoyed that contact with the clinicians, so when a support manager position for the Heart and Vascular Center at Yale New Haven Hospital opened up, he applied for and got the job.
“I enjoyed my career in corporate contracts, but I wanted something that would help me grow,” he said. “On a personal level, this new position allowed me to play a small part in helping patients.”
Viner said he had a lot to learn – about cardiovascular conditions and treatments and being a manager. Management courses at YNHHS’ Institute for Excellence helped with the latter. Research, observation and asking a lot of questions helped with the former.
“I had to earn people’s trust in my new role,” he said. “I had to work hard and prove myself.”
Viner has successfully changed careers several times in his life. He credits the help and encouragement he’s received from colleagues and leaders who recognized his abilities. His advice to others who might be seeking a change: “Be open-minded. Ask questions and listen.”
