For the past 10 years, Ian Stevenson has played an integral role behind the scenes at Mid-Atlantic Emergency Medical Associates, helping support the financial operations that keep the organization moving forward while advancing MEMA’s mission of delivering exceptional emergency medicine care to the Charlotte community.
Now serving as Chief Financial Officer, Ian helps lead important operational initiatives and credits much of his success to the strong culture and teamwork within MEMA’s back-office staff, along with the organization’s shared commitment to serving the community through emergency medicine.
Congratulations, Ian, on 10 years with MEMA! We are grateful for your leadership, dedication, and continued impact on our organization.
What originally brought you to Mid-Atlantic Emergency Medical Associates? I was working as an analyst for a large corporate insurance company in my first role out of college. While the experience was valuable, I quickly realized I wanted to be in an environment where I could make a more meaningful impact on the organization. I posted my resume on Monster.com, and a recruiter reached out to discuss what type of company culture and environment would be the best fit for me. I told her I saw myself thriving in a smaller to mid-sized organization where I could contribute more directly to the company’s success. She introduced me to the opportunity at MEMA, and the rest is history.
What has kept you at MEMA for the past 10 years? In the finance world, there are not many opportunities to make a direct and meaningful impact on the community around you. At MEMA, that is exactly what we do every day through providing emergency medicine care to the Charlotte community.
When I first joined MEMA, I had very little knowledge of the medical field or the complexities of healthcare operations. Over the past 10 years, as I have gained a deeper understanding of the industry and witnessed how our organization has navigated countless challenges, it has only reinforced my belief that this is exactly where I am meant to be.
How has the organization evolved during your time here? When I first joined MEMA, we had roughly 66 employees on payroll. Today, that number has grown to around 150 between physicians, APPs, and administrative staff.
With that level of growth has come a wide range of new challenges, from operational complexity to scaling processes and systems to support the organization effectively. Our team has continued to evolve alongside that growth. Rather than shying away from challenges, we have consistently worked together to adapt, improve, and find solutions that position the organization for long-term success.
What accomplishment or milestone are you most proud of? The two accomplishments I am most proud of are stepping into the CFO role and helping modernize our internal payroll operations.
When my former boss, Chuck McGovern, retired after more than 25 years in the role, I knew I was stepping into a position held by someone who was highly respected throughout the organization. As you can imagine, following someone with that level of experience and reputation was intimidating. From the moment I stepped into the role, there were immediate challenges, and I often struggled with imposter syndrome early on. At the same time, I was determined to succeed and continue building on the strong foundation that had been established before me.
Looking back over the past two years, I feel proud not only of my ability to step into the position successfully, but also of the improvements I have helped make to our internal operations.
That leads to the second accomplishment I am most proud of: helping create and implement our new payroll software system. One of my primary goals after Chuck’s retirement was to modernize and optimize our outdated payroll processes. I wanted to build a system that was more efficient, scalable, and better suited for the complexity of our organization. The new system was implemented in August 2024, and so far it has been a major success for the company.
What do you enjoy most about your role as CFO? What I enjoy most about my role as CFO is taking complex financial data and turning it into something meaningful and understandable for our employees and leadership team. Finance can often feel overwhelming or disconnected from day-to-day operations, so I take pride in being able to simplify complicated concepts in a way that helps people better understand the “why” behind the numbers.
One of the most fulfilling aspects of the role is that the work goes beyond spreadsheets and financial statements. At the end of the day, the decisions we make financially have a direct impact on our physicians, employees, and ultimately the care we provide to the Charlotte community. Being able to contribute to that mission while also helping improve processes and drive the organization forward is what makes the role so rewarding for me.
How would you describe MEMA’s culture? The culture within our back-office team is something I am especially proud of. We are a very close-knit group that truly supports one another, both professionally and personally. Everyone is willing to step in and help when needed, and there is a high level of trust and collaboration among us.
What are you most excited about looking ahead? I am genuinely excited about the next 2–5 years as we continue to grow and evolve as an organization. With new opportunities on the horizon, I know there will be challenges that come along with that growth, but I see those as opportunities to continue learning, improving, and pushing both myself and the organization forward.
What do you enjoy outside of work? Outside of work, my biggest priority is spending as much time as possible with my daughter, Lily. Being a father is the most rewarding part of my life, and I value every opportunity I get to make memories with her.
I also enjoy a wide range of hobbies that help me recharge outside of the office. I love playing guitar, working out, playing tennis, playing video games, traveling, and trying great food and new restaurants. And for those who know me well, they know I am a diehard fan of the Buffalo Bills. Go Bills!