Abigail Nadler and Jason Morgan are both at the top of the corporate wellness game. They have fulfilling careers that offer national exposure and world travel. But they took very different routes to reach their success.
In the webinar presented by UW Health and Wellness Management, Abigail and Jason shared valuable experience and advice on how students can pursue and succeed in corporate wellness jobs.
Finding a Niche Among Corporate Wellness Jobs
Abigail Nadler is a health promotions advisor for M3 Insurance in Madison, WI. Her expertise is navigating the legal and strategic side of wellness program development and management. Abigail has capitalized on her mastery of this niche within corporate wellness to make connections across the state and country; the focus of her presentation was on marketing yourself and networking within the industry.
Abigail first became interested in corporate wellness jobs as a student at UW-Stevens Point. Her original career aspiration was to work with children, but a preventable, smoking-related death in her family turned her focus to health and wellness promotion. Abigail graduated with a major in health promotion and wellness and a minor in occupational health and safety psychology. She went on to intern at the Watertown Regional Medical Center, where she helped design and implement wellness programs for many businesses in the area.
“The best thing about my job is the chance I have to work with so many different employers and types of businesses. I get to figure out the nuances of every company and build the best program for each.”
Gaining Credibility Through Health and Wellness Connections and Certifications
Since landing at M3 Insurance, Abigail has thrived professionally; because M3 consults with employers across Wisconsin, she has made connections that have expanded her wellness reach. She is currently involved with, or a member of the board for: the Wisconsin Wellness Council, Wisconsin Workplace Wellness, The Wellness Council of America (WELCOA), the Wisconsin Initiative to Promote Healthy Lifestyles (WIPHL), and the State of Wisconsin. Her work with WELCOA has offered her the opportunity to present at a national level, providing professional visibility and credibility.
Furthering her authority within the field are her many certifications. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) through the National Commission of Health Education Credentialing, Inc.; as well as a Certified Worksite Wellness Program Manager (CWWPM) through the National Wellness Institute. Additionally, she is a certified member of the WELCOA Faculty.
Abigail is an esteemed member of the UW Health and Wellness Management program advisory board, and she is happy to further the field by sharing her extensive knowledge with the students of the program.
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Practicing Corporate Wellness Globally
While Abigail consults with companies throughout the region, Jason Morgan practices wellness on a global scale. He serves as the director of global health and wellness for GE Healthcare, where he oversees wellness initiatives for GE’s corporate offices in the Asian Pacific; China; Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Europe; India; US and Canada; and Latin America. The multicultural core of his work inspired the focus of his presentation: understanding the corporate culture and demographic of your audience, and catering to their particular values.
Forging His Own Path in Health Promotion and Wellness
Jason’s global reach started locally; he attended UW-Parkside, where he graduated with a BS in sports and fitness management. Further education at Carthage College and the University of Memphis led to a BS in exercise science and an MS in health science and health promotion. A brief, uninspiring internship led him to forge his own career path; he networked through friends and colleagues to find a fitness management opening at Chrysler, which he successfully campaigned into a nascent wellness management role.
“Fitness and nutrition are skills that can be learned; the real basis for a wellness career is relationship skills.”
Jason’s experience creating wellness initiatives from the ground up served him well when he moved to the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he conceived, designed, and implemented wellness programs for state hospitals—which, ironically, had been notoriously unhealthy work environments.
The promise of an intriguingly varied culture and client base brought Jason to GE Healthcare, where his influence on global health fulfills him professionally. He feels lucky that his initial intention to “go somewhere to play sports” led to a career wholly focused on the health and wellness of those around him, and he is excited to share his broad experience and categorical knowledge with the students of the UW Health and Wellness Management program.
You can learn more about the career outlook for the corporate wellness industry and find helpful job-searching tools in the About Health & Wellness Management section of the UW Health and Wellness Management webpage.