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Todd Gower recalls the day he returned to his home in the Republic of Panama, where he was living as an expat finance director for Marriott International Hotels. The decision had been brewing for some time, but that evening, it crystallized. Picking up the phone, he called his wife and delivered the news: “I’m done with hotels.”
It was a bold declaration, especially since he didn’t have a new job lined up or a clear idea of what would come next. What he did know was that his career in hospitality had reached its conclusion and that he had made the choice to move on.
“I realized I wanted something different,” Gower reflects. “I didn’t know what that was yet, but I knew staying where I was wasn’t it.”
The decision wasn’t one that Gower made lightly. It was the culmination of years of experience, countless challenges, and a growing sense that it was time to take a leap into the unknown. He thought if the change did not work, he could always come back. Over twenty-four years later, he has not.
“I love taking care of people,” Gower says. “But ensuring a great guest experience had run its course for me. Arguing about midcentury versus midcentury modern design wasn’t going to change my life. I wanted to make a bigger difference. I wanted to help people on a fundamental level, and healthcare offered me the opportunity to do that every day.”
Today, Gower is the chief compliance officer for L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan. Every day, Gower helps make decisions that will help millions of people. It’s a role he relishes even after working for some of the most recognizable names in healthcare, like Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield, and Ernst & Young’s healthcare practice.
For Gower, joining L.A. Care was not just a career move—it was an opportunity to make a difference. What drew him to the organization was its mission and unique role in serving one of the most diverse patient populations in the United States.
“It’s rare to find an organization with such a profound connection to the community and a diverse leadership team that is all rowing in the same direction,” Gower explains. “L.A. Care stands at the intersection of diversity, equity, and care, which is incredibly inspiring.”
But there was another reason L.A. Care felt right. It allowed him to channel the full breadth of expertise he had developed over his career in consulting and industry. “For the first time, I could focus all my tools and strategies toward serving a singular stakeholder: the member,” he says. Gower believes the members of L.A. Care are the heartbeat of L.A. County.
For Gower, the opportunity to unify his skills for a common purpose was more than appealing—it was a calling.
“Having been an advisor to C-suite clients, often in an interim, fractional or trusted advisor role, I thought it was time for me to apply all those experiences for a single institution,” the CCO explains.
The organization’s leadership team and mission-driven nature also attracted him. “Every person I spoke with during my interviews talked about the mission here,” he recalls. “It’s embedded into the DNA of this place.”
Since joining L.A. Care as an advisor to the chief compliance officer in the spring of 2021 and later stepping into the CCO role in the fall of 2023, Gower has been instrumental in shaping the organization’s compliance efforts amid the shifting realities of a post-pandemic world. Among his compliance initiatives is championing enhancing compliance oversight for home healthcare and hospice agencies—a sector that has drawn increasing attention from regulators and the Department of Justice.
“All of us have pressure points we may not recognize, and we all have insecurities that can surface in ways we didn’t foresee. Sometimes, you need support to identify the things you can’t see in yourself.”
Todd Gower
Gower emphasizes the critical need for robust compliance monitoring and auditing in these areas to ensure L.A. Care members receive high-quality care. “Home healthcare and hospice services are essential to the well-being of our members. Home healthcare supports recovery and helps prevent hospitalizations, while hospice services provide compassionate care to individuals during the most vulnerable stage of their end-of-life journey,” he explains. “Strong oversight is essential to ensuring these agencies meet the highest standards of care.”
His passion for improving at-home care is both professional and personal. Gower witnessed firsthand how evolving at-home protocols, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, transformed treatment possibilities. “New infusion techniques, advanced communication platforms, and diagnostic technologies have made at-home care viable for less severe, more treatable conditions,” he says.
By championing these innovations and embedding compliance at every step, Gower is helping L.A. Care Health Plan navigate a healthcare landscape where at-home care is becoming an increasingly vital component of patient recovery and overall system efficiency.
Those evolving possibilities were top of mind for the CCO as he had stepped away from the California Assisted Living Association (CALA) conference to speak with AHL. He discussed how, even beyond his role at L.A. Care, he champions healthcare innovation.
“I wanted to help people on a fundamental level, and healthcare offered me the opportunity to do that every day.”
Todd Gower
Gower currently serves on the board of directors for Doctor2Me, a gig-tech marketplace that connects patients with doctors either virtually or in person at patients’ homes. It’s an organization Gower is supporting because its healthcare model represents a change he and patients want to see.
“I know other companies have tried a concierge healthcare model, but it’s something I want to see work in our world,” Gower says. “I serve on the boards of a few different organizations that are utilizing technology in ways that I believe can serve patients and make people’s lives better.”
Curiosity is the thread that weaves through every chapter of Gower’s professional journey. Whether you’re exploring his résumé or having a conversation with him, it’s clear that his relentless drive to learn and explore has been the cornerstone of his success.
Gower is also a vocal advocate for executive coaching, particularly for those leaders in the compliance space. He views coaching not as a luxury but as a necessity for leaders tasked with navigating the increasingly complex demands of the field.
“As compliance officers progress in their careers, the stakes get higher, and the room for learning through failure narrows,” Gower says. “Having a trusted partner to bounce ideas off of—someone with the experience and insight to guide you—becomes invaluable.”
To Gower, executive coaching goes beyond mentorship. It’s a powerful tool for refining judgment, building confidence, and making critical decisions in roles where precision is paramount. This perspective underscores his deep belief in the transformative power of continuous learning and collaboration.
Gower’s curiosity has also driven him to connect with compliance professionals across industries—a move he describes as eye-opening. Despite differences in sectors or locations, the challenges these leaders face often share common threads, such as staffing issues or cybersecurity threats. Broadening his worldview through these conversations has sharpened his ability to convey the importance of building sustainable compliance programs across his organization.
However, for Gower, learning from others is not limited to strategy or initiatives. Sometimes, it’s personal. “All of us have pressure points we may not recognize, and we all have insecurities that can surface in ways we didn’t foresee,” Gower says. “Sometimes, you need support to identify the things you can’t see in yourself.”
Gower’s leadership philosophy is deeply rooted in reflection, growth, and continuous learning. For those in healthcare leadership—or anyone looking to expand their perspective—he recommends Michael A. Mason’s Gladiator Always. After hearing Mason as a keynote speaker, Gower was inspired to dive into the book, which he describes as a must-read for leaders navigating healthcare’s complexities.
Gower’s story is one of courage and conviction—a reminder that embracing change can lead to both personal growth and the opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of others.
RGP (Nasdaq: RGP) is a global professional services firm that powers the operational and change initiatives of our client base utilizing a combination of three distinct brands: On-Demand by RGP (on-demand talent solutions), Veracity by RGP (our consulting arm), and Countsy by RGP (our outsourced services). Regardless of engagement model, we Dare to Work Differently by leveraging human connection and collaboration to deliver practical solutions and impactful results. We are proud to have served 88% of the Fortune 100, and we annually engage with over 1,700 clients around the world with approximately 3,300 professionals.
