Solving the unsolvable: How Mitchell Huzek, MBA ‘19 helped reinvent surgical kit tracking
When Mitchell Huzek joined ZS straight out of his MBA program, he set a big goal for himself: solve meaningful problems in healthcare. Fast forward a few years and he’s doing just that—building innovative supply chain solutions for medtech giants and leading projects that push the envelope on what’s possible.
Where passion changes lives
It was during his undergraduate years that Mitchell first realized he didn’t want a traditional career path. He was drawn instead to problem-solving, teamwork and the kind of impact-driven work he saw in consulting. Before joining ZS, Mitchell had already carved out a strong path in healthcare. His early career included hands-on experience in hospitals, medtech, logistics and distribution, giving him a well-rounded view of how manufacturers and providers function both clinically and operationally.
“ZS aligned perfectly with both my ambition and my past experience,” Mitchell explains. “It gave me the chance to build on what I already knew, while also pushing into new challenges.”
After completing his MBA in 2019 at William & Mary—an education he credits for giving him the resources to succeed in consulting—he started in ZS’s San Francisco office, diving into data and analytics for oncology clients. Working with the latest treatments and technologies gave Mitchell a deeper appreciation for how consulting could improve life and how we live it.
But a career at ZS is all about discovering your passions. Less than a year into the role, he transitioned to commercial pipeline and sales force alignment work, a move that broadened his exposure to go-to-market strategy while keeping him grounded in the oncology space.
Most recently, he found himself drawn to supply chain and manufacturing. “With a professional background rooted in distribution and inventory management, the new focus felt like a natural fit,” Mitchell says.
He joined a small group of colleagues making the shift to supply chain and manufacturing, and they immediately began shaping what would become one of ZS’s most innovative offerings. “It felt like a full-circle moment,” he reflects. “I started my career managing the nuts and bolts of distribution, and now I get to rethink and reinvent how it’s done—at scale and with impact.”
Bringing tech to the operating room
Mitchell’s latest milestone came through a collaboration with a global medical technology leader. The company was facing a common yet critical issue: surgical kits were being shipped to hospitals only to return unused or partially used, driving excess inventory positions that tie up working capital and create cash flow constraints.
“A mentor on ZS’s client team had identified an opportunity,” Mitchell explains. “They knew our background and asked if this was something we could help with.” From there, Mitchell and his team kicked off a three-month deep dive to diagnose the root of the problem and explore new ways to fix it.
The breakthrough came from a partnership with a startup that offers digital shipping labels that attach to surgical kit packages. This tech adaptation, combined with ZS’s analytics, allowed the team to dynamically redirect inventory in the field to where it was most likely to be used—all without routing it back through distribution centers. “This new tech solved the logistics piece of seamlessly rerouting field inventory,” Mitchell says. “But ZS analytics matched unused field inventory to its next-best destination to be used in an upcoming case. Together, it was a game-changer.”
Innovation without a playbook
For Mitchell, the best part of the project was the freedom to explore new solutions without being confined to a prewritten playbook. “It was a problem nobody had solved before,” he says. “ZS leadership gave us the autonomy and support to explore new possibilities and innovate.”
Mitchell believes this culture of trust and experimentation is part of what makes ZS so special. “People genuinely treat each other like people. It’s open, welcoming and collaborative. That’s what enables teams like ours to work so well together and push boundaries.”
Words to work (and live) by
Asked if he has any advice for others—whether they’re considering an MBA or just getting started in consulting—Mitchell shares a simple mantra: “Doing cool stuff is hard. But it’s worth it, especially when you’re surrounded by smart, driven people who are all in it together.”
This article originally appeared in the Life at ZS section in July 2025 as “Solving the unsolvable: How Mitchell Huzek helped reinvent surgical kit tracking” by Kailah Peters.