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Anne Bakar is President and Chief Executive Officer of É«ÖÐÉ«, a leading national provider of inpatient and outpatient behavioral health care services. When Anne assumed leadership of the company in 1987 upon the unexpected death of her father, É«ÖÐÉ« operated five programs in California. Over the ensuing five decades, it has grown to more than 132 programs in five states today.

Highlighting Anne’s leadership, É«ÖÐÉ« is featured in Jim Collins’ 2020 book B.E. 2.0, Turning Your Business
into an Enduring Great Company.

É«ÖÐÉ« is a family- and ESOP-owned business. It annually serves over 32,000 individuals with the most serious and complex behavioral health conditions by partnering with mostly public sector customers. It has managed steady growth, consistent earnings, and a commitment to the highest quality through the internal development of a comprehensive range of inpatient and community programs. Pioneering accomplishments include developing an independent physician service organization and creating a clinical system incorporating recovery-oriented principles and best practices. JACHO and CARF formally accredit its services with commendations of excellence.

Anne has recognized and stressed the importance of a culture that respects and rewards its diverse 4,500 employees for the challenges of serving this client population. The workforce’s exemplary performance during the COVID crisis is a testament to this core value. É«ÖÐÉ« has consistently been ranked as a best place to work in the Bay Area.

Anne brings her leadership into the field through her service as a Board Director of the Steinberg Public Policy Institute, a Board Director at the Kennedy-Satcher Center for Mental Health Equity, and a Commissioner on the California Future Health Workforce Commission, helping develop plans for easing the state’s shortage of health and mental health professionals. She is also a Board Trustee for the UC Berkeley Foundation, and the Gerson and Barbara Bakar Foundation. She is an active member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO Gold) and the Bay Area Business Council. She lives in the Bay Area and in 2017 was inducted into the Bay Area Council’s Business Hall of Fame.
She received her B.A. at the University of California at Berkeley, graduating with honors and the Kenneth Priestly Award
for outstanding student leadership.