Indianapolis health insurer Anthem Inc. has hired former United Healthcare CEO Gail K. Boudreaux to replace Joseph R. Swedish, who is stepping down as chief executive but will retain a leadership role in the company through 2020.
The changeover will happen Nov. 20.
Swedish, currently chairman, president and CEO, oversaw the failed merger bid with Bloomfield competitor Cigna, which was abandoned due to regulatory issues. During his tenure, Anthem experienced solid growth in operating revenue, share price and membership, according to George A. Schaefer, Jr., lead independent director of Anthem’s board of directors.
Swedish will continue as executive chairman of the board until May 2018, and serve as senior advisor through May 2020, the company said.
Boudreaux comes to Anthem after recently serving as CEO of United Healthcare, the medical insurance subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, where she had responsibility for approximately $120 billion in revenue, managed 60,000 employees and grew membership by more than 8 million members in just six years.
“The Anthem Board is confident Gail will draw from her extensive experience to deliver strong operating performance, excellent financial results and a laser focus on customer experience and shareholder value,” said Schaefer. “In an evolving industry, Gail brings the right skills for the times.”
Prior to United Healthcare, Boudreaux served as executive vice president of Health Care Services Corp. with responsibility for Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans in Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Earlier, she was president of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois. She began her career in Aetna’s management development program.
