As insurers pivot their market and product strategies, executive leadership has been evolving at health plans and their parent companies.
Here are 17 health plan leadership moves to know from the second half of 2026:
- Humana’s Medicare Part D president, TJ Gibb, left the company through its early retirement program.
- Dan Kueter, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s commercial business, moved into a new role as chief commercial officer of UnitedHealth Group.
- Brandon Cuevas, who left UnitedHealthcare for Kaiser Permanente in 2023, came back to the insurer to take over Mr. Kueter’s role.
- Taft Parsons III, MD, left his role as CVS Health’s chief psychiatric officer in September.
- Ali Khan, MD, departed his role as Aetna’s chief medical officer for Medicare.
- De’Shanel Childs joined UnitedHealthcare as its Washington state COO. Her background includes work at Elevance Health, Centene, TriWest Healthcare Alliance and the Hawaii Medical Service Association.
- Kraig Dalton joined Elevance Health’s Wellpoint as COO of the Tennessee health plan. He brings broader Elevance experience to the role.
- Tom Kunst, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s Illinois commercial health plans, will now oversee the Michigan and Wisconsin markets, as well.
- Johns Hopkins Health Plans named Daniel Chojnowski as interim CEO.
- UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Washington named Scott Williams as CEO in August.
- Centene named Bradley Bolivar as chief information officer, succeeding Brian LeClaire, who will retire by the end of October.
- Gold Coast Health Plan tapped Christopher Lee as CFO.
- Frank Caporusso is serving as Blue Shield of California’s COO.
- Patrick Fox, MD, was named president of Carelon Behavioral Health after serving as president of Wellpoint New Jersey, both under Elevance Health.
- Patrick Gillespie, a former Elevance regional vice president of state affairs, succeeded Dr. Fox as president of Wellpoint New Jersey.
- Highmark named Gustavo (Gus) Giraldo, a former senior vice president at Aetna, as president of the health insurance division.
- Humana tapped Shantanu Nundy, MD, as the company’s chief medical officer.
At the Becker's 5th Annual Fall Payer Issues Roundtable, taking place November 2–3 in Chicago, payer executives and healthcare leaders will come together to discuss value-based care, regulatory changes, cost management strategies and innovations shaping the future of payer-provider collaboration. Apply for complimentary registration now.
