Centene announced Dec. 14 that it will add a total of five new members to its board of directors, with four appointees already named and the fifth yet to be announced.
Here is what you need to know about each appointee.
Ken Burdick
Mr. Burdick is a former vice president at Centene, where he helmed products and markets until retiring in January 2021. He joined Centene's executive leadership team after it acquired WellCare, where he served for five years, according to Mr. Burdick's LinkedIn profile.
Mr. Burdick also served as CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, and served on Preferred Homecare's board of directors for four years. He was also one of the two executives recommended by hedge fund Politan Capital Management during initial calls to restructure Centene's board.
Christopher Coughlin
Mr. Coughlin's background includes serving as a financial and operating leader at companies like Allergan, Alexion and Covidien, according to a news release from Centene. Most recently, as CFO of Tyco, he split the company into six entities to create shareholder value.
He was named a 2022 Director of the Year by the New Jersey chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors, according to the release.
Wayne DeVeydt
Before being appointed to his current position as executive chairman on Surgery Partners' board, Mr. DeVeydt served as the provider's CEO and director since 2018, according to Centene's news release.
Prior to that, he served as Anthem's executive vice president and CFO for nearly 10 years. He also served the payer as chief strategy officer, chief accounting officer, chief of staff to the chairman and CEO, according to the news release.
Mr. DeVeydt was Politan Capital Management's second board member recommendation.
Theodore Samuel
Mr. Samuel formerly served as the president at Capital Guardian Trust Co. and as global equity portfolio manager at investment management firm Capital Group, according to the Centene news release.
He currently serves on the board of directors at Bristol Myers Squibb and Perrigo.