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Health insurer CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has announced that its president and CEO Chet Burrell is set to retire in mid-2018.
Burrell has held this role since December 2007. He joined CareFirst after a long and varied career which included chief executive and leadership roles at health care technology and consulting companies RealMed and Novalis (which he also founded), Blue Cross and Blue Shield organizations in New York, and several executive positions in New York state government.
Stephen Waechter, chair of the board of directors of CareFirst, said: "Chet joined the company at a critical juncture for the organization and led a transformational makeover of the organization, our programs, and technology that has allowed us to dramatically improve how we serve our members and navigate a turbulent time in health care. At the same time, he brought a passionate, thoughtful approach to the role of fulfilling our company’s not-for-profit mission that has benefitted all of the communities we serve.
The company stated that its board of directors will launch a nationwide search for Burrell’s replacement.
"In searching for a successor, we will seek an executive with the skills and experience to both lead the organization, and help us meet our unique not-for-profit mission," Waechter added.
Burrell commented: "A decade of service to the mission of CareFirst has, for me, passed quickly. No matter the demands, it was never ‘work’ to me, as I felt drawn forward by our organization’s purpose, by our mission, by our cause."
CareFirst, BlueCross, BlueShield, Retirement, CEO, Stephen Waechter, Chet Burrell, US
