UnitedHealth Group announces new leadership team

UnitedHealth Group has announced changes to its senior leadership team, and Gail Boudreaux has announced her departure as executive vice president of UnitedHealth Group and CEO of UnitedHealthcare.

Part of Boudreaux's responsibilities included overseeing the company's programs related to the public insurance marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act. UnitedHealthcare also offers Medicare programs, saying that 20 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in one of the company's plans. The company also claims to be the country's largest Medicaid managed care organization, serving more than three million people in Medicaid, Medicare Special Needs Plans and Children's Health Insurance Programs across the nation. And UnitedHealthcare also offers programs for dual eligibles receiving full Medicaid and Medicare Parts A and B.

Reporting by Fortune implies that Boudreaux's decision to depart the company came after the new management team was decided and she realized that she was not part of the changes. In a press release, Stephen J. Hemsley, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, said he was "deeply grateful for Gail's many contributions to our enterprise." About the new management team, he said, “We are bringing forward the next generation of leaders to work together, over the next five years, to continue diversifying our offerings, advancing our industry-leading technology and data services, elevating our service levels, deepening our collaboration with customers, governments and care providers and innovating around consumers and next stage care provision.”

David S. Wichmann, currently chief financial officer, will serve as president of UnitedHealth Group, overseeing all of UnitedHealthcare’s domestic and international businesses. He also will be responsible for overall UnitedHealth Group performance. He will transition out of his current role over the next 12 to 18 months, according to the company.

Larry C. Renfro will remain CEO of Optum, the company's provider of information and technology-enabled health services. He also will become vice chairman of UnitedHealth Group, assuming additional UnitedHealth Group oversight responsibilities for all enterprise strategic relationships, key client relationships and for company-wide business growth efforts.

Wichmann and Renfro will continue to report to Hemsley; the three will be joined in a new "office of the chief executive" by Marianne Short, the company’s executive vice president and chief legal officer, as well as Ellen Wilson, executive vice president, Human Capital.

The company named Dirk McMahon, currently chief operating officer of Optum and CEO of OptumRx, as executive vice president, enterprise operations of UnitedHealth Group, reporting to Wichmann.

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