The Board of Directors of UnitedHealth Group named Sir Andrew Witty as chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding David S. Wichmann, who is retiring after successfully guiding the company through a period of growth and innovation and the deeply challenging onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sir Witty will rejoin the UnitedHealth Group Board of Directors and became CEO immediately on February 4, 2021. Mr. Wichmann is continuing in a transition period through March 2021. Sir Witty, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) John Rex, and Dirk McMahon, as the new president and chief operating officer (COO), will constitute the company’s Chief Executive Office.
Sir Witty was named CEO of Optum in March 2018 and in November 2019 became president of UnitedHealth Group. He previously served as a UnitedHealth Group company director. From April 2020 to December 2020, Sir Witty took an unpaid leave of absence from his company positions to serve as a Global Envoy for the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 efforts. He also served as an advisor to the UK Government Vaccine Taskforce. From 2008 to 2017, Sir Witty was CEO and a director of the leading pharmaceutical manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK).
Mr. McMahon has served as CEO of UnitedHealthcare since June 2019. Prior to this role, McMahon was president and COO for Optum. Mr. McMahon has served in a number of leadership positions across the enterprise since joining the company in 2003, including CEO of OptumRx, overseeing UnitedHealth Group’s pharmacy benefit management programs, along with various management positions in information technology, operations and finance. Before joining UnitedHealth Group, Mr. McMahon was head of airport operations worldwide for Northwest Airlines.
As executive vice president and CFO of UnitedHealth Group since June 2016, Mr. Rex has an expansive operating, growth and finance portfolio. He joined the company in 2012 as executive vice president and CFO of Optum. Prior to that, Mr. Rex was a leading equity research analyst; served as a strategy and operational consultant; and practiced as a certified public accountant across several health care sectors.
Mr. Wichmann joined UnitedHealth Group in 1998 and became its CEO in September 2017. He served as CFO from 2011 until mid-2016 when he became president. He had previously led UnitedHealthcare and UnitedHealth Group’s enterprise-wide operations and technology efforts, along with external development, M&A and integration activities at the company.
UnitedHealth Group is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. In the announcement, the company reiterated its 2021 outlook for adjusted net earnings of $17.75 to $18.25 per share and its commitment to a long term 13% to 16% growth rate.
This was reported by UnitedHealth Group on February 4, 2021.
Contact information: UnitedHealth Group, Post Office Box 1459, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440; 800-328-5979; Website: www.unitedhealthgroup.com
