Optum Sees Second CFO Change Amid UnitedHealth Leadership Shake-Up

This year, UnitedHealth has also appointed a new group CFO, a new CEO of Optum, and new heads of Optum Rx and Optum Health, which manage the company’s pharmacy, clinic, and home-care services.

UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division has named Ben Eklo as its new chief financial officer, replacing Roger Connor, who is leaving the role after less than six months. Connor, appointed in May, will return to the UK.

Eklo, a company veteran with 18 years of experience, will assume the new position on November 1, a UnitedHealth spokesperson confirmed. Connor will remain with the company through April to support the transition.

The leadership change comes amid a period of management reshuffling at UnitedHealth, which has faced investor concerns following missed earnings targets earlier this year, the first such shortfall in over a decade.

Andrew Witty stepped down as chief executive officer in May, and was succeeded by board chair and former CEO Stephen Hemsley.

Addressing shareholders in June, Hemsley said the company was “realigning” its management teams across Optum and UnitedHealthcare to ensure the right leadership structure moving forward, adding that the process would be ongoing.

Connor previously led Optum Insight, which includes the company’s data, technology, and consulting services.

After his move to the CFO role in May, Dhivya Suryadevara, former CFO of General Motors, took charge of Optum Insight before being succeeded by Sandeep Dadlani, UnitedHealth’s former chief digital and technology officer, in September.

This year, UnitedHealth has also appointed a new group CFO, a new CEO of Optum, and new heads of Optum Rx and Optum Health, which manage the company’s pharmacy, clinic, and home-care services.

The memo stated that Connor decided to return to the UK to be closer to his family. Before joining UnitedHealth, he was a longtime executive at British drugmaker GSK Plc, previously led by Witty. The memo also mentioned other finance leadership changes within Optum Health and UnitedHealthcare’s government insurance plans.

Stay tuned for more such updates on Digital Health News