Total Health

Dr Penny Wheeler

CEO, Allina Health

Penny Wheeler, MD, is chief executive officer of Allina Health. Before she was appointed CEO, she served as president and chief clinical officer of Allina Health, responsible for leading the organization's quality and value agenda through alignment of the clinical and operational leadership to optimally benefit those served by Allina Health. A board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist, Dr. Wheeler served patients at Women's Health Consultants in Minneapolis, was the president of Abbott Northwestern Hospital's medical staff, chaired the Allina Health Quality Committee and served on the Allina Health Board of Directors.

Dr. Wheeler sets the overall strategic direction for Allina Health, focusing on ensuring that the organization delivers exceptional care and supports the health and well-being of all those served.

Under Dr. Wheeler’s leadership, Allina Health has sharpened its focus on serving those who have not always been well-served by the health care system, including individuals with disabilities through the creation of Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute; those with mental illness and addiction issues through significant investments in Allina Health’s mental health capabilities.

Dr. Wheeler serves on the board of Portico Healthnet, an organization dedicated to helping uninsured Minnesotans receive affordable health coverage and care, St. Thomas University, the University of Minnesota Foundation, and is the incoming chair of the American Hospital Association’s System Council. She was also named to the Board of Cedar, an organization that eases the strain of financial billing for those served.

Modern Healthcare recognized Dr. Wheeler as one of the top 25 women in health care. In addition, she received an award as one of the 100 most influential people in health care and was recognized as one of the 50 most influential clinical executives.

Her educational background includes an undergraduate degree with honors from the University of Minnesota and a doctorate of medicine degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Bob Bradway

Chairman and CEO, Amgen

Robert A. Bradway is Amgen’s chairman and chief executive officer. He became chairman in January 2013 and chief executive officer in May 2012. Bradway served as the company’s president and chief operating officer from May 2010 to May 2012, and was appointed to the Amgen Board of Directors in October 2011. He joined the company in 2006 as vice president, Operations Strategy, and served as executive vice president and chief financial officer from April 2007 to May 2010.

Prior to joining Amgen, Bradway was a managing director at Morgan Stanley in London where, beginning in 2001, he had responsibility for the firm’s banking department and corporate finance activities in Europe. He joined Morgan Stanley in New York as a health care industry investment banker in 1985 and moved to London in 1990.

Bradway is a member of the board of directors of The Boeing Company, chairing its Finance committee and serving on its Audit committee. He also serves as a board member of the W. M. Keck Foundation, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), and the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing cancer treatment and prevention. In addition, Bradway serves on the board of trustees of the University of Southern California, and he is a member of the American Heart Association CEO Roundtable, which is helping the Association meet its goal of improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans.

Bradway holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Amherst College and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University.

Michael Neidorff

Chairman, President and CEO, Centene

Michael Neidorff is Centene Corporation's chairman, president and chief executive officer. A recognized leader in the industry, he is committed to building a multi-national healthcare enterprise while upholding Centene's local approach to healthcare. He demonstrates a history of successfully implementing programs and services under Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial managed care. Under his leadership, Centene has grown from a $40 million corporation to a publicly traded (NYSE: CNC), FORTUNE® 100, diversified, healthcare enterprise.

Michael Neidorff became president and chief executive officer of Centene Corporation in 1996. The company established operations in all 50 states – to become the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the U.S. and the top insurer in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Revenues are expected to exceed $110 billion in 2020. Centene now delivers high-quality and accessible healthcare to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation.

Centene provides accessible, cost-effective coverage to the rising number of under-insured and uninsured people in communities across the U.S. Under Mr. Neidorff's leadership, Centene has expanded from operating Medicaid health plans solely in Wisconsin and Indiana, to operations in every state, serving more than 23 million managed care and TRICARE eligible individuals.

Mr. Neidorff's record of transformative leadership is proven in the healthcare industry. In 1985, he started Physicians Health Plan of Greater St. Louis, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. He served as the president and chief executive officer from 1985-1995, and grew the plan to be one of UnitedHealth Group's most successful and profitable plans in the country. From 1995-1996, he served as the regional vice president of Coventry Health Care, Inc., a publicly traded managed care organization, and as the president and chief executive officer of one of its subsidiaries, Group Health Plan Inc. in St. Louis. He also served in international senior executive positions at Miles Laboratories/Bayer AG.

Michael Neidorff dedicates significant time to civic organizations. He is a board member of the National Urban League and served as its chairman from 2014-2019. In 2015, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis. He served as a member of the board of directors for the Greater St. Louis Boy Scouts of America since 1990, serving as Pathfinder district chair, vice chairman and chairman of the Special Needs Committee, vice president of Finance, and council president. Mr. Neidorff is a member of the board of trustees for Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, his alma mater, and previously served as chairman of the board.

Dr. Anne Klibanski

President and CEO, Mass General Brigham

Anne Klibanski, M.D., is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mass General Brigham, a Boston-based integrated health care system that includes internationally known Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, nationally recognized specialty hospitals, including Mass Eye and Ear, McLean, and Spaulding Rehabilitation, seven community hospitals, a health insurance company, physician networks, community health centers, home care, and long-term care services. 

As the largest private employer in Massachusetts with 78,000 employees and annual revenue of $13.4 billion, the non-profit health care system is the nation’s leading recipient of National Institutes of Health funding and is a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, establishing the health care system’s position as a national leader in medical research and teaching. 

Appointed to her role as President and CEO in June 2019, Dr. Klibanski’s vision for Mass General Brigham is to build the integrated academic health care system of the future with patients at the center, transforming care, improving outcomes, and expanding impact locally, nationally, and globally. 

Dr. Klibanski has served as the health care system’s Chief Academic Officer and as Chief of Neuroendocrine at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is recognized internationally for her high-impact research in neuroendocrine disorders and pituitary tumors. 

Dr. Klibanski received her B.A., magna cum laude in literature from Barnard College and her M.D. from New York University Medical Center. She is the Laurie Carrol Guthart Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Karen Ignagni

President and CEO, Emblem Health

Karen Ignagni serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the EmblemHealth family of companies.

EmblemHealth has protected access to quality care for essential workers, small and large businesses, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries through its health plans, EmblemHealth and ConnectiCare for over 80 years. It has built a network of over 40 primary and specialty physician practices through AdvantageCare Physicians and BronxDocs. EmblemHealth Health@Work plays a critical role in serving the occupational health needs of eastern New York and EmblemHealth Family Dental Practices serve New York State workers. EmblemHealth recently launched WellSpark, a national wellness company focused on bridging the gap between physical and mental wellness.

During her tenure as CEO and President, Ms. Ignagni has led an unprecedented modernization effort with a relentless focus on the customer experience. EmblemHealth’s growth and expansion of services has led to many accolades for her leadership in the health care industry, earning recognition by leading publications including the New York Times, City and State, Modern Healthcare, Crain’s, National Journal, Time Magazine, and Fortune Magazine.

In 2021, Ms. Ignagni was once again named one of City & State New York’s Labor Power 100 and City & State New York’s Health Power 100. In 2020, Ms. Ignagni was recognized for her work by several publications including, Crain’s New York Business’ Notable in Health Care leaders, City & State New York’s Health Power 100, Labor Power 100, and Women’s Power 100 and was named one of Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2020 Women to Watch in Health IT. In 2019, Ms. Ignagni was named one of Crain’s New York Business’ 50 Most Powerful Women in New York and was on the list of City & State New York’s Labor Power 100, The Responsible 100, and Women Power 100. She serves on the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls, the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) State Insurance Advisory Board, the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) State Insurance Women Leadership Committee and also on the New York State Department of Health’s Marketplace Advisory Committee. In 2018, she was named one of Crain’s New York Business’ Notable Women in Health Care, named one of Becker’s Hospital Review’s Female Health IT Leaders to Know and was on the list of City & State New York’s Women Power 100. From 2017 – 2019, Ms. Ignagni served as Chair of Columbia University’s National Board of Advisors for Health Policy and Management at the Mailman School of Public Health. From 2016 – November 2019, she served on the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs Special Medical Advisory Committee.

Prior to joining EmblemHealth in 2015, Ms. Ignagni was President and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the insurance industry association that represents providers of health and supplemental benefits to more than 200 million Americans. Under her leadership, AHIP became the leading voice for the health plan community.

Ms. Ignagni also directed the AFL-CIO’s Department of Employee Benefits. She was a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee and worked at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Ms. Ignagni resides in New York City with her husband.

Stephane Bancel

CEO, Moderna

Stéphane Bancel has served as Moderna's Chief Executive Officer since October 2011 and as a member of Moderna’s board of directors since March 2011. Before joining the Company, Mr. Bancel served for five years as Chief Executive Officer of the French diagnostics company bioMérieux SA. From July 2000 to March 2006, he served in various roles at Eli Lilly and Company, including as Managing Director, Belgium and as Executive Director, Global Manufacturing Strategy and Supply Chain. Prior to Lilly, Mr. Bancel served as Asia-Pacific Sales and Marketing Director for bioMérieux.

Mr. Bancel currently serves on the board of directors of Qiagen N.V. and Indigo. He is currently a Venture Partner at Flagship Pioneering and a trustee of the Museum of Science in Boston. Mr. Bancel holds a Master of Engineering degree from École Centrale Paris (ECP), a Master of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Eugene A. Woods

President and CEO, Atrium Health

Eugene A. Woods, MBA, MHA, FACHE, is president and chief executive officer of Atrium Health, a nationally leading, non-profit health system with more than 70,000 teammates serving patients at 42 hospitals and over 1,500 care locations across four states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia. It also includes Wake Forest Baptist Health and Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Atrium Health Navicent in Macon, Georgia.

Woods joined Atrium Health in April 2016 and, during his tenure, Atrium Health also has been recognized as one of the Best Employers for Diversity, for new grads and for Women by Forbes; number one on the list of Best Places to Work for Women & Diverse Managers by DiversityMBA; one of the 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare by Becker’s Healthcare; and the number one military-friendly employer in the country. In addition, the organization has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report, Leapfrog Group and the American Nurses Credentialing Center as among the very best in the nation and was honored by the American Hospital Association with the Equity of Care Award and one of the first-ever Quest for Quality honors for its Rehabilitation Hospital. Most recently, Atrium Health was recognized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a 2020 CMS Health Equity Award recipient for its dedication to health equity by reducing disparities and enabling communities to achieve the highest level of health.

One of today’s most prominent leaders in healthcare, Woods served as chairman of the American Hospital Association board of trustees in 2017 and is currently chair of the Nominating Committee as well as a member of the Health, Strategy and Innovation Committee. Woods has also served as a member of The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council, and currently serves on the Becker’s Healthcare’s Advisory Board, Scottsdale Institute’s Board of Directors, the board of Best Buy, the Executive Committee of the Healthcare Leadership Council and as chair of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Woods also was appointed to the North Carolina Council for Health Care Coverage and the North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s Economic Recovery Task Force. And, most recently, the Governor’s Andrea Harris Social, Economic, Environmental and Health Equity Task Force to help address disparities in communities of color that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Woods has 30 years of healthcare leadership experience, and his career is decorated with many honors, including his most recent recognitions as #7 of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare and one of the Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare – as well as being one of only five “Luminaries,” honored for their career-defining work in reshaping the industry – by Modern Healthcare. He has also been named a Healthcare Pioneer for Black History Month 2021 by Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission; the recipient of the Whitney M. Young Jr. award for service to the state of North Carolina by the Urban League of Central Carolinas; the recipient of the Charlotte Business Journal’s 2020 Business Person of the Year; the 2020 Distinguished 400 Award recipient by the 400 Years of African American History Commission; one of the 50 Great African American Leaders, as well as one of the 100 Great Leaders in Healthcare by Becker’s Healthcare; one of the Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America by Savoy Magazine; one of the Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America by Black Enterprise; one of the Most Admired CEOs of 2018 by the Charlotte Business Journal; one of the 2019 Power 100 honorees by Business North Carolina; Senior Executive of the Year by the National Association of Health Service Executives; and Alumni of the Year by the Pennsylvania State University.

Woods holds three degrees from the Pennsylvania State University: a bachelor’s degree in health planning and administration, a master’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in health administration.

Brian Thompson

CEO, UnitedHealthcare

Brian Thompson was named chief executive officer for UnitedHealthcare in April 2021. Prior to this role, Brian served as chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare's government programs including Medicare & Retirement, the largest business dedicated to the health and well-being needs of seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries; and Community & State, which proudly serves 6 million Medicaid members in 31 states, plus Washington D.C.

Prior to leading government programs, Brian served as chief executive officer of the Medicare & Retirement organization. Brian joined UnitedHealth Group in 2004 and since then has held numerous leadership positions including chief financial officer for UnitedHealthcare’s Employer & Individual, Community & State and Medicare & Retirement businesses. In addition, he has served as the financial controller for UnitedHealthcare's Employer & Individual business as well as a director in Corporate Development.

Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group, Brian was a practicing CPA at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, serving as a manager in the Transaction Advisory Services group of the Audit practice.

Nancy Howell Agee

President and CEO, Carilion Clinic

Nancy Howell Agee is president and chief executive officer of Carilion Clinic, a nearly $2 billion not-for-profit integrated health system headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, serving more than 1 million people in Virginia and West Virginia.

Carilion Clinic includes seven hospitals ranging from the third largest in Virginia to mid-sized community and small rural or critical access hospitals. Carilion also operates complementary business lines, including home health, imaging services, pharmacies and free-standing surgical clinics and has a large physician group with more than 1,000 employed physicians.

Before becoming CEO in 2011, Ms. Agee served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. During her tenure as COO, she co-led Carilion’s reorganization from a collection of hospitals to a fully integrated, physician-led clinic. The reorganization resulted in a partnership with Virginia Tech to create an allopathic medical school and research institute.

Ms. Agee is recognized nationally as a health care leader and currently serves as chair of the American Hospital Association, a membership organization representing the nation’s 5,000 hospitals and health care systems. She was named one of Modern Healthcare’s top 25 women in health care in 2017 and one of the national magazine’s 100 most influential people in health care in 2016 and 2017. She is a former member of The Joint Commission’s Board of Commissioners and past chair of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association and the Virginia Center for Health Innovation.

Dr. Susan Turney

President and CEO, Marshfield Clinic

Dr. Susan L. Turney is the CEO of Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS), taking on that role September 1, 2014. Through its entities, MCHS provides patient care, research, education, health care technology and health insurance for Wisconsin and beyond.

She is recognized as a national thought leader in health care and expert in strategic planning, executive management and external relations. She is sought out as a speaker by national organizations to discuss the business of this industry and is a member of the Modern Healthcare CEO Power Panel, including representatives of the nation’s largest hospital, physician practice, insurer, trade association and think tank organizations.  She was named to Modern Healthcare’s list of 50 Most Influential Physician/Clinical Executives from 2012-2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 and on its list of 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2012- 2014, and 2019. Dr. Turney received the Wisconsin Medical Society’s Directors Award in 2017.  She was named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s list of 27 Female Physician Executives to know in 2018 and named Distinguished Leader by MGMA-ACMPE in 2018. Dr. Turney was named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s list of 105 Physician Leaders to Know in 2019.

Prior to her current MCHS position, Dr. Turney was President and CEO, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), the leading association for medical group practice administrators and executives, from 2011-14. She was CEO and Executive VP of the Wisconsin Medical Society from 2004-11.  She is a Fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives (FACMPE), having earned that distinction in 2005.

For 22 years, from 1982-2004, Dr. Turney was an internal medicine physician at Marshfield Clinic, serving in education and leadership roles and as medical director for Patient Financial Services from 1995 to 2004.

Dr. Turney, a native of Mellen, Wisconsin, graduated from Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin; and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. She completed her internal medicine residency at Marshfield Clinic/Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield, Wisconsin, and earned a masters degree in administrative medicine from UW-Madison.