Blue Shield of California Announces Executive Changes to Support Growth and Customer Experience

Todd Walthall named Chief Operating Officer; Michael Mathias named to new growth initiative

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Sep 24, 2019, 16:30 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California has named Todd Walthall as the nonprofit health plan's Chief Operating Officer (COO) as part of several strategic organizational moves to enhance services to its plan members and position itself to drive health reform and growth initiatives.

The new COO role will oversee Blue Shield's sales and marketing teams, as well as its Customer Experience and Information Technology organizations. The COO is responsible for managing the company's $20 billion annual revenues and its services to 4.3 million plan members. Walthall reports to President and CEO Paul Markovich.

Markovich also announced that Michael Mathias, executive vice president of Customer Experience and Chief Information Officer, will move into a new role supporting growth initiatives reporting to the CEO.

"We are organizing to fulfill our mission and create a health-care system worthy of our family and friends, and sustainably affordable," Markovich said.

Walthall currently serves as Blue Shield's executive vice president of Markets, managing the company's commercial, individual and government markets. He joined the company in 2014 as senior vice president of Customer Experience, where he led all aspects of business operations, from enrollment to claims processing. He was responsible for developing the company's highly personalized digital solutions to enhance customer engagement.

"Our new structure will help us execute and build an operating model that fuels growth and ensures our members have a differentiated experience," Walthall said.

Markovich said the new role for Mathias will support company growth plans, including future collaborations and partners. "Under Michael's leadership, we have the technology and operational foundation required to be successful. Now, we will tap into his valuable experience to establish external partnerships that will accelerate our progress," Markovich said.

Mathias said the opportunities for Blue Shield to continue growing the company and driving health reform require dedicated focus and support at the leadership level: "I'm honored to have the opportunity to help lead Blue Shield's future-growth strategy and the difference we can make in more people's lives."

Blue Shield has launched a search for a new Chief Information Officer, who will report to Walthall.

About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives to create a health care system worthy of our family and friends that is sustainably affordable. We are a nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association with 6,800 employees, more than $20 billion in annual revenue and 4.3 million members. Founded in 1939 and headquartered in San Francisco, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medi-Cal and Medicare health care service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $500 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation since 2002 to have a positive impact on California communities.

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