Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey on Tuesday announced Gary St. Hilaire as president and chief executive officer, and a member of the company’s board of directors, effective April 6.
Kevin Conlin, the company’s current chairman, president and CEO, will become executive chairman of the board, where he will continue to focus on several areas of strategic transformation.
Since 2012, St. Hilaire has served as president and chief executive officer of Capital Blue Cross, a Harrisburg, Pa. company that serves 21 counties in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. During his time as CEO, he led the company’s transformation into a national diversified family of companies, driving innovation with patient-focused care models, growth in ancillary services, and leading-edge data analytics.
As executive chairman, Conlin will continue to be involved in Horizon BCBSNJ’s planned corporate form transition that will increase the company’s investment in New Jersey’s health care economy. St. Hilaire will assume the top executive leadership role at Horizon BCBSNJ to refine strategy, align its implementation across the company, and direct all aspects of the company’s operations.
Conlin
“Gary is a fellow Blue Cross CEO and widely recognized as a visionary health care executive, entrepreneur and financial leader,” said Conlin. “Horizon is leading the way to improve health care quality, affordability and the member experience and Gary’s 30 years of experience as a health care innovator make him a perfect choice to lead Horizon’s executive team.”
Horizon BCBSNJ said that it is augmenting its leadership team with an eye toward the future as it continues to be the state’s leading facilitator of member-centric innovations and partnerships. The company is recognized nationally as a leader in developing collaborative partnerships to build value-based care and payment models that are helping transform New Jersey’s health care system.
St. Hilaire
“Horizon is among the most forward-thinking health insurers in the country. I am especially drawn to the company’s exceptional focus on putting members first and its unwavering commitment to building collaborative relationships with health care professionals, customers, employees, policymakers and other stakeholders for the benefit of Horizon’s members,” St. Hilaire said.
Under St. Hilaire’s leadership, Capital Blue Cross has grown its membership, acquired and launched new subsidiaries, achieved the JD Power Award for “Best in Member Satisfaction Among Commercial Health Plans” in Pennsylvania, and been recognized as a “Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania” each of the last two years.
St. Hilaire first joined Capital Blue Cross in 2005 as Chief Financial Officer. He was named President in 2010 before being appointed CEO in 2012. Prior to his time at Capital Blue Cross, St. Hilaire co-founded and served as chief financial officer of a health care technology company, served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and rose to vice president and corporate controller of a publicly-traded managed care organization. He began his career in 1986 with Deloitte & Touche.
The Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania honors are published by Central Penn Business Journal, like NJBIZ, a BridgeTower Media property.
