The Cigna Group shook up its management team amid rising healthcare costs and pressure from employer clients to hold the line on spending.
The announcement named Brian Evanko as president and chief operating officer at The Cigna Group, “with responsibility for all business lines reporting to Chairman and CEO David Cordani, effective March 31.” Evanko has led the company’s health insurance business, Cigna Healthcare, since January 2024, as that key unit’s president and CEO. He will now add all other businesses including Evernorth Health Services, which includes the company’s Express Scripts pharmacy benefits management operation.
“These leadership changes create a sharpened structure to build upon our strengths for continued growth, enhance our customer focus, and deliver even greater value for those we serve,” Cordani said. “The bedrock of our continued success is our exceptional talent. We have one of the most experienced leadership teams in the industry to ensure that we deliver on the bold commitments we have set for ourselves for growth and to further our impact.”
In addition, Ann Dennison, who joined Cigna last year from Nasdaq where she was chief financial officer, has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer, The Cigna Group, reporting to Cordani and joining the company’s enterprise leadership team. “In this capacity, Dennison will have responsibility for all enterprise financial operations and functions,” the company said.
Also given added duties is Nicole Jones, chief administrative officer and general counsel, who will “assume oversight of enterprise marketing,” the company said. “(She) will expand her portfolio of responsibilities to include enterprise marketing. This alignment brings together marketing with other functions Jones already leads including public affairs, federal and state government affairs, communications, legal, and human resources functions.”
Leaving the company at the end of April is Eric Palmer, who has run Cigna’s fast-growing Evernorth Health Services business for years. Palmer’s title has been president and chief executive officer, Evernorth Health Services, and executive vice president, enterprise strategy. “He has left a positive mark on the company and our ability to serve the diverse needs of millions of customers and patients,” Cordani said of Palmer.
Cigna reported more than $3.4 billion in 2024 net income including $1.4 billion in the fourth quarter as the health insurer worked to overcome rising medical expenses in its employer plans.
Cigna, which sells health insurance and operates one of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies, has been struggling like other health insurers to control costs amid an influx of patients seeking medical treatment.
Health insurers are seeing an uptick in claims submitted by patients that executives have said is driven in part by a pent up demand for medical care put off during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Cigna’s case, the company said its fourth quarter results “were impacted by higher stop loss medical costs.”
