UnitedHealth Group announced Tuesday that Patrick Conway, M.D., would take the helm of its Optum division.
Conway, an insurance industry and health policy veteran, was previously the CEO of Optum’s pharmacy benefit management unit, Optum Rx. He also held leadership roles at the company’s healthcare delivery arm, Optum Health.
Conway will step in as CEO of Optum on May 6. His prior work includes serving as the director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which is responsible for developing critical payment models for government insurance programs.
He also spent several years as the CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.
Conway’s predecessor, Heather Cianfrocco, will shift into a leadership role at UHG’s corporate offices, becoming executive vice president of governance, compliance and information security.
Cianfrocco has held multiple leadership roles across UnitedHealth and Optum, including her own stint as the CEO of Optum Rx. Her new title will also take effect May 6.
UnitedHealth said in a statement that given her knowledge of the company’s business and more than a decade of experience as a lawyer, Cianfrocco will play a critical role in “the company’s commitment to strong governance and ethical oversight of our operations.”
“UnitedHealth Group announced today leadership changes consistent with its longstanding, intentional approach to developing an executive team with a range of experiences across its diverse portfolio of businesses and in ongoing service to its mission and the people it serves,” the company said in a statement.
UnitedHealth kicked off first-quarter earnings for the insurance industry with an atypically poor performance. The company cut its outlook for the year due to rising costs, particularly in Medicare Advantage, which sent its shares—and those of its peers—tumbling.
The healthcare giant is putting a focus on turning things around for the rest of 2025 and into the early days of 2026, CEO Andrew Witty told investors during the company’s earnings call earlier this month.