Welcome to this week's Chutes & Ladders, our roundup of hirings, firings and retirings throughout the industry. Please submit the good news—or the bad—from your shop, and we will feature it here at the end of each week.
CVS/Aetna
Aetna President Brian Kane, who joined CVS in September to lead the insurance segment, will depart the company, according to the company’s second-quarter earnings report out Aug. 7.
Aetna said in its report that CEO Karen Lynch will take over direct control of the health benefits segment and will be overseeing its "day-to-day" operations alongside Chief Financial Officer Tom Cowhey.
"Our integrated model and our strategy are enabling us to execute in a challenging environment and we are delivering the value our customers demand," Lynch said in the earnings report press release. "We are taking action today to ensure we make the most of our many opportunities, including leadership changes in the Health Care Benefits segment."
CVS will also tap Katerina Guerraz, its executive vice president and chief strategy officer, to serve as the chief operating officer for Aetna. Guerraz has 20 years of experience working at the insurer, CVS said.
National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) tapped Stephanie Katz as one of its vice presidents of reimbursement, innovation and advocacy. Katz will help lead efforts on pharmacy reimbursement across various payers and programs, concentrating on existing policies and crafting innovative and forward-thinking strategies.
NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson said: “In Stephanie Katz, NACDS has selected an outstanding candidate for this critically important new role. A key part of NACDS’ vision for the future of retail health, sustainability, innovation, and reimbursement modeling lies in improving policies and methods related to prescription drug reimbursement. Stephanie’s proven experience, knowledge, credibility, determination, and team focus will add immediate and future value to the NACDS membership.”
Katz most recently served as the assistant vice president for policy and advocacy at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. In that role, she focused on access to mental health and substance use disorder services and pharmaceuticals, federal programs, political strategy and a special initiative focused on maintaining access to the six protected classes of drugs within Medicare Part D.
Emtelligent
Medical AI company emtelligent tapped Katie Olaskiewicz as its director of growth and strategy. Olaskiewicz joins emtelligent from Google, where she developed successful go-to-market plans for new AI, ML and other highly technical products. Olaskiewicz is known for creating innovative data analyses resulting in significant increases in opportunity identification, improved messaging, product adoption, customer retention and financial growth. She has received many recognitions for her contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Olaskiewicz spent nearly five years at Google. In her role as an account manager of pharmaceutics and OTC, she engaged in relationships with top vertical clients, including Novo Nordisk, Gilead Sciences and Nature Made. She was then recruited onto a team to amplify team revenue impact by executing sales-focused programs.
> The National Pharmaceutical Council has promoted Tanya Bailey to the executive leadership team in the role of chief of staff.
> Outcome Capital added Charles Simmons as a third new managing director this year.
> myLaural appointed Clay Watson, M.D., as its new associate chief medical officer.
> AArete, a leading global management and technology consulting firm, announced the appointment of Michael Davison as chief financial officer.
> Dignity Health's St. John’s Regional Medical Center and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo announced the appointment of Patrick Caster as president and CEO.
> Dignity Health also appointed Jeremy Zoch, Ph.D., as the new hospital president and CEO for its Northridge Hospital Medical Center.