Curtis Kopf Joins Premera Blue Cross As Vice President Of Customer Experience

News provided by

Oct 15, 2015, 12:00 ET

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash., Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Premera Blue Cross today announced that former Alaska Airlines and Microsoft executive Curtis Kopf has joined the company as vice president of customer experience.

In this new role, Kopf will oversee efforts that support Premera's goal of being a customer-obsessed health plan. These efforts will include embedding the customers' voice in everything Premera does, supporting employees' passion for customers, making interactions simple and easy and partnering with providers to enable a great experience.

"We have a great opportunity to make our customers' lives better by supporting their healthcare needs," said Kopf. "Customer obsession means making every interaction a great one, whether it is via a web site or mobile app, talking to one of our amazing employees or going to a doctor. Our employees are committed to helping build relationships that serve our customers and it is a privilege to work and support them."

"Curtis Kopf is a visionary leader who has built industry-shaping experiences at Seattle-based businesses we all know, such as Amazon, Alaska Airlines and Microsoft," said Premera CEO Jeff Roe. "Curtis joining our team speaks to the importance and focus of our customer-oriented approach to everything we do. We strive to enhance the service we provide to our customers in making healthcare work better – whether that's understanding costs for medical services, getting help managing a medical condition, or evaluating and enrolling in a health plan."

Prior to joining Premera, Kopf built industry-leading customer programs at both Amazon and Alaska Air Group. Alaska Airlines' mobile apps were recently recognized by Fortune magazine as the best travel apps in America. His work has been cited in case studies by bestselling author Patty Seybold and in Chief Customer Officer 2.0 by author Jeanne Bliss.

Kopf has a bachelor's degree from Brown University and a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University. This year he was named a top 25 customer experience leader by Future Travel Experience. He has taught mobile business strategy at University of Washington and is on the board of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Puget Sound.

About Premera

Premera Blue Cross is a leading health plan in the Pacific Northwest, providing comprehensive health benefits and tailored services to approximately 1.9 million people, from individuals to Fortune 100 companies. Premera is committed to providing its members peace of mind about their healthcare. The company offers innovative health and wellness solutions focused on quality outcomes for patients and controlling costs. Premera Blue Cross, which has operated in Washington since 1933, is a not-for-profit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Premera Blue Cross is a member of a family of companies based in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., providing health, life, vision, dental, stop-loss, disability, workforce wellness and other related products and services. The family of companies employs over 3,600 people and provides healthcare coverage and related services to over 1.9 million members.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140811/135242

SOURCE Premera Blue Cross