Highmark Health, Highmark Inc. and Allegheny Health Network announce new members to boards of directors

PITTSBURGH, July 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Highmark Health, Highmark Inc., and Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced today several appointments to and retirements from their boards of directors, effective immediately.

Highmark Health

Joining the Highmark Health board of directors are Joseph Hall, vice president of Goldman Sachs & Co., Farnam Jahanian, president of Carnegie Mellon University, and Morgan O'Brien, former CEO of Peoples Natural Gas.

Joseph Hall currently serves as a vice president at Goldman Sachs & Co. and is a co-founder of a web-based multi-media platform for training and corporate communications Acumen Global. He's also served on multiple corporate and nonprofit boards such as the Middle East Institute, the Washington Latin School, and the National Council on American Politics. 

Farnam Jahanian served as provost and chief academic officer at Carnegie Mellon before becoming the university's 10th president. He is a member of the executive committee of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness, a trustee of the Dietrich Foundation, and a board member of the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, among others. Dr. Jahanian also serves on the advisory board for World Economic Forum's (WEF) Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and is vice-chair of WEF's Global University Leaders Forum.

Morgan O'Brien is the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Peoples Natural Gas. Mr. O'Brien graduated from Robert Morris University where he now serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees. He also serves as current Chair of the United Way Campaign and serves on many boards and civic organizations, including the AHN Cancer Institute.

"Joseph, Farnam, and Morgan bring a great variety of skills and experience to the Highmark Health board," shared Joseph Guyaux, chairman of the board of Highmark Health. "These three leaders stand behind Highmark Health's vision and we look forward to their contributions to our organization as we continue to strive to improve the health care experience for those we serve across all of our markets."

Highmark Inc.

John D. McCarthy Jr., president of McCarthy Tire Service, will be joining the Highmark Inc. board of directors. Mr. McCarthy also serves as an officer and owner of McCarthy Development, McCarthy Realty, J-Bird Realty, and Premium Realty. He serves as the chair of the board of directors for the Earth Conservancy, sits on the Northeastern Pennsylvania regional advisory board for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, as well as on the boards for HRC Corporation, AllOne Charities, AllOne Foundation, Ecumenical Enterprises, and Landmark Bank Corporation.

Allegheny Health Network

Will Allen, co-founder and partner at Magarac Venture Partners (MPV) and former NFL athlete, will be joining the Allegheny Health Network board of directors. Before founding MVP, Mr. Allen co-founded Nascent Group Holdings in 2016, overseeing portfolio company executives, investment strategy, and providing strategic business insight to companies. He played for 12 years in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and currently serves the community through his Will Allen Foundation, the United Way of SWPA, Partner4Work, and Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

Board Retirements

Three members have also retired from the Highmark Health and Highmark Inc. boards. David M. Matter, retired Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Oxford Development Company, retired from the Highmark Health and Highmark Inc. boards; Dennis P. Brenckle, retired president of PNC Bank for Central Pennsylvania Region, retired from the Highmark Health board; and John P. Moses, Esq. retired from the Highmark Inc. board.

"The retirement of several outgoing board members is certainly bittersweet for our organization, and we wish them the very best," shared David Holmberg, President and CEO of Highmark Health and Chairman of the board for Highmark Inc. "I'm exceptionally grateful for their support and guidance provided to the leadership team as our organization experienced tremendous growth and transformation over the last decade, as well as the unwavering support provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. We welcome the new members to our boards and look forward to learning from them and growing with them for years to come."

Visit Highmark Health's leadership page to learn more about the organization's executive team and board of directors, as well as Highmark Inc.'s leadership page and AHN's leadership page.

About Highmark Health 

Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh, PA-based enterprise that employs 37,000 people who serve millions of Americans across the country, is the parent company of Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, and HM Health Solutions.  Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates provide health insurance to more than 6 million members in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and New York as well as dental insurance, and related health products through a national network of diversified businesses. Allegheny Health Network is an integrated delivery network comprised of thirteen hospitals, more than 2,500 affiliated physicians, ambulatory surgery centers, an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services, a research institute, a group purchasing organization, and health and wellness pavilions in western Pennsylvania. HM Health Solutions is focused on meeting the information technology platform and other business needs of the Highmark Health enterprise as well as unaffiliated health insurance plans by providing proven business processes, expert knowledge, and integrated cloud-based platforms. To learn more, visit www.highmarkhealth.org. 

About Highmark Inc.

One of America's leading health insurance organizations and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc. (the Health Plan) and its affiliated health plans (collectively, the Health Plans) work passionately to deliver high-quality, accessible, understandable, and affordable experiences, outcomes, and solutions to customers. As the fourth-largest overall Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization, Highmark Inc. and its Blue-branded affiliates proudly cover the insurance needs of more than 6 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and West Virginia. Its diversified businesses serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance and other related businesses. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.

About Allegheny Health Network

Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated health care delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The network is composed of 13 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home- and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. AHN provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women's health, diabetes and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,500 physicians on its medical staff, and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

SOURCE Highmark Health