Independence Blue Cross Hires Susan Larkin as Vice President of Account Management

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Independence Blue Cross (IBC) today announced that Susan Larkin has joined the company as vice president of Account Management. She reports to Linda Taylor, senior vice president and chief marketing executive, and will lead a seasoned team that focuses on account management and retention for existing IBC accounts.

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Most recently, Larkin was vice president at Gallagher Benefits Services, the employee benefits division of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Prior to that, she was a principal at Brokerage Professionals Inc. where she led the healthcare consulting practice. A business leader in sales and account management, Larkin brings twenty years experience in the healthcare industry, providing creative benefit strategies for public and private sector clients.

"Susan is well-known and respected throughout the Philadelphia benefits community, and we are very excited to have her on board with us at IBC," said Taylor. "We invited her to join our leadership team at IBC because she is held in high regard among her past accounts and adds value to every business relationship she drives. And to boot, she is already very familiar with our products and services."

"It is both an exciting and challenging time in the healthcare industry," commented Larkin. "With multi-faceted experience as a consultant, program architect, and plan administrator, I view my new position with IBC as a unique opportunity to utilize my professional expertise. I am looking forward to making a difference in a dynamic organization that is an industry leader, and helping our customer groups offer their members benefits packages that are best for their needs."

Larkin will lead a staff of account managers and representatives whose goal it is to retain and expand existing business through quality account service. She and her team will identify new opportunities to offer superior account management to IBC's large local, national, health and welfare, education, and federal employee accounts.

"I believe that strong relationships and excellent customer service mean everything in this business," Larkin added, "so I'm eager to roll up my sleeves and get to work with the account management group and our clients to help reinforce the value of the Blue brand throughout our region."

Larkin has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Widener University. She resides in Media with her husband, Pat, and family.

About Independence Blue Cross

Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania. Nationwide, Independence Blue Cross and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.3 million people. For more than 70 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals. Independence Blue Cross's HMO and PPO health care plans have consistently received the highest ratings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit www.ibx.com.

SOURCE Independence Blue Cross