Oregon Business Leaders, John Cimral and John Morgan, Join Regence Executive Team

PORTLAND, Ore., April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Regence announced today it has added two high profile business leaders to its leadership team. John Cimral, former CEO of ProSight, has joined the company as chief information officer, and John Morgan, former CEO of HemCon, as group executive vice president, direct health solutions.

"Both men are exceptional entrepreneurs who have repeatedly taken innovative ideas and transformed them into highly successful companies," said Mark Ganz, president and CEO of Regence. "Their vision and leadership experience will be invaluable as we develop products and services that help consumers improve their health and successfully navigate a rapidly-evolving health care system.  We are proud to welcome them both to our team."

John Cimral – Chief Information Officer

Cimral has nearly 25 years experience building and growing successful technology businesses, including Symantec's Norton Antivirus security products. He was also the CEO of ProSight, a computer software company that in 2004 was named "The Fastest Growing Business in Oregon" by the Portland Business Journal.  In addition, he has been involved in Software Association of Oregon for a decade and served as its chair for more than five years. In his new role, Cimral will be responsible for ensuring Regence's technology systems adapt to a consumer-driven marketplace.        

"Regence is an innovative mix of insurance and non-insurance companies.  Given the rapidly evolving health care landscape, we must continue to flex our systems to meet the needs of an increasingly consumer-focused marketplace," said Cimral.  "I look forward to diving into this challenging environment."  

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Cimral served in the Army for 12 years, reaching the rank of Major. While in the Army, he earned a degree in computer science from MIT and a degree in human resource management from Pepperdine University.

Cimral and his family live in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

John Morgan – Group Executive Vice President, Direct Health Solutions

Throughout his career, John Morgan has led some of the most innovative and well-known companies in the biotech and medical device industries.  Most notably, he served as CEO of Baxter International, Inc. and later, HemCon Medical Technologies, Inc. Under his leadership, the company developed the HemCon® Bandage in collaboration with the U.S. Army to stop severe, arterial bleeding - the leading cause of death on the battlefield. The company's significant growth was twice recognized by Fortune magazine's list of the fastest growing private companies, Fortune's Fast 500.    

Morgan joins Regence as group executive vice president, direct health solutions.  In this role, he will oversee the growth and development of the company's suite of consumer-focused health and wellness products and services.

"Regence is dedicated to providing consumers with a wealth of options to improve their overall health," said Morgan, new group executive vice president, direct health solutions. "I'm thrilled to join in this effort as we work to develop our new business strategy and expand our portfolio of companies."  

A University of Arizona graduate, Morgan has a bachelor's degree in public administration and economics. He is also serves on the boards of the Oregon Innovation Council and Oregon Bioscience Association. Previously, he served on Regence's board of directors.  

Morgan and his family live in Portland, Oregon.

About Regence

Regence is a nonprofit total health solutions company based in the Pacific Northwest/Intermountain region.  Through insurance, wellness, and consumer engagement products and services, Regence promotes health and helps people make informed decisions about their health care.  Regence serves nearly 2.3 million members in Oregon, Washington (select counties), Idaho and Utah.  Four Regence health plans are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.  For more information, please visit www.regence.com

SOURCE Regence