Keith to become first female CEO in the 85-year-old company's history
DETROIT, May 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's Board of Directors today appointed Tricia A. Keith as president and CEO-Elect. Ms. Keith, 53, will succeed Daniel J. Loepp as president and CEO following his retirement on January 1, 2025. She will become the company's first female chief executive and only the third president and CEO to lead the Blue Cross enterprise in the last 40 years. Ms. Keith currently serves as executive vice president, chief operating officer and president of Emerging Markets for BCBSM. She has been with the company, holding several senior executive roles, since 2006.
"After a six-month search, and thoughtful consideration of highly qualified candidates, the Board is proud to appoint Tricia Keith to serve as our company's next president and CEO," said Gregory A. Sudderth, chairman of the BCBSM Board. "No one is more ready to lead our great company into the future. Tricia Keith is a Michigan native, whose depth of knowledge and experience, her broad and accomplished track record of executive leadership, and abiding commitment to Blue Cross' mission make her the clear choice to take our company forward in service to our members and communities."
Daniel J. Loepp, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan until January 1, 2025, will retire as the longest-serving chief executive in the company's history. Among his many achievements during his more than two decades of leadership at BCBSM, Mr. Loepp transformed the company from a large single-state health insurance plan to a diversified multi-company enterprise of national scale.
"Transformational is the word that best describes Dan Loepp's legacy of leadership over more than 20 years," Mr. Sudderth said. "We have had two great leaders in the last 40 years – and now we are adding a third. Dick Whitmer restored our company's financial strength and integrity during a time of trouble. Dan Loepp transformed the company to succeed in this century. Now, Tricia Keith will provide the energy and vision to accelerate our success into the future."
"There are powerful forces of change impacting health care at this moment – technology, drug and medical cost growth, industry consolidation and others," Ms. Keith said. "The role that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan plays as a champion of our members' health, and the affordability of their coverage and care, puts enormous responsibility on the shoulders of our company's CEO. I am humbled by the Board's confidence, and I'm excited and honored to assume this responsibility in January."
"Our company, our thousands of employees and our millions of health insurance members in Michigan and around the nation will be in the best of hands with Tricia Keith," Mr. Loepp said. "She has the energy, experience, and innovative spirit our company needs as health care continues to change. She is the right leader at the right time for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan."
About Tricia A. Keith
A Michigan native and lifelong resident, she earned her Bachelor of Arts from Central Michigan University in 1993 and her M.B.A. from Michigan State University in 2009.
As executive vice president and president of Emerging Markets since 2020, she leads a $22 billion division of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan that includes AF Group, a workers compensation and specialty insurance company based in Lansing, Mich.; Blue Cross Complete, the company's Medicaid managed care subsidiary; and the company's Medicare business, including its subsidiary, Emergient, which maintains Medicare Advantage joint venture agreements with Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensed health plans in five other states.
Her steadily progressive executive career at BCBSM began in 2006. She has served as vice president, Corporate Secretary and Services (2006-2012); senior vice president, Corporate Secretary and Services (2012-2016); executive vice president, Chief of Staff, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary (2016-2020); and executive vice president, president of Emerging Markets since 2020. She added her chief operating officer responsibilities in 2022.
She has served as chair of Central Michigan University's board; chair of the Michigan Economic Development Foundation board; chair of the Detroit Business Improvement Zone board; and has served on the boards of the Detroit Regional Chamber, the Parade Company, and Downtown Detroit Partnership.
In 2012, she became the first woman in the 40-year history of the National Management Association to be recognized with the organization's Executive of the Year award.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit mutual insurance company, provides health benefits to nearly 5.2 million members. The company is committed to delivering affordable health care products through a broad variety of plans for businesses and individuals. Based in Detroit since 1939, BCBSM supports impactful community initiatives and provides leadership in improving health care across Michigan. BCBSM is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit bcbsm.com and MiBluesPerspectives.com.
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