Welcome to this week's Chutes & Ladders, our roundup of hirings, firings and retirings throughout the industry. Please submit the good news—or the bad—from your shop, and we will feature it here at the end of each week.
CVS Health
Michelle Peluso was named chief customer officer at CVS Health, the first person to occupy the new role.
Peluso is a a seasoned marketing and sales executive who will be spearheading the company's plans to "transform" CVS' customer experience and its push for more digital health solutions, officials said. Peluso will directly oversee CVS' "marketing and brand strategy, digital transformation and the end-to-end consumer experience," the company said in an announcement.
Peluso served most recently as chief marketing officer for IBM and has also worked as the chief consumer marketing and internet officer for Citigroup. Peluso was also at one time CEO of Gilt and Travelocity.
Peluso will report to Karen Lynch, who will become CEO of CVS Health on Feb. 1, as a member of CVS' executive team.
Cigna
Eric Palmer became president and chief operating officer of Cigna subsidiary Evernorth on Jan. 1.
Palmer joined the company in 1998 and more recently served as chief financial officer. Palmer will have oversight of Evernorth's pharmacy services, care management services and benefit management services and will remain a member of Cigna's enterprise leadership team. He will report to Tim Wentworth, CEO of Evernorth.
The move sparked musical chairs of sorts at the company as Brian Evanko became Cigna's new CFO.
Meanwhile, Matt Manders assumed leadership of government business as president, government and solutions of Cigna Corporation; Everett Neville was promoted to executive vice president, strategy and business development; Aparna Abburi was promoted to president of Medicare; and Amy Bricker was promoted to president of Express Scripts.
American Hospital Association
Joy Lewis was promoted to fill the newly created role of senior vice president of health equity strategies at the American Hospital Association (AHA).
Lewis will have broad oversight for several key association priorities related to diversity, health equity and inclusion to support and build healthy communities. Lewis most recently served as AHA’s vice president for strategic health planning and will also serve as executive director of the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity. The new position will join the executive management group of the AHA, a team of 15 of the association’s most senior leaders.
Robyn Begley, R.N., who currently serves as CEO of the American Organization of Nursing Leadership as well as chief nursing officer for the AHA, will now oversee workforce strategies for the association.