Centene board member resigns, citing need for a fresh approach to leadership 

The late Michael F. Neidorff served as CEO of Centene from 1996 to 2022.

Photo: Steven Ferdman/Getty Images

On Friday, Centene Corporation's Board of Directors announced it had accepted the resignation of Leslie V. Norwalk from membership on the board. 

In her resignation letter, Norwalk cited leadership concerns, saying "Centene needs to refresh its approach to leadership," according to the St. Louis Business Journal. Norwalk said she was not confident that meaningful changes would be made in a timely manner, if at all, according to the report.

Norwalk is the former deputy administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President George W. Bush. 

The board said it appreciated Norwalk's contribution to the company and her service.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Norwalk's resignation from the board comes a month after Centene announced a new CEO. Sarah London, vice chairman of Centene, was appointed CEO, succeeding Michael Neidorff, who served as CEO 1996 to 2022. Neidorff, 79, died on April 7. He had announced a medical leave of absence in February.

London headed day-to-day management of the company. Prior to her appointment as CEO, London served as vice chairman of the Centene board of directors. In her management role, she led the company's technology and digital strategy, in addition to running the healthcare enterprises and specialty divisions, corporate strategy, quality operations, internal audit, compliance and risk management.

Before joining Centene in 2020, London was a partner at Optum Ventures, the venture capital arm of UnitedHealth Group. She formerly served as chief product officer for Optum Analytics, the business unit responsible for driving the strategy and commercialization of Optum's integrated data and analytics solutions into the provider, payer and life sciences markets.

The Board said Friday that it remains committed to the continued strengthening of the company's corporate governance practices. 

THE LARGER TREND

Since November 2021, Centene has implemented significant governance enhancements, it said, including the appointment of five new board members, refreshed chairs of the nominating and governance, audit, and compensation committees, the separation of the roles of CEO and chairman, the appointment of a new lead independent director, and the implementation of a mandatory board retirement age. 

Centene provides government-sponsored and commercial health insurance, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals, including Medicaid and Medicare members, individuals and families getting plans through the Affordable Care Act or the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. 

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com