Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey has named a new CEO, it announced Tuesday, with current Chairman, CEO and President Kevin Conlin becoming the insurer’s executive chairman.
Horizon BCBSNJ Chairman, CEO and President Kevin Conlin.
Gary D. St. Hilaire, the CEO and president of Pennsylvania’s Capital Blue Cross, will take over as Newark-based Horizon’s CEO and president effective April 6. Conlin, who took over for Robert Marino at the helm of Horizon in 2018, will continue to focus on the insurer’s strategic transformation in his new role, Horizon said in a news release.
“Gary is a fellow Blue Cross CEO and widely recognized as a visionary health care executive, entrepreneur and financial leader,” Conlin said in a prepared statement. “Horizon is leading the way to improve health care quality, affordability and the member experience, and Gary’s 30 years of experience as a health care innovator make him a perfect choice to lead Horizon’s executive team.”
St. Hilaire, who will also join the Horizon board, has been CEO and president of the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Capital Blue Cross since 2012. In that role, he has overseen an insurer that serves 21 counties in Central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. He joined Capital Blue Cross in 2005 as its chief financial officer, and was promoted to president in 2010 and CEO in 2012.
“Horizon is among the most forward-thinking health insurers in the country,” St. Hilaire said in a statement. “I am especially drawn to the company’s exceptional focus on putting members first and its unwavering commitment to building collaborative relationships with health care professionals, customers, employees, policymakers and other stakeholders for the benefit of Horizon’s members.”
Conlin now will focus on Horizon’s planned corporate form transition, while St. Hilaire focuses on refining and implementing its strategy, while directing day-to-day operations.
