Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon has announced Michael Cole as its new market president. In this role, Cole will oversee strategy and growth for the health plan that serves nearly 1 million Oregonians.
Cole brings more than 20 years of executive health care leadership experience across a wide spectrum of the industry, including payer, payment integrity and health care diagnostics. He has built strong, collaborative and results-driven cultures throughout his career.
He comes to Regence from Aetna, where he was president of the North Atlantic territory and president of the Aetna Keystone Market, and before that, he held leadership positions at HMS Holdings Corp., Quest Diagnostics and United Healthcare, among others.
“Michael is an influential leader with exceptional health care experience,” said Amadou Yattassaye, executive vice president of market growth. “He is the right leader to continue our commitment to providing high-quality care at an affordable price for Regence members and customers.”
“I am thrilled to be joining the Regence team in Oregon and I am committed to building on the company’s strong foundation of success and community engagement,” Cole said. His first day as Oregon market president will be Sept. 8.
In addition to his strong business leadership, Cole also has a record of significant community work, serving as a long-time board member at Erie Family Health Centers, a federally qualified health center providing safety-net care for the underserved. He also participates as a mentor to the health care startup community through a venture-backed health care incubator and has served as a diversity mentor throughout his career. Cole also serves on the strategic issues committee for the Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).
Cole earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a Master of Business Administration in finance and marketing from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
About Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, headquartered in Portland, has been serving Oregonians since 1941 and now provides nearly 972,000 people with comprehensive health insurance solutions. As a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com, facebook.com/regencebluecrossblueshield, or twitter.com/regenceoregon.