Aetna President Announces Plan To Retire

Aetna CEO Ron Williams has announced he’s to retire. Williams will be replaced at the Hartford-based health insurer by current President Mark Bertolini. WNPR’s Harriet Jones reports.

The 60 year old Williams will step down as CEO at the end of next month. After a period serving as executive chairman, he’ll then leave the company entirely in April. He’s been with Aetna for ten years, the last five of them as Chairman and CEO. His retirement was described by the company as a personal decision.

Williams has been one of the most outspoken health insurance executives on healthcare reform, and the change brought by the new healthcare act will now be managed by his successor Bertolini. He joined Aetna from Cigna in 2003, and became President in 2007. In addition to the upheaval of healthcare reform he faces challenges in an industry that faces falling commercial enrollment, and skyrocketing medical costs.

For WNPR, I'm Harriet Jones.