Top 10: CEOs in Healthcare

Healthcare companies are facing the challenges of workforce shortages and an inequity in healthcare access, as the industry still struggles with the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To solve these issues, companies must have strong leadership to provide quality care for their patients, including pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and surgical tools.

Healthcare Digital ranks the top CEOs, based on their company’s revenue, shaping the healthcare industry through their innovative and responsible leadership.

10. Thomas Schinecker

Company: Roche
CEO since: 2023
Revenue: US$66bn

Thomas Schinecker is CEO of Roche Group, working to advance medicine and diagnostics to help improve patients’ lives.

He joined Roche in 2003, working his way up the company before serving as CEO of Roche’s Diagnostics department and its Pharmaceutical department after one another.

Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from New York University, using his knowledge of the healthcare sector to oversee each of the company’s divisions in his current role.

9. Sam Hazen

Company: HCA Healthcare
CEO since: 2019
Revenue: US$70.6bn

Sam Hazen is the CEO of HCA Healthcare, which is one of the US’s largest healthcare service providers with 179 hospitals and around 2,000 care sites.

He was appointed to the CEO role in 2019 after holding the position of President and Chief Operating Officer since 2016.

HCA Healthcare has become a notable provider of clinical and medical education, being the largest sponsor of graduate medical education programmes in the US.

8. Joaquin Duato

Company: Johnson & Johnson
CEO since: 2022
Revenue: US$88.8bn

Joaquin Duato is the Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, which is one of the world’s largest and most diversified healthcare products companies.

He joined Johnson & Johnson in 2005, working in the company’s Ortho Biotech Products division, before taking on his first global leadership role in 2011.

Joaquin said on LinkedIn: “This is a golden era for healthcare.

“Our teams are challenging convention and reimagining what’s possible by embracing new technology to accelerate both the pace of discovery and the delivery of health breakthroughs.”

7. Sarah London

Company: Centene
CEO since: 2022
Revenue: US$163.1bn

Sarah London is the CEO of Centene, a healthcare enterprise focused on government-sponsored healthcare programmes.

The company focuses its work primarily on under-insured and uninsured patients, offering affordable products to more than one in every 15 people in the US.

Sarah has spent her career working in health data, technology and transforming healthcare delivery.

She was previously Vice Chairman at Centene, where she was responsible for strategy, technology and enterprise compliance as well as overseeing Centene’s portfolio of independent healthcare companies.

6. Gail Boudreaux

Company: Elevance Health
CEO since: 2017
Revenue: US$175.2bn

Gail Boudreaux is the President and CEO of Elevance Health, previously serving as an executive for other health insurance companies including UnitedHealth Group, Aetna and BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois.

In her role as CEO, she oversees Elevance Health’s nearly 100,000 associates and its portfolio of plans and subsidiaries.

She holds qualifications in psychology, sociology and business administration in finance and healthcare administration.

Gail has led Elevance Health in its transformation into a digital-first healthcare company.

5. Jason Hollar

Company: Cardinal Health
CEO since: 2022
Revenue: US$226.8bn

Jason Hollar is the CEO of Cardinal Health, which provides services and products for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, laboratories and patients at home.

He uses his experience in global finance, manufacturing, distribution and business development to drive growth and long-term value creation, while meeting the needs of its customers and patients.

He has helped the company achieve record highs in financial performance and service levels and improvements in safety and operational efficiency.

Before becoming CEO, Jason spent two and a half years as Chief Financial Officer for Cardinal Health.

4. Bob Mauch

Company: Cencora
CEO since: 2024
Revenue: US$294bn

Bob Mauch is the President and CEO of Cencora, leading more than 50,000 team members with his 30 years of experience in pharmaceutical care.

In this role, he is focused on building growth for the company, driving a customer-centred approach and achieving its purpose of creating healthier futures.

Bob said on LinkedIn: “At Cencora, we’re proud to be a healthcare solutions company delivering end-to-end services that support pharmaceutical innovation and provide tailored solutions to healthcare providers – ultimately enhancing patient access in communities across the world.”

3. Brian Tyler

Company: McKesson
CEO since: 2019
Revenue: US$308.5bn

Brian Tyler is the CEO of McKesson, after a 22-year career at the company, working in strategy, distribution, logistics and business development.

McKesson partners with biopharma companies, care providers, pharmacies, manufacturers and governments to provide insights, products and services to help make care accessible and affordable.

Its business covers wholesale drug distribution in North America, drug development, medical-surgical solutions and prescription technology.

Brian has a doctorate and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago, Department of Economics, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of California Santa Cruz.

2. David Joyner

Company: CVS Health
CEO since: 2024
Revenue: US$3728bn

David Joyner is the Chairman and CEO of CVS Health, serving around 185 million people across the US through the company’s insurance plans, pharmacies, clinics and health services.

He began his career at Aetna as an employee benefit representative and has since built a career lasting almost four decades.

CVS Health has worked on expanding low-cost primary care, covering preventative care at no cost to patients and offering free virtual care to eliminate barriers to healthcare access.

The company is working on driving competition to lower the cost of drugs, including by introducing biosimilars as alternatives to expensive branded medications.

“Our ambition is to be America’s most trusted healthcare company,” David says.

“The underlying costs of healthcare – primarily hospitals and new pharmaceuticals – continue to push up insurance premiums in the United States.”

1. Stephen J. Hemsley

Company: UnitedHealth Group
CEO since: 2025, previously 2006-2017
Revenue: US$400.3bn

Stephen J. Hemsley is the Board Chairman and CEO of UnitedHealth Group, becoming CEO for the second time in May 2025.

He was previously CEO from 2006, before announcing that he would be stepping down in August 2017 and starting a newly created role of executive chairman of the board.

He first joined UnitedHealth Group in 1997, initially working in senior financial roles before becoming Chief Operating Officer.

Under Stephen’s leadership, UnitedHealth Group has consistently been ranked among the top US companies by revenue.

The company aims to enhance the performance of the US health system and improve the overall health and wellbeing of communities around the country.

It works on designing, automating and deploying healthcare technologies to help simplify administrative processes and decision-making in the clinical sector.

UnitedHealth is also one of the healthcare industry’s largest pharmacy benefit managers, aiming to expand access to medicine and fund the discovery of new treatments for rare diseases.