Karen Hanlon has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and President of Highmark Health, becoming the first woman to serve as CEO in the organisation’s history.
The appointment, announced on 6 October 2026, will take effect on 1 January 2027. Hanlon, who currently serves as President, will succeed David Holmberg, who has been Chief Executive Officer since 2014 and will become Executive Chairman of Highmark Health’s board.
Hanlon will take responsibility for Highmark Health’s strategy, operations, growth and performance across its health plans, Allegheny Health Network and diversified businesses.
Her appointment marks the latest step in a career spanning almost three decades with the organisation and comes as Highmark Health prepares for another phase of growth and transformation in the US healthcare sector.
Nearly Three Decades at Highmark
Hanlon joined Highmark in 1997 after beginning her professional career in public accounting at KPMG.
She initially held a series of leadership positions in finance before being appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2014. In that role, she was involved in strengthening the organisation’s financial performance and supporting its expansion.
She subsequently became Chief Operating Officer in 2018 and was appointed President in 2025.
Her progression from finance leadership to operational responsibility and, ultimately, the CEO position gives her extensive experience across different areas of Highmark Health’s business.
Over the course of her career, Hanlon has also been involved in several major developments within the organisation.
She helped oversee Highmark Health’s affiliations with health plans in five additional states, including integrations involving New York-based HealthNow and Kansas City-based Blue KC.
She also led the acquisition and transition of Gateway Health, which became Highmark Wholecare and expanded Highmark’s health plan portfolio to include Medicaid products.
A Business That Has Doubled in Scale
Hanlon takes over an organisation that has undergone significant expansion during her time there.
Highmark Health said its revenue has grown from approximately $17 billion in 2014 to nearly $35 billion projected at the end of 2026.
The organisation currently employs more than 47,000 people and serves millions of Americans through its businesses, which include Highmark, Allegheny Health Network and enGen.
Highmark Health’s 2025 operating revenue was $32.4 billion, according to the organisation’s reported results.
Its healthcare operations span health insurance as well as hospital and healthcare services, giving Hanlon responsibility for a business operating across multiple parts of the US healthcare system.
Expanding Healthcare Operations
Hanlon’s leadership experience extends beyond financial management.
She was closely involved in the development of Allegheny Health Network, including leading its first $1 billion tax-exempt bond financing. Highmark Health said the financing helped stabilise AHN’s long-term capital structure and support the health system’s growth.
Her experience has therefore covered financing, health insurance, healthcare operations, acquisitions, affiliations and organisational growth.
That breadth will be particularly relevant as she takes responsibility for the wider organisation.
Highmark Health describes its strategy as Living Health, which aims to integrate health insurance and healthcare delivery while focusing on affordability, accessibility and health outcomes.
Hanlon has said that her priorities will include continuing that strategy and working towards a healthcare experience that is more affordable, simpler and more effective for patients and communities.
Recognition for Leadership
Hanlon’s career has also received recognition from the healthcare and business sectors.
She was named among Modern Healthcare’s Top Women Leaders in 2024 and has appeared on the Pittsburgh Business Times’ Power 100 in 2024 and 2026.
She also received the Pittsburgh Business Times’ C-Suite Award in 2023 and was named CFO of the Year in 2018.
Her recognition has largely followed her progression through increasingly senior roles at Highmark Health, rather than coming from a single external appointment.
The organisation’s board has described her as a leader with extensive operational expertise and a deep understanding of Highmark Health’s business.
A Leadership Transition With Continuity
Hanlon’s appointment is also designed to provide continuity.
Holmberg will remain closely involved with Highmark Health after stepping down as CEO, taking on the role of Executive Chairman.
In that position, he will work with Hanlon and the board on the organisation’s long-term strategic priorities and support the transition.
Holmberg became CEO in 2014 and has led the organisation through a period of significant expansion.
During his tenure, Highmark Health’s revenue increased from approximately $17 billion to a projected nearly $35 billion, while the organisation expanded its health plan and healthcare operations.
The transition therefore places an experienced internal executive in the CEO role while retaining the outgoing chief executive in a senior board position.
From CFO to CEO
Hanlon’s rise is particularly notable because her career began in finance rather than clinical healthcare.
Her early experience in accounting and financial leadership eventually developed into broader responsibility for strategy, operations and growth.
Becoming CFO in 2014 placed her at the centre of Highmark Health’s financial and organisational expansion. Her subsequent appointments as COO and President broadened her responsibilities further.
The CEO appointment brings those different areas of experience together.
Rather than joining from outside the organisation, Hanlon will take over with detailed knowledge of Highmark Health’s health plans, healthcare operations, financial structure and strategic priorities.
Leading Highmark Health’s Next Chapter
Hanlon will formally take over on 1 January 2027.
Her appointment comes at a time when the US healthcare industry continues to face pressure around affordability, access, operating costs and the complexity of navigating healthcare services.
Highmark Health says its strategy will continue to focus on making healthcare more affordable, simpler and more effective while improving health outcomes.
For Hanlon, the immediate challenge will be turning that strategy into continued growth and performance across an organisation with more than 47,000 employees and operations spanning health insurance, healthcare delivery and related businesses.
Her appointment also represents a significant milestone for Highmark Health.
After almost 30 years with the organisation, Hanlon will become the first woman to lead it as Chief Executive Officer.
