Greczyn to Retire from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina February 1
Championed Turnaround of Company, Sharpened Company’s Focus on Customers.
Chapel Hill, NC (Vocus) December 11, 2009
Bob Grecyzn will wrap up his more than decade-long tenure as chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina on February 1, 2010. The BCBSNC Board of Trustees earlier this fall designated J. Bradley (Brad) Wilson to succeed Greczyn as chief executive.
Greczyn led the state’s largest health insurer to its resurgence as a customer-focused company dedicated to improving health, more than tripling annual revenues, increasing jobs at the company to 4,900. When he was promoted to CEO, BCBSNC was struggling to win new customers and had posted total operating losses of almost $180 million in the previous five years. Throughout the decade the company continued to expand by offering competitive products and by starting health programs designed to improve its customers’ health. During Greczyn’s tenure, BCBSNC membership has nearly doubled from 1.9 million at the end of 1999 to 3.7 million today.
“I have the greatest affection for this company and all of you who work so hard for our customers,” said Greczyn in a blog post to the company’s employees. “The last 12 years have been full of challenges and successes that we have lived together. I will leave BCBSNC on February 1 with full confidence that ours is a company that is weathering the economic storms and remains solid and stable.”
During Greczyn’s time with Blue Cross he sharpened the company's focus on improving the health and well-being of its customers by becoming the first health insurer in the nation to provide coverage for obesity and also helped customers to afford needed medications by waiving copayments on generic drugs. He was instrumental in creating the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, which has become one of the state's most significant health-oriented nonprofits. Bob serves as chairman of the Foundation, which has invested more than $54 million in improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians.
“The performance of the company under Bob’s leadership speaks for itself,” said BCBSNC Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Jeff Houpt. “His innovation has driven this company to new heights. We'll miss him both as a leader of this company, this state and the many roles he's taken with the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.”
Bob has spent as much effort in making the Triangle and North Carolina a better place to live as he has in strengthening Blue Cross. He served as Chair of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership’s (RTRP) Board of Directors during a time when RTRP pushed to create new jobs and boost employment in 13 counties. He has led the company's support of the United Way, serving for many years on the board of the United Way of the Greater Triangle, including a term as chairman. Bob spearheaded many successful drives among BCBSNC employees resulting in $7.5 million in company and employee contributions over the last 10 years.
Bob also continues to focus on improving education in North Carolina. He is a trustee of East Carolina University (his alma mater) and is the immediate past chair of the Board of Trustees. He also serves on the board of the North Carolina New Schools Project, where he champions the need to prepare today's high school students for a changing, global workforce.
About BCBSNC:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.7 million members, including approximately 900,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For 76 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Access BCBSNC online at www. bcbsnc. com.
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