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About our Speakers
Steven Auerbach, President – Connextions, Inc.
As president of Connextions, Inc., and as a well-established health industry leader, Steven Auerbach brings a wealth of client-side experience to the pre-eminent technology and business services partner to the healthcare industry. Among his many duties as president, Steven leads new business development, oversees client relationships, serves as a brand spokesperson and is leading the charge in helping Connextions refine existing health insurance exchange models for federal and state governments, as well as private sector organizations that are navigating healthcare reform law.
He was brought to Connextions to infuse both internal and client-side organizations with the best practices he has successfully implemented throughout his career. He leads overall management – including strategy development, client services, operations and sales – for the company’s sites in Florida, North Carolina, Indiana and Colorado, and it’s more than 3,000 employees.
Prior to joining Connextions, Steven walked many miles in clients’ shoes, including more than 20 years of executive experience at some of the largest healthcare organizations in the world (UnitedHealth Group, Aetna and CIGNA). He has served as executive vice president of operations at United Health Group (NYSE:UNH), where he oversaw 15,000 professionals providing service to more than 25 million consumers and 650,000 physicians. He also supervised domestic and international call centers, claims processing, quality assurance, training, capacity planning, sales and marketing systems, and Internet/self-serve portal solutions.
Steven earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Hartford and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and statistics from the University of Connecticut. He also studied quality management and performance improvement at the Juran Institute.
Steven is currently working side by side with some of the most innovative exchange market entrants (private and public sector) to enable their first-mover advantage and capitalize on millions of today's consumer and business health insurance buyers.
Michael Leavitt, Founder and Chairman - Leavitt Partners
Michael O. Leavitt is the founder and Chairman of Leavitt Partners where he advises clients in the healthcare and food safety sectors. In previous roles, Leavitt served in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush (Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Secretary of Health and Human Services) and as a three-time elected governor of Utah.
Mike Leavitt grew up in Cedar City, Utah, where his upbringing was rooted in the values of the American West, with its emphasis on hard work and common sense. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business while working in the insurance industry. In 1984, he became chief executive of The Leavitt Group, a family business that is now the nation’s second largest, privately-held insurance brokerage.
In 1993, Leavitt was elected governor of Utah. He served three terms (1993-2003). In 2003, he joined the Cabinet of President George W. Bush, serving in two positions: first as leader of the Environmental Protection Agency (2003-2005) and then as secretary of Health and Human Services (2005-2009). At HHS, Leavitt administered a $750 billion budget — nearly 25 percent of the entire federal budget — and 67,000 employees.
He led the implementation of the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program. The task required the design, systematization and implementation of a plan to provide 43 million seniors with a new prescription drug benefit. By the end of the first year, enrollments exceeded projections, prices were lower than projected and seniors expressed high levels of satisfaction.
Leavitt’s strategic ability can be seen in his redesign of the nation’s system of quality and safety standards for imported goods. In the spring of 2006, President Bush assigned him to lead a government-wide response. Within months, Leavitt recommended a major strategic shift in U.S. policy on import regulation and trade.
A pattern of innovation runs throughout Leavitt’s career. When he was elected governor, Utah’s major freeway system was dangerously inadequate. Taking what some thought was a significant political and financial risk, Leavitt instigated a design-build system, creating cost and quality incentives between the state and its contractors. The project was finished in half the originally projected time and well-under budget.
Leavitt is, at heart, an entrepreneur. As governor, he organized a group of his colleagues to form Western Governors University. At WGU, degrees are earned based on competency rather than credit hours. WGU now has more than 20,000 students who reside in each of the 50 states and several foreign countries. Enrollment is growing at 35 percent a year. In November 2008, TIME magazine named WGU “the best relatively cheap university you’ve never heard of.”
Collaborator is a word that comes up repeatedly when one examines Leavitt’s background. His skill led his colleague governors to elect him as chairman of the National Governors Association, the Republican Governors Association and Western Governors’ Association.
Leavitt is a seasoned diplomat, leading U.S. delegations to more than 50 countries. He has conducted negotiations on matters related to health, the environment and trade. At the conclusion of his service, the Chinese government awarded him the China Public Health Award – the first time this award has ever been given to a government official.
Rob Panepinto, Managing Director, Client Practice and Exchange Solutions - Connextions, Inc.
For the past 15 years, Rob Panepinto has lived at the epicenter of Connextions’ explosive evolution from a start-up organization to an industry-leading innovator in healthcare best practice acquisition, retention and service solutions.
Today, as the leader of Connextions’ internal Exchange division and Client Practice Group, Rob sets the standard for the company’s commitment to drive value and revenue for a long list of respected organizations. In that capacity, he manages the development and implementation of solutions to help organizations capitalize on each interaction with their customers.
As the leader of Connextions Exchange Division, an early developer/provider of reform-based healthcare marketplaces, he is working side by side with some of the leading edge Exchange market entrants to enable their first-mover advantage to capitalize on the millions of today’s consumer health insurance buyers.
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