One of the Greatest Corporate Turnarounds in Healthcare

Breaking the Healthcare Mold: Mark Bertolini on Pain, Purpose and a $4 Trillion Transformation

Introduction

Mark Bertolinio, former CEO of Aetna and now CEO of Oscar Health, has lived one of the most extraordinary leadership journeys in corporate America. He not only turned around Aetna, delivering a 652% total shareholder return but did so while enduring 18 years of chronic pain and navigating his son’s life-threatening cancer battle.

His leadership style? Servant leadership powered by hard-won wisdom.

Memento More

Bertolini’s worldview shifted after a catastrophic ski accident that nearly killed him. A close friend sent him a memento mori ring, a daily reminder of mortality.

“Everyday when you wear this ring, look at it and ask yourself, am I spending my time with the right people, doing the right things?”

Those questions still guide every decision he makes.

Life and Work

Raised in Detroit in a crowded household of six siblings, Bertolini learned early about the merits of meritocracy and resilience. There were no participation trophies if you weren’t good…