President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia Jeff Ricketts to Retire

RICHMOND, VA —Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia announced today that its president, Jeff Ricketts, will retire in September after a nearly 40-year tenure with the company. He has served as plan president for the past five years.  

 

“It has truly been a privilege and an honor to lead this great company over the last five years in a state that has always been my home,” Ricketts said. “I have seen a lot of change in my career, but one thing that has remained constant is the commitment I’ve seen in our associates in Virginia to take care of their communities and fulfill our purpose to improve the health of humanity.” 

 

Ricketts joined Anthem in 1984 as a sales account representative and held progressive leadership positions within the sales organization. Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in the expansion of Anthem’s coverage across the state of Virginia and has continued to maintain the health plan’s success as the largest health plan in the state. Over the last five years, under his leadership, the associates of the Virginia plan have driven company and industry leading results and engagement. 

 

“I want to thank Jeff for his unwavering dedication to improving the health of the people in Virginia,” said Kurt Small, president, East Region Commercial Business. “His work will serve as a foundation for our continued commitment to address the health care needs of Virginia. We will miss Jeff and wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.” 

 

Ricketts is well-known and highly respected throughout the Virginia business community, having served on several boards and actively contributing to the local community. He has held numerous board affiliations across the state, including serving on the Chamber RVA board, March of Dimes’ Virginia State Board, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Venture Richmond, Virginia Association of Health Plans, the Virginia Center for Health Innovation and Virginia Learns. He is also a member of the Virginia Business Council, Management Roundtable, Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates and serves as co-chair of the Governor’s Task Force for Primary Care.  

 

Ricketts has also been an active ambassador for Anthem’s mission and commitment to improving the lives of the Virginia community by leading several prominent community events, including the Anthem Corporate Run to promote an active lifestyle among area businesses, and the Anthem LemonAid fundraisers to support Children’s Hospital of Richmond and Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Hampton Roads.  

 

An announcement will be made when Ricketts’ successor has been identified.