Leadership Team at The Cigna Group Revamps in Efforts to Drive Growth, Enhance Customer Focus

The Cigna Group announced leadership changes today that the Group claims are designed to further drive the company's focus on customers and patients and reach growth sooner.

In a press release, David M. Cordani, chairman and CEO of The Cigna Group, expressed that these moves were made to “build upon our strengths for continued growth, enhance our customer focus, and deliver even greater value for those we serve.

He continued by stating The Cigna Group has one of the most experienced leadership teams in the industry to ensure they deliver on their commitments to exponential growth.

One of the new leadership changes includes Brian Evanko, who is now taking on the role as president and chief operating officer (COO) of The Cigna Group.

Brian Evanko

Previously appointed as president and CEO of Cigna Healthcare in January 2024, Evanko will now oversee all business, reporting directly to Cordani. His new role will take effect on March 31.

Evanko’s career with Cigna spans over 25 years, during which he has held a number of key commercial and functional leadership roles in both U.S. and international markets.

Since 2021, he has also served as Cigna’s chief financial officer

Evanko will overlook both Evernorth Health Services — another subsidiary of The Cigna Group — and Cigna Healthcare, in efforts to accelerate innovation and improve how the Group serves their stakeholders, Cordani said.

“Brian's combination of market perspective, deep business acumen and keen focus on execution and value creation make him uniquely suited to lead the next chapter of our company's growth,” he said.

Another transition includes, Eric Palmer, president and CEO of Evernorth Health Services and executive vice president of enterprise strategy, who will be leaving The Cigna Group at the end of April.

Eric Palmer

Palmer’s 25-year career with Cigna has included key roles in business strategy, finance and actuarial leadership.

During his tenure, Evernorth Health Services expanded its capabilities and is now well-positioned for sustained growth.

Cordani expressed gratitude for Palmer’s contributions and the positive mark he left on the company in the ability to serve the diverse needs of millions of customers and patients.

Cigna has also appointed Ann Dennison, a certified public accountant (CPA), as executive vice president and chief financial officer, reporting directly to Cordani and joining their enterprise leadership team.

In this role, she will oversee all enterprise financial operations and functions.

Dennison brings extensive financial expertise, having served as executive vice president and CFO at Nasdaq, where she led global teams managing corporate finance, treasury, investor relations and ESG reporting.

Ann Dennison, CPA

Before joining Nasdaq in 2015, she was a Managing Director and Head of Financial Reporting at Goldman Sachs.

Lastly, Nicole Jones, J.D., who currently serves as chief administrative officer and general counsel, will take on additional responsibilities overseeing enterprise marketing.

This expansion aligns marketing with other groups Jones already leads, including public affairs, government affairs (federal and state), communications, legal and human resources.

Nicole Jones, J.D.

In addition to these leadership updates, The Cigna Group is reaffirming its financial outlook for 2025.

The company projects a full-year consolidated adjusted income from operations of at least $29.50 per share.

They also maintain their expectations for pre-tax adjusted income from Evernorth Health Services at $7.2 billion and Cigna Healthcare at $4.1 billion.

These projections also reflect the success The Cigna Group had in 2024 with their total revenue reaching $247.1 billion thanks to the pharmacy benefit and specialty services of Evernorth, new client acquisitions and growth in the specialty drug space.

A total medical customer base of 18.1 million is even in the forecast of its leaders, as previously reported.

This vast outlook reflects Cigna’s confidence in its growth strategy and financial stability as it enters this next phase of leadership and improvement.