Name: Heather Cianfrocco
Previous title: Executive vice president of governance, compliance and information security, UnitedHealth Group
New title: Chief operating officer, Highmark Health
Cianfrocco is becoming COO of Highmark Health effective immediately, the Pittsburgh-based company announced on Tuesday.
As COO, the executive will oversee operations across Highmark’s insurance arm, Highmark Inc., which provides coverage for roughly 7 million people across Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and New York; along with Highmark Health’s 14-hospital health system Allegheny Health Network and its health technology division enGen.
Like many of its peers, Highmark has had to contend with higher than expected medical spending, contributing to the company’s net loss of $175 million on revenue of $32.4 billion in 2025.
Still, despite the challenges, Highmark has been pushing to expand its reach, notching recent affiliation agreements with regional Blues plans and provider networks. The company has also embarked on a new “Living Health” strategy, intended to identify products, solutions and services that can improve members’ health and reduce overall costs.
“Heather is a seasoned, innovative healthcare leader who has a broad national lens, and her skills will be critical as we strive to further expand the reach of our mission and accelerate the work we are doing to transform our industry,” Highmark Health CEO David Holmberg said in a statement.
Cianfrocco is replacing current COO Karen Hanlon, who has held the chief operating officer role since 2018. Hanlon will stay on as Highmark president and continue to lead the company’s Living Health strategy, according to the release.
Cianfrocco, a Pittsburgh native, joins Highmark from UnitedHealth, where she held various leadership roles, including executive vice president and the CEO of the company’s health services division Optum.
Cianfrocco announced she was leaving UnitedHealth in late February after 24 years with the healthcare behemoth. She left during a turbulent period for UnitedHealth, as the company wrestled with medical spending and growing scrutiny into its business practices, though UnitedHealth made some progress on righting the ship in the first quarter.
