Ron Williams
Encyclopedia
Ronald Allen Williams is the Executive Chairman of Aetna, Inc.. In 2005, he was named one of Black Enterprise
's 75 Most Powerful African American
s In Corporate America.
Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts
in psychology
from Roosevelt University
and a Master of Science
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
's Sloan School of Management
, the latter of which was earned in 1984 as a Sloan Fellow. He is a member of the board of directors of American Express
.
On January 4, 2006, Williams was named to succeed Dr. Jack Rowe as CEO of Aetna.
On October 20, 2010, Aetna, Inc. announced that Williams will retire from Aetna in April 2011. Aetna said that, effective November 29, 2010, Williams will become executive chairman and Mark T. Bertolini will be appointed chief executive officer and elected to the company’s Board of Directors.
before the United States House Committee on Ways and Means
. He said, "I cannot support this kind of public plan and see it as a danger to the stability of community and rural hospitals and to health care overall. It would lead to continuing to reward episodic care, as opposed to care management. It will be costly to implement, taking dollars away from an already burdened health care system. And, it could be a plan of last resort, creating a new problem for us to manage."
In August, 2009, when asked by an interviewer why Americans seem to pay so much for health care but get too little in return, Williams responded, "Well, I think that there are many people who do question the value that the healthcare system is delivering, and many research studies suggest that as much as one-third of the healthcare costs really is wasted or is not producing the value. But the answer to that is really to invest in healthcare information technology
."
Black Enterprise
Black Enterprise is a monthly U.S. magazine which describes itself as "the premier business news and investment resource for African Americans" and claims a readership of 3.7 million. It was founded in 1970 by Earl G. Graves, Sr.. The publication is known for its annual listing of the largest...
's 75 Most Powerful African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s In Corporate America.
Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University is a coeducational, private university with campuses in Chicago, Illinois and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university is named in honor of both former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university's curriculum is based on...
and a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
's Sloan School of Management
MIT Sloan School of Management
The MIT Sloan School of Management is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
, the latter of which was earned in 1984 as a Sloan Fellow. He is a member of the board of directors of American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
.
On January 4, 2006, Williams was named to succeed Dr. Jack Rowe as CEO of Aetna.
On October 20, 2010, Aetna, Inc. announced that Williams will retire from Aetna in April 2011. Aetna said that, effective November 29, 2010, Williams will become executive chairman and Mark T. Bertolini will be appointed chief executive officer and elected to the company’s Board of Directors.
Compensation
Williams received $38.12 million in compensation in 2008, the highest annual compensation in the insurance sector and the 22nd-highest compensation of all American CEOs.Health care reform
In June 2009, Williams testified against a public option as part of national health care reformHealth care reform
Health care reform is a general rubric used for discussing major health policy creation or changes—for the most part, governmental policy that affects health care delivery in a given place...
before the United States House Committee on Ways and Means
United States House Committee on Ways and Means
The Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership...
. He said, "I cannot support this kind of public plan and see it as a danger to the stability of community and rural hospitals and to health care overall. It would lead to continuing to reward episodic care, as opposed to care management. It will be costly to implement, taking dollars away from an already burdened health care system. And, it could be a plan of last resort, creating a new problem for us to manage."
In August, 2009, when asked by an interviewer why Americans seem to pay so much for health care but get too little in return, Williams responded, "Well, I think that there are many people who do question the value that the healthcare system is delivering, and many research studies suggest that as much as one-third of the healthcare costs really is wasted or is not producing the value. But the answer to that is really to invest in healthcare information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
."