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FLINT, Mich.— Diplomat Pharmacy Inc. announced that its board of directors has appointed Brian Griffin, executive vice president and chief executive officer of IngenioRx, the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) of Anthem, as chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors, effective June 4.
Brian Griffin
Ben Wolin, chairman of the board, said, “We are pleased to welcome Brian to the Diplomat team at this important time, and are confident that his dynamic skillset and significant industry experience make him ideally suited to assume the roles of CEO and chairman. Brian is a proven healthcare executive having served in various leadership roles for many years, including at Express Scripts, Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Anthem, most recently launching its PBM organization.
He brings expertise in areas essential to Diplomat’s continued growth and success, including a tremendous knowledge of the PBM and specialty pharmacy industries and a deep understanding of the complexities and trends shaping the healthcare environment. His deep experience in Health Plan leadership will be instrumental in leading Diplomat in the rapidly evolving healthcare environment. On behalf of my fellow Board members, we look forward to the next stage of the Company’s growth under Brian’s leadership and are enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead.”
As executive vice president and CEO for IngenioRx, a role he assumed in March 2018, Griffin is responsible for building the IngenioRx organization, which will begin offering a full suite of PBM solutions starting in 2020. For the three years prior, he served as executive vice president and president of Anthem’s Commercial and Specialty Business Division. He joined Anthem in 2013 as president and CEO of the company’s second largest affiliated health plan, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, a role he held for two years.
“This is a time of great opportunity for Diplomat, and I have long admired the company and its innovative approach to driving better health outcomes. Following years of leadership experience in the healthcare industry, I feel both ready and honored to take on the roles of CEO and chairman of Diplomat,” said Griffin. “Together with the Board and management team, I look forward to furthering Diplomat’s growth strategy as we enhance value for shareholders and help enable increased benefits for physicians, pharma, payers and patients,” he added.
As previously announced, Atul Kavthekar, in addition to his duties as chief financial officer, has temporarily assumed the role of interim CEO of Diplomat until Mr. Griffin’s appointment is effective.
With Griffin’s appointment, the Diplomat Board will expand to eight members. At that time, Wolin will resume his role and responsibilities as independent lead director as outlined in Diplomat’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.
