intelligently engineered
An unparalleled team of domain experts, with the vision and drive for such an important undertaking.
Team
Swati Mathai
CEO and Co-Founder
Swati is an industry recognized health plan executive with significant expertise in building and bringing to market innovative healthcare solutions. She has held leadership roles at Mercer, United Healthcare and Elevance Health (formerly Anthem Inc.), focused on employer-sponsored commercial plans. She has built longstanding relationships with Fortune 500 employers and their benefit advisors and was previously responsible for Anthem National Accounts’ home business, covering nearly 8 million members. Swati also advises digital health companies and venture capital firms regarding products and investments.
Michael Ciano
Chief Technology Officer
Mike manages the end-to-end technology function of the business, including business and solution architecture, the IT delivery model, building the XO Health platform and oversight for all technology partners. Mike is an accomplished tech leader with a proven track record of driving transformational change in CTO roles including ConsumerMedical (now an Alight company), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Seniorlink and Integration Partners.
Francois de Brantes
EVP, Payment Innovation and Performance
Francois is leading XO Health’s provider network strategy and alternative value-based reimbursement approach. He is also a senior partner at High Value Care Incentives Advisory Group, at the forefront of transparency and payment innovation. Previously he led the commercial business line development of Signify Health’s Episodes of Care Payment Division and was also head of strategic initiatives for GE Corporate Healthcare for over a decade.
Lauryssa Humm
SVP, Network Development and Operations
Lauryssa is responsible for designing, building and administering XO Health’s network of providers. She brings 25 years of healthcare experience in the areas of network contracting, strategic account management and business operations with expertise in Value-Based Care and Alternative Payment Models. She previously held senior leadership roles with Signify Health, eviCore Healthcare, and Cigna.
Howard Kraft
Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer
Howard is responsible for strategy and innovation across all aspects of the XO Health solution. Prior to joining XO, he led the Total Health team at a large commercial carrier, served as a partner leading key Fortune 100 client healthcare strategies and national clinical consulting specialty practice at Mercer, and served in a variety of leadership roles in employer and occupational health.
Jeri Medrea
Chief People Officer
Jeri is recognized as a visionary who has held leadership roles across many industries and sized companies and created award-winning approaches to employee engagement and workplace culture. She understands that aligning leadership, corporate culture and purpose is the foundation to attracting and retaining the best talent, as well as achieving sustainable growth and shareholder returns. In addition to leading global people functions, Jeri has created and led large-scale employee health and wellness programs and overseen a global ESG program, leveraging financial, human capital, and technology resources to deliver broad and lasting impact.
Salem Shunnarah
Chief Commercial Officer
Salem leads sales, marketing and client success functions for XO Health. He is responsible for driving profitable growth and revenue expansion through the delivery of high-value, best-in-class solutions to XO Health clients. Salem has almost 30 years of experience in healthcare, having led the health and retirement plans at a Fortune 100 company and served as a benefits consultant at Aon. In his most recent roles, he has led growth for the employer, health plan and health system sectors at Elevance Health, Carelon and Virgin Pulse.
Advisors
Ken Goulet
Executive Advisor
Ken is a senior-level healthcare executive with 35+ years of proven experience in growing and leading large health plan organizations. Most recently, he served as executive vice president of Elevance Health (formerly Anthem Inc.), and president of the company’s Commercial and Specialty Business Division. Ken is an investor in XO Health and serves as an advisor and industry expert for the Board.
Seth Friedman
Strategic Advisor
Seth provides design and capabilities diligence support for the XO Health pharmacy solution. He currently leads pharmacy practice for Gallagher and has an extensive background working with new pharmacy disruptors.
Tamra Lair
Strategic Advisor
Tamra is supporting the development of XO Health’s analytic and measurement framework. She has an extensive background in analytics and has held leadership roles at Surest (formerly Bind Health), Mercer and Optum Insights. She is also an advisor and consultant to multiple venture capital firms and venture-backed healthcare startups.
Hassan Azar
Strategic Advisor
Hassan is a thought leader and innovator in employer health plans solutions and is ensuring the employer perspective is built into all aspects of the XO Health solution. He has led employee benefits programs at multiple Fortune 500 companies, including JLL, US Foods, Kraft, Mondelez, and Ford Motor Company. Hassan provides product, commercial and marketing consulting to numerous healthcare startups. He also serves as an advisor to the Employer Health Innovation Roundtable and is a member of the Health Affairs Council on Health Care Spending and Value.
Erik Sossa
Strategic Advisor
Erik is an experienced benefits professional committed to advancing access to quality healthcare. He is bringing this energy and passion into the design of XO Health by representing a holistic view of employer needs. Erik is currently an advisor to multiple digital health companies, including Sword Health, meQuilibrium and apree health. He also remains active in the health care policy and regulatory environment as director emeritus for the ERISA Industry Committee. Most recently, Erik led Global Benefits for PepsiCo and was previously an actuary in Mercer’s retirement practice.
Kevin Kickhaefer
Strategic Advisor
Kevin serves as an advisor to XO Health. He is currently the President and Chief Growth Officer for Gravie, a startup health plan for small employers. He is the former CEO of Consumer Medical (now an Alight company). Kevin also served as Chief Growth Officer for Bloom Health, and is a former executive at Cigna.
Brian Marcotte
Strategic Advisor
Brian believes in solutions that help employees maximize their experience with the healthcare delivery system, a central thesis in the XO Health approach. He is the former President and CEO of Business Group on Health, where he established the Health Innovations Forum, accelerating market traction for digital health, and the Executive Committee on Value Purchasing, focusing on the market shift towards value-based care and shared accountability. Previously, Brian was the Vice President of Compensation and Benefits for Honeywell International. He is also a board member and advisor to many digital health companies, including Carrot Fertility, Cedar and Firefly.
Lawrence Azerrad
Strategic Advisor
Lawrence is supporting XO Health in creating a brand and voice that can span and connect across its many stakeholders. He is a two-time Grammy Award-winning creative director, author and curator and known across the design industry for leading enterprises, musicians, educational and cultural institutions in the development of globally successful brand programs. His first book, Supersonic published by Prestel, was Amazon’s 2018 Arts & Photography selection of the year and is in the permanent collection of the V&A Museum in London.
Amy Cheslock
Strategic Advisor
Amy supports XO Health’s primary care strategy and approach. She is currently the COO of Element3Health, a wellbeing solution. She formerly led the southeast region for Privia Health, a national physician platform transforming the healthcare delivery experience. Amy also served as the network and payment innovation leader for Elevance Health (formerly Anthem Inc.).
Board of Directors
Doug Band
Director and Co-Founder
Doug was founding partner and former President of Teneo, a multinational C-suite advisory firm and investment bank. Prior to Teneo, Doug was a primary advisor to President Bill Clinton for over 15 years and a key architect of the Clinton post-presidency through the creation of the Clinton Global Initiative. Doug is a successful advisor to and investor in numerous enterprises with disruptive business models.
Todd Meister
Director and Co-Founder
Todd is an active, successful private capital investor with a professional background in investment banking and hedge fund management. Todd has co-founded and managed numerous funds and direct co-investment structures with interests across various sectors including traditional oil and gas production and exploration, wind, solar and alternative energy, food services, consumer goods, healthcare and financial technology.
Patrick Haynes III
Director
Pat is the CEO and Founder of Thurston Group. He is a proactive investor who has repeatedly helped management teams accelerate organic growth, improve profitability, and execute acquisitions. He has over 40 years of experience in analyzing investment opportunities, arranging capital structures, negotiating debt financings, and advising the Boards of Directors for portfolio companies. Currently, Pat serves on the Board of Directors for Smiles Dental, U.S. Oral Surgery Management, South Georgia Dental Management, and U.S. Endodontics Partners.
Robert Galvin, M.D.
Director
Bob is an Executive Advisor to Blackstone and Professor Adjunct at the Yale School of Medicine. Previously, he was CEO of Equity Healthcare, a health management company, and an Operating Partner at Blackstone. Prior to Blackstone, Bob was Executive Director of Health Services and Chief Medical Officer for General Electric. He is a nationally recognized leader in market-based health policy and financing, quality measurement and payment reform and helped to found the Leapfrog Group and Catalyst for Payment Reform. He is also a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
Jay Hass
Observer
Jay is CFO & General Partner at AlleyCorp, responsible for business operations and strategic initiatives, as well as sourcing and supporting new business incubations and portfolio investments. Jay joined AlleyCorp from RRE Ventures, where he served as a partner and remains a strategic advisor. Jay was formerly a Managing Director at Brown Brothers Harriman and previously spent several years in national political campaign management.
Swati Mathai
CEO and Co-Founder
Swati is an industry recognized health plan executive with significant expertise in building and bringing to market innovative healthcare solutions. She has held leadership roles at Mercer, United Healthcare and Elevance Health (formerly Anthem Inc.), focused on employer-sponsored commercial plans. She has built longstanding relationships with Fortune 500 employers and their benefit advisors and was previously responsible for Anthem National Accounts’ home business, covering nearly 8 million members. Swati also advises digital health companies and venture capital firms regarding products and investments.