Mark Bertolini, chairman and chief executive officer of Aetna, will be the guest commencement speaker for the June 6 graduation ceremony for the Wayne State University School of Medicine's Class of 2017.
Bertolini was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare in 2015 for his efforts to promote measures that increase access, lower costs and improve quality of health care. He meets regularly with state and federal policymakers to further these efforts and share Aetna's vision for a consumer-centric health care system.
Born and raised in Detroit, Bertolini is a graduate of Wayne State University. He has been recognized as a leader in corporate social responsibility for his historic decision to raise Aetna's base wage to $16 per hour and reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses for low-income households. In recognition of this decision, he was named to Fortune's 2015 list of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders and Politico Magazine's 2015 Politico 50. He continues to encourage other employers to follow Aetna's example by promoting his philosophy that corporations should "do well by doing good."
Bertolini serves as a director of Verizon Communications Inc., Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., as well as The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a non-profit organization founded by Paul Newman that serves children with cancer and other serious illnesses, and the FIDELCO Guide Dog Foundation, a non-profit organization that breeds, trains and places guide dogs with people who have visual disabilities. In 2009, he was elected the first straight ally board member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. He has been honored for his leadership by numerous universities and organizations, including the National Italian American Foundation, Outward Bound, the National Kidney Registry, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the Quinnipiac University Business School and the Wayne State University School of Business.
Throughout high school and college, Bertolini held several jobs, including assembly work at a Ford Motor Co. plant and in various caregiver roles in health care delivery. He is a spinal cord injury survivor, and donated a kidney to his son in 2007. His previous work and personal experiences with the health care system are foundational to his dedication to improving the patient experience and addressing longstanding challenges facing the U.S. health care system.
Bertolini joined Aetna in 2003 as head of the company's specialty products. From 2007 to 2014 he served as president, responsible for all of Aetna's businesses and operations across the company's broad range of health care products and related services - including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, as well as medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans.
Before joining Aetna, Bertolini held executive positions at Cigna, NYLCare Health Plans and SelectCare Inc., where he served as president and chief executive officer.
In addition to his undergraduate degree from WSU, he holds a master's of business degree in finance from Cornell University.
The WSU School of Medicine Commencement ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. June 6 at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.