James Reed was recently appointed as the CEO and president of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. He has been working for the company since January 1996. As the company's CEO, he will blend his marketing and sales leadership with the duty of promoting and maintaining business and quality health and provider networks in Central New York.
Education
- James Reeds graduated in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in business administration from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York. He then graduated with a master's degree in business administration from the same institution
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Work History
- After receiving his master's in business administration, James Reed began joined Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in 1996 as the senior vice president of sales and marketing.
- Prior to his appointment as the president and CEO of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, James Reed served as the company's regional president of the Central New York market since 2008 and the executive vice-president of marketing and sales since July 2018. Mr. Reed was in charge of "business oversight and all marketing and sales functions for the commercial group markets, retail markets, Universal Healthcare, and Lifetime Benefit Solutions (LBS)." He was also in charge of the Health Care and Network Management division.
- He is also an active member of board of directors for HealtheConnections, the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Centerstate CEO, Syracuse Stage, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York.
Accomplishments
- In 2008, James Reed received the Greater Syracuse “40 Under 40” award. He is also a recipient of the 2020 YWCA Champion of Diversity Award.
Statement on His Philosophies
- "Personal development is a lifelong journey. If you are self-reflective and willing to improve yourself, then I think you’ll be well-positioned to continue to grow inside the organization."
- "I focused on doing the best job I could in the role that I was in, making sure I would seek to understand the big picture and understand the industry I was working in."
- "If you understand and are willing to self-reflect, learn, and continue to grow, then I think that is the key for anybody to be a good leader."
Press Mentions
- Recent press mentions that feature James Reed are related to his appointment as the president and the CEO of Excellus. He has been mentioned in several news publications including, Binghamton, Syracuse.com,wxxi News, Rome Sentinel, Rochester Business Journal, OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS, and the Oneida Daily Dispatch.
Strategic Direction He has Announced or Established for Excellus
- Information about James Reed's strategic plans that he has announced or established before his appointment as the company's CEO is limited. However, as the company's CEO, he has announced that the company would be focusing on building strong partnerships with those who provide care and those who pay for it.