Cumberland native picked to lead Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI

May 19--A Rhode Island native who is a top executive with insurance giant Aetna in Connecticut will be the next president and CEO of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, the local insurer announced on Thursday.

Kim Keck, who was born and raised in Cumberland, will take the helm of the Providence-based nonprofit in June. She will replace Peter Andruszkiewicz, who announced in October that he would retire in 2016 after five years on the job.

Keck will be taking charge of Blue Cross after the company launched a substantial restructuring and downsizing associated with a contract to outsource some work to Dell Inc.

"Kim's strong industry experience, leadership skills and strategic thinking made her the clear choice. ... We're pleased to bring her back to Rhode Island in this critical role," Randy Wyrofsky, board chairman, said in a statement. "Kim fully supports our mission to provide Rhode Islanders with access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Her ability to build relationships and plan for the future will help position Blue Cross for continued growth and long-term success."

During her more than 25 years with Aetna, Keck has held various leadership roles, including president of the northeast region, interim president of the southeast region, head of enterprise strategy and mergers and acquisitions integration, and vice president of finance. She also served as chief of staff to Aetna's former chairman, CEO and president, Ronald A. Williams. Most recently, she was involved in planning Aetna's anticipated acquisition of Humana.

Keck, who was not available to be interviewed, said in a statement, "I am excited to have this opportunity at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, and to work with the physicians, hospitals and other healthcare stakeholders in Rhode Island to improve the health of the community. To succeed in the future, Blue Cross must also transform the members' experience to meet their needs and expectations by providing simple and affordable options in the market."

Keck has a bachelor's degree from Boston College and an MBA in finance from the University of Connecticut. She is on the board of directors at the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.

rsalit@providencejournal.com

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Twitter: @RichSalit

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