FAMU Alum Named Next CEO Of Philadelphia-Based Health Insurance Company

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Sept. 30 -- Florida A&M University, a component of the public university system in Florida, issued the following news:

Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumnus Gregory E. Deavens has been named the next head of Independence Blue Cross health insurance company in Philadelphia.

Deavens will succeed President and Chief Operating Officer Daniel J. Hilferty, who retires December 31. Deavens joined Independence in 2017 serving as the company's chief financial officer. He is scheduled to take the helm on Jan.1, 2021.

Independence Blue Cross bills itself as the leading health insurance company in southeastern Pennsylvania. With affiliates, the company serves more than 8 million people nationwide.

Prior to joining Independence, Deavens worked for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), where he served as corporate controller from 2012 to 2016 and as chief financial officer for the U.S. Insurance business from 2006 to 2012.

He also held senior financial roles at New York Life, CIGNA, and GE Capital. After graduating from FAMU with a bachelor's in accounting in 1984, Deavens began his career in public accounting with Price Waterhouse where he specialized in financial services while working in the firm's New York, London, and St. Louis offices.