Ken Sperling to Join CIGNA HealthCare National Segment

BLOOMFIELD, Conn., April 6, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ken Sperling is joining CIGNA HealthCare as senior vice president, National Segment, where he will lead the creation of specialized customer account teams and consultant development strategies, and represent CIGNA business leadership in various industry groups.

He will report directly to CIGNA HealthCare National Segment President Noel Obourn, who leads the delivery and servicing of CIGNA medical benefits, dental coverage, behavioral health coverage, and pharmacy benefits for many of the largest employers in the United States.

Sperling brings a rich industry background, including seventeen years in various global consulting roles; most recently as the Healthcare Market Leader for Hewitt Associates, where he developed strategy for national and regional health plans and numerous Fortune 500 companies. In addition he served as Hewitt's liaison to the Wall Street community for guidance on various market trends, and with the HR Policy Association, serving on coalitions that focused on the uninsured, pharmaceutical purchasing, and health care provider measurement.

"As a leader in the consulting community, Ken has earned a national reputation for delivering creative solutions and turning vision into reality," said CIGNA HealthCare National Segment President Noel Obourn. "Ken's encyclopedic knowledge of the health care industry from both consumer and purchaser perspectives will play a critical role in improving health outcomes, productivity and costs. We are looking forward to Ken helping CIGNA HealthCare deliver solutions that will not only satisfy, but delight, the consumer."

A noted author, Sperling co-wrote the textbook "Fundamentals of Flexible Compensation" and has been published in Benefits Quarterly, Pension World, and the Journal of Compensation & Benefits.

Sperling received a bachelor's degree in management sciences and accounting from Duke University and a master's degree in business administration from New York University. He received a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation in 1988.

CIGNA HealthCare

Headquartered in Bloomfield, CT, CIGNA HealthCare provides medical benefits plans, dental coverage, behavioral health coverage, pharmacy benefits, and products and services that integrate and analyze information to support consumerism and health management. "CIGNA HealthCare" refers to various operating subsidiaries of CIGNA Corporation . Products and services are provided by these operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation.