GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation (GuideWell) today announced that Sylvia Mathews Burwell has been named to the company’s board of directors. Burwell currently serves as president of American University in Washington, D.C., and previously was secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Burwell’s career spans the public and private sectors and includes multiple senior-level roles in government and as a global foundation executive. Prior to her tenure with HHS, she served as director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Burwell’s appointments to both OMB and HHS were distinguished by broad bipartisan support.
In the not-for-profit realm, Burwell spent more than a decade with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, culminating in her serving as president of its Global Development Program. She also served as president of the Walmart Foundation, where she led the company’s charitable giving efforts and its Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative.
“Sylvia’s extensive experience leading large, complex organizations and her deep knowledge of health care policy make her a terrific addition to the GuideWell board,” said John Ramil, chair of the company’s board of directors. “We look forward to working closely with her in the service of our members, customers and other stakeholders.”
“We are very pleased to have attracted another accomplished leader to our board,” said Pat Geraghty, CEO of GuideWell and Florida Blue. “Sylvia’s not-for-profit leadership and stellar track record of collaborative public service align well with our company values and our mission of helping people and communities achieve better health,” said Pat Geraghty, CEO of GuideWell and Florida Blue.
Burwell has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including MetLife, Inc., Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the University of Washington Medical Center.
Burwell earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in politics, economics and philosophy from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.