Honorees: NEBGH's 30th Annual Tribute to Leadership

Victor joined the organization in 2019 as regional vice president and general manager of Empire BlueCross Blue Shield and now serves as President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. In this role, he is responsible for the management of Anthem local commercial group and individual business and for collaborating with elected officials, regulators, providers, employers, and other key stakeholders to drive improvements in healthcare access, quality, experience, outcomes, and affordability in New York. He oversees an impressive $4 billion in revenue, serving over 3.5 million health insurance members, remaining steadfast in Anthem's mission to improve the lives of all New Yorkers.

Guided by a patient-first approach, Victor fosters a culture of high performance within his team of over 240 associates and serves as the market leader for 5,000 total associates in New York State (1,600 in NYC alone), driving strategic business development and nurturing the company's growth. His leadership style, reflecting his profound understanding of patients' unique needs, has been a major factor in driving the New York commercial market’s community-focused initiatives.

Prior to Empire, Victor served as Executive Director of Medicare and Retirement for the New York market at United Healthcare. In this position, he was responsible for the growth and stability of the New York Medicare Advantage portfolio. He was instrumental in the development of various risk-based provider collaboration programs centered on quality metrics, total cost of care, and chronic condition management for Medicare Advantage members. During more than a decade at United Healthcare, Victor held a variety of growth and strategic roles with increasing responsibility in both the commercial and government market segments.

In his spare time, Victor is a mentor with American Corporate Partners, providing guidance to active military personnel, veterans, and military spouses transitioning into the corporate world. He recently took on a leadership role with the nonprofit Breaking Ground.

Dr. William Gold represents hospitals, physician organizations, and other providers of care in quality improvement and contracting with health insurance companies; consults with employers on health benefits; and advises managed care plans outside of the New York area on a broad array of management issues. Dr. Gold is involved in research focused on managed care physician network turnover; the impact of consumer driven health plans and provider report cards on physicians, hospitals, employers, and patients; and lectures on health system development in the United States.

Dr. Joe Grasso is the Vice President of Workforce Transformation and Customer Marketing at Lyra Health. He is a clinical psychologist by training, earning his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, followed by a clinical internship at the University of Wisconsin school of medicine, and a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, where he was the first-ever psychologist inducted into the VA Quality Scholars institute, a program dedicated to training future leaders in healthcare quality improvement. During his fellowship, he conducted research on innovative approaches to expanding access to mental health care for veterans, including embedding psychologists onto interprofessional healthcare teams. After completing his fellowship, Dr. Grasso joined the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs full time, where he managed the rollout of a national training program for mental health providers, led quality improvement initiatives, and conducted health services research. He joined Lyra in 2018, first as a manager of clinical quality, but later transitioning into his current role in which he oversees Lyra's product suite for supporting mental health within the workplace, as well as its marketing to members and its customer advocacy efforts. His day-to-day work includes leading a team of experts who consult with employers on their management practices, corporate policies, learning and development programs, and benefits engagement efforts. Dr. Grasso has been interviewed by national media outlets including CNN, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Fast Company, the Washington Post, and several podcasts, for his perspective on workforce mental health topics. His peer-reviewed research spans topics including integrated health care, psychotherapy outcomes, and the intersection of social identities and mental health.

Jared Lewis is Vice President, Total Rewards at Curtiss-Wright, a diversified industrial company providing highly engineered products and services to the Aerospace, Defense, and Industrial Markets. With over 25 years of total rewards experience, Jared is responsible for the global strategy and administration of Curtiss-Wright’s compensation and benefits functions. Prior to Curtiss-Wright, Jared oversaw the total rewards functions for other large corporations and managed outsourced benefits administration for many large and diverse clients.

Jared earned his B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Binghamton University and holds an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Cynthia Williamson has been with Ralph Lauren for eight years in the position of Senior Director, Benefits. Cynthia is responsible for the research, design, planning, compliance, implementation, communication and administration of Health & Welfare and Retirement employee benefit plans for the US and Canada. Prior to working for this retail brand, she spent several years in the media industry with roles of progressive responsibility.

During her tenure with Ralph Lauren, Cynthia has also had responsibility for HR Operations, domestic relocation and has been the lead for several global benefit initiatives. Most recently, she has taken on responsibility for Global Mobility.

Ascend Partners

Epstein Becker Green

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Optum

UnitedHealthcare