David Cordani will retire as CEO of The Cigna Group on July 1, 2026, transitioning to a new role as Executive Chair of the Board of Directors. This leadership change marks a new chapter for the global health services company, with current President and COO Brian Evanko named as the next CEO.

To address the news, Cordani and Evanko invited colleagues from across The Cigna Group to an All Team Meeting, where they spoke candidly about the transition, sharing personal reflections and answering questions from colleagues around the world.

 

During the discussion, Cordani, who has served as CEO for nearly 17 years, framed the transition as intentional, disciplined, and carefully planned – one designed to sustain momentum rather than disrupt it.

 

“I think about it through the sports dimension of a relay,” Cordani said. “Our responsibility is to make it happen seamlessly and beautifully.”

A highlight of the meeting was a “fireside chat” with the two leaders moderated by Nicole Jones, Chief Administrative Officer for The Cigna Group.

 

Jones asked the leaders to reflect on advice and guidance for their younger selves. 

 

 

A legacy defined by putting customers first

Throughout his tenure, Cordani led with a consistent belief: growth only matters if it translates into better experiences, better outcomes, and greater access for the people our company serves. Under his leadership, the organization expanded dramatically in both scale and ambition, evolving from a traditional insurer into a diversified global health services organization serving more than 180 million customers worldwide.

For Cordani, that transformation was never about size for its own sake. It began with an early decision to reject what he saw as a false choice between financial performance and doing what was right for customers and patients.

“What I’m most proud of is we started our journey way back in 2009,” Cordani said. “We tried to challenge the industry belief that you had to ‘pick a lane.’ You could be either ‘performance‑oriented’ or ‘mission‑based.’ And to say, ‘No. We can do both.’”

That philosophy became a customer‑centric operating model. Business results were inseparable from the responsibility of meeting people’s needs, especially in moments that mattered most. That lens guided the organization through major industry shifts, including health care reform and the COVID‑19 pandemic, and shaped strategic moves such as the launch of Evernorth Health Services, which expanded the company’s ability to support customers beyond traditional insurance.

“The more lives we serve, more impact to have, more resources to invest in a virtuous cycle,” Cordani said.

Cordani emphasized that the company’s impact has always been driven by its people: employees across the organization who show up every day with a shared sense of responsibility to customers and patients.

“What makes our company special is not any one person. It’s every person,” Cordani said.

At its core, Cordani’s legacy is a culture of caring put into action – one that places customers at the center, empowers colleagues to do the right thing, and measures success not just by growth, but by the real‑world difference made in people’s lives.

 

Brian Evanko to step into the CEO role with a commitment to customers

Brian Evanko, The Cigna Group’s president and chief operating officer will assume the CEO role on July 1. His appointment follows more than 28 years within the organization, holding leadership roles across geographies and businesses, including international operations, the individual exchange business, and, most recently, enterprise-wide financial and operational oversight.

As Evanko prepares to take the helm, he has been clear about where he wants to focus. He pointed to three major challenges facing health care today: affordability, fragmented customer and patient experiences, and a system oriented more toward sick care than prevention.

He said The Cigna Group’s Commitments to Better are designed to address those challenges by centering care around individuals and using data and technology, including AI, to make health care more personalized and proactive.

“We’re putting customers and patients at the center of everything we do,” Evanko said. He added  that the organization will continue its focus on applying AI and advanced analytics in ways that help translate data into care delivery that is more timely, relevant, and responsive to individual needs.

Cordani reinforced that vision, describing the organization’s mindset to view health care through the lens of the individual, ensuring decisions and innovations are guided by the real experiences of the people the company serves. “We try to keep in front of our mind’s eye somebody we care deeply about, and then work to make sure the actions we do is such so that person is being cared for the right way.”

In Cordani’s new role as Executive Chair of the Board for The Cigna Group, he will continue to be involved in public policy activities as well as the continued evolution of the company’s strategy.

 

For Evanko, the moment is about honoring that foundation while carrying the work forward. “It’s not easy to follow a legend,” he said. “But that pressure actually helps me perform. So I’m excited for the future.”

As the baton is passed this summer, both Cordani and Evanko point to the same priority: keeping people at the center of health care. With a carefully planned handoff underway, the focus remains on making care more affordable, more personal, and easier to navigate – ensuring the company’s next chapter builds on a shared commitment to support customers and patients when it matters most.

Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity.