Michael Cole becomes the Market President for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, leveraging his 20 years of diverse healthcare leadership experience. Formerly with Aetna, Cole’s role encompasses strategy and growth for the health plan serving around 1 million Oregon residents. With a strong track record, he aims to uphold quality care at an affordable cost. Cole’s community involvement and role in healthcare education further enhance his influence. He commences his position on September 8, bringing profound expertise from various healthcare sectors.
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon has introduced Michael Cole as the newly appointed market president. In his new capacity, Cole will be responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and expansion of the health plan, catering to the needs of nearly 1 million residents of Oregon.
Drawing upon a wealth of experience spanning over two decades in executive healthcare leadership, Cole possesses a diverse background across various sectors of the industry, including payer services, payment integrity, and healthcare diagnostics. Throughout his career, he has fostered environments characterized by robust collaboration and a focus on achieving tangible outcomes.
Before joining Regence, Cole held esteemed positions such as president of the North Atlantic territory and president of the Aetna Keystone Market at Aetna. Before that, he held pivotal roles at esteemed organizations including HMS Holdings Corp., Quest Diagnostics, and United Healthcare.
Amadou Yattassaye, Executive Vice President of Market Growth, expressed his confidence in Cole’s capacity as a transformative leader within the healthcare realm, noting, “Michael’s extensive experience in healthcare makes him a highly influential figure. His leadership is pivotal in advancing our commitment to delivering top-tier, affordable care to Regence members and customers.”
Excited about his new role, Cole remarked, “I am enthusiastic about joining the Regence team in Oregon, and I remain dedicated to building upon the company’s well-established success and deep community involvement.” Cole will officially assume the role of Oregon market president on September 8.
Beyond his exceptional business acumen, Cole has an impressive record of community engagement. He has been a dedicated board member of Erie Family Health Centers, a federally qualified health center focused on providing essential care to underserved communities. Additionally, he contributes his expertise as a mentor to healthcare startups through a venture-backed incubator and has consistently served as a diversity mentor throughout his career. Cole also holds a position on the strategic issues committee for the Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).
Cole’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a Master of Business Administration with specializations in finance and marketing from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
