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UnitedHealthcare has named its new CEO following the high profile murder of Brian Thompson.
In a statement put out on Thursday, the company announced that Tim Noel would be taking on the position.
Noel, who joined UnitedHealthcare in 2007, was previously the head of the company’s Medicare and retirement division, according to the company’s website. He was involved in financial restructuring at Northwest Airlines during its bankruptcy proceedings.
“[Noel] brings unparalleled experience to this role with a proven track record and strong commitment to improving how health care works for consumers, physicians, employers, governments and our other partners,” the UHG statement read.
Thompson, 50, was gunned down on December 4 outside a hotel in midtown Manhattan. He had been on his way to an investors conference in the city.
The suspect was eventually identified as 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who evaded capture for five days.
Mangione was eventually arrested in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania after an employee called police, and later charged with several counts of murder in New York.
Federal charges against Mangione include murder and firearms counts. He made an initial appearance on the charges late last month. He won’t be required to enter a plea until an indictment is returned.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state charges expected to go to trial first. His next appearance in state court is scheduled for Feb. 21.
After the shooting, many companies took steps to protect their head executives. Some scrubbed their websites of top executives’ photographs and increased armed security details for key leaders.
In addition UnitedHealth lost some $63 billion in value since Thompson’s killing.The price of shares in the group dropped by roughly $100 between December 4, and January 16.
However, despite Thompson’s murder bringing concerns over the U.S. healthcare system into the spotlight, the group posted a better-than-expected profit in the final quarter of 2024.
