MISENHEIMER — Brad Wilson, president and chief executive officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, will be the speaker for Pfeiffer University’s spring commencement to be held at 10:30 a.m. May 10 in the school’s Merner Gymnasium.
As leader of North Carolina’s largest health insurer — with 4,200 employees and 3.7 million customers — Wilson is dedicated to improving the state’s health care system, making health care more affordable and helping his agency adapt in a changing health care environment.
“Brad Wilson’s passion for health care, deep commitment to community involvement and expertise in business and public policy are reflective of Pfeiffer’s current strategy to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people through all its programs,” said President Michael C. Miller.
On a national level, Wilson serves as chairman of the National Institute for Health Care Management to address health care challenges and serves as a director of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, BCS Financial Corp. and Prime Therapeutics, among others.
This work continues in North Carolina, where he chairs the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, an independent charitable organization that has invested nearly $90 million in community-based health and wellness efforts. He is also treasurer of the North Carolina Chamber, board member of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership and a past chairman of the University of North Carolina board of governors.
Wilson joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina in 1995 and held a range of senior-level positions before being tapped to lead the organization in 2010. A lifelong North Carolinian, he previously practiced law and served as general counsel to Gov. Jim Hunt, directing the governor’s legislative strategy and heading his legal department.
Pfeiffer University is affiliated with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina primarily through its master of science in health care administration program, the largest such master’s degree program in the Carolinas.