Centene Corporation Leaders, Founders, and Executives: Who Are They?

Centene Corporation provides government-backed high-quality and cost-effective healthcare services to uninsured and underinsured American consumers. Below, we get to see the leaders and executives who with their expertise and fresh perspectives drive the company in the right direction. Learn about Centene Corporation leaders, founders, executives, and other team members and the role they play in driving company success. 

Who Founded Centene Corporation?

Centene Corporation has had modest beginnings. In 1984, Elizabeth “Betty” Brinn, a hospital bookkeeper at the Milwaukee Family Hospital, founded Family Hospital Physician Associates. It was meant to be a nonprofit Medicaid plan whose sole purpose was to ensure that everyone has access to healthcare. The company continued to grow and was later renamed Centene Corporation around 1997.

Centene now offers a wide range of medical services to government-run healthcare services and programs catering to over 26+ million managed care members in all 50 states and three international markets. It also serves contracts with other health care and commercial organizations providing specialty services to health plan members. The company offers healthcare services to Medicaid and Medicare Members, individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. Currently, Centene Corp headquarters is located in St. Louis, Missouri.

Centene Corporation Executive Team

Sarah M. London, Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer Sarah London runs the day-to-day operation of Centene Corporation. She propels Centene’s health care innovation with her innovative thinking and utilizes the capabilities of Centene in changing healthcare services into a value-based care model – placing more importance on the quality of services than on their quantity.

Working at Health Leads kickstarted London’s career in health care. She began as a member of the team that established Accretive Health’s Quality & Total Cost of Care business offering operational advice to renowned US medical centers. She held leadership roles at Optum Ventures, Optum Analytics, and Humedica.

In 2020, London joined Centene Corp. and served as vice chairman in charge of a portfolio of businesses unaffiliated with Centene health plans. She oversaw the health insurer’s corporate strategy, quality operations, internal audit, compliance, and risk management in addition to leading the company’s technology and digital strategy.

Brent Layton, President, and Chief Operating Officer

Layton owned a managed care consulting firm and has created a diverse group of health care in Avesis, Absolute Care and other managed care companies, gathering over 20 years of experience in the managed care industry. As the president and chief operating officer at Centene Corporation, Layton is responsible for all aspects of Health Plans, Products, Business Operations, Population Health and Clinical Operations, Marketing, Health Plan Medical, Specialty, International, and Business Development.

Layton joined Centene in 2006.  He spent more than 15 years as Executive Vice President of Markets, Products, International, and Chief Business Development Officer. In his role, Layton provides strategic advice to state governments as they design Medicaid solutions. Around March 2021, he was promoted to President of the U.S. Health Plans, Products, and International in March 2021. Layton was promoted as the COO of Centene around September 2021.

Drew Asher, Chief Financial Officer

As the chief financial officer, Drew Asher is responsible for Centene’s Accounting, Treasury, Capital Markets, Tax, Actuarial Services, Health Economics, Financial Planning, Investor Relations, and Procurement. Asher aspired to provide Centene Corporation stockholders with long-term value as Centene’s appointed CFO.

Drew Asher joined Centene in January 2020, bringing his technological and financial expertise to managed care. His track record in the managed care market indicates his worth in heading a developing enterprise.

Asher started his career at Deloitte & Touche LLP, where he worked as an auditor and accountant for five years, serving clients that included managed care. After that, he spent nearly 15 years as Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance at Coventry Health Care. In May of 2013, Aetna acquired Coventry and Drew Asher was promoted as the Chief Financial Officer. Around August of 2014, Asher joined Wellcare as Senior Vice President.

Shannon Bagley, Executive Vice President, and Chief Administrative Officer

Shannon Bagley is Centene Corporation’s Chief Administrative Officer responsible for Human Resources, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Real Estate, Workplace Resources, and Security.

Serving as the head of Human Resources, Bagley revamped the HR operating model and talent infrastructure. Shannon Bagley is a strong advocate of the people agenda, modernization of Centene’s people strategy, and the establishment of Diversity and Inclusion in Centene. With the use of innovative employee programming, communication, and engagement channels, she hopes to create a workforce strategy that enhances culture.

In 2003, Shannon Bagley began working for Centene Corporation. For almost 10 years, she led the Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Management teams. Prior to becoming the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, she held executive positions in Home State Health, Integration Management, and Human Resources.

Centene Corporation Leadership

Katie Casso, Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller, and Chief Accounting Officer

Katie Casso, who has been with Centene for the past 16 years, joins the management team and assumes the Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller, and Chief Accounting Officer role.

Casso started her career as a public accountant at Ernst & Young. In 2004, she ventured into Centene’s management team, playing a crucial role in managing the financial reporting, corporate accounting, financial systems, acquisition, and integration work, as well as finance shared service functions. She is also responsible for the financing integration of acquired companies, which has helped Centene grow.

Beth Johnson, President and CEO of Coordinated Care

Since becoming appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Coordinated Care in June of 2018, Beth Johnson has also taken over the Medicaid plan. Her focus is on innovative care delivery and the development of the Coordinated Care provider network in Washington.

Before joining Centene in 2018, Johnson previously worked for Premera Blue Cross and Regence Blueshield, making her well-known in the Washington commercial health and insurance sector.

Colin Toney, Executive Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions

In July 2021, Colin Toney joined the executive team as the Executive Vice President of M&A of St. Louis, Missouri headquarters. Acquisitions, divestitures, investments, joint ventures, and Centene partnerships fall under his purview. Toney also was responsible for the acquisition of Wellcare, Magellan, and HealthSmart.

Mark Brooks, Executive Vice President, and Chief Information Officer

Mark Brooks takes the lead in information technology and systems. He has gathered over 25 years of expertise in core management, network management, web/mobile, and infrastructure solutions, and deep expertise in Customer Relationship Management, eCommerce, ERP, and Custom Application

As Centene’s Chief Information Officer, Brooks is responsible for leading a team of more than 6000 employees and contractors that develops and implements software and services for health plan members. He has led the successful integration of two $10+ billion health plans. Prior to joining the company in 2016, Mark Brooks worked as CIO and Chief Technology Officer at Health Net for more than 12 years and as Senior Director for the Front Office Systems at Veritas.

Zundra Bryant, Vice President of Human Resources Operations

As the Vice President of the Human Resources Operation at Centene, Zandra Bryant leads teams responsible for all aspects of HR including employee relations intake, contact center, payroll, claims processing, interview scheduling, acquisitions, and more. Part of her role involves collaborating with other leaders to develop policies, procedures, and operations addressing various internal and external challenges.

Before being appointed to the executive position, Bryant worked as Director of HR Operations leading and managing the daily HR operations.

Centene Corporation Board of Directors

• James Dallas, Chairman of the Centene Board of Directors, Retired Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Medtronic
• Sarah M. London, Chief Executive Officer, Centene
• Orlando Ayala, Retired Chairman and Corporation Vice President of Emerging Businesses for Microsoft Corporation
• Jessica L. Blume, Retired Vice Chairman of Deloitte LLP
• Kenneth Burdick, Retired Executive Vice President of Products and Markets of Centene Corporation; Former Chief Executive Officer of WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
• Christopher Coughlin, Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Tyco International, Ltd.
• Wayne DeVeydt, Executive Chairman of Surgery Partners, Inc.; Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Anthem, Inc.
• Frederick H. Eppinger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stewart Title Guaranty Company
• Richard A. Gephardt, Chief Executive Officer and President of Gephardt Group, LLC; Former Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Lori J. Robinson, Retired United States Air Force General
• Theodore Samuels, Retired President of Capital Guardian Trust Company
• William Trubeck, Retired Chief Financial Officer, Director, and Executive Vice President of YRC Worldwide; Retired Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of H&R Block

A Diversified Healthcare Enterprise

As one of the top healthcare contractors and the country’s biggest managed care organization, Centene Corporation focuses on reducing costs while keeping healthcare services at their highest quality. Centene Corporation Leaders Founders Executives and other members of the executive and leadership team pave the way for the company successfully reach its goals.