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Mr. Ben Lytle currently serves as the Chairman and CEO of AXIA Health Management LLC a provider of prevention and wellness services. Mr. Lytle is Chairman Emeritus of Wellpoint Inc. (formerly known as Anthem Inc.) In 1977 he joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana the predecessor company to Anthem Inc. as vice president of information systems. Having served in various information systems roles he was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) in 1982 president and COO in 1987 president and chief executive officer (CEO) in 1989 and chairman and CEO in 1992.
His challenge was to reposition a relatively small staid Blue Cross and Blue Shield company into a managed health care company capable of competing in the 21st century. This was achieved primarily by mergers of Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee companies in Indiana Kentucky Ohio Connecticut New Hampshire Maine Colorado and Nevada and upgrading the management and technical team. The product of his efforts was Anthem a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest health care management companies in the U.S. with over $6 billion in revenue. Along the way Mr. Lytle designed built took public and sold Acordia Inc. which became the world’s 7th largest insurance broker.
He began his professional career in information systems with the Federal Government at Ft. Chaffee Arkansas as a civilian employee. He continued in information systems with Olivetti Inc. and spent five years with LTV Electrosystems Inc. becoming a manager in the information systems division at age 21. He achieved his Bachelor’s degree while working at LTV. He moved to South Bend Indiana in 1970 to join Associates Corporation of North America as an information systems manager. He left five years later to join American Fletcher National Bank in Indianapolis as an assistant vice president of information systems. He attended law school at night at Indiana University.
He was educated in Greenville Public Schools and received his Bachelor’s degree in psychology from East Texas State University in 1970 and a Juris Doctor Degree from Indiana University in 1980.
Mr. Lytle serves on numerous corporate boards of directors including Anthem (NYSE); Duke REIT (NYSE) a real estate investment firm; Monaco Coach Corporation (NYSE) manufacturer of recreational vehicles; U.S.I. Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ) a distributor of insurance and financial products and services; and Healthx.com a privately held company providing internet services to small insurance companies. He is very active in civic affairs and national charities having served on the Boards of the Indianapolis Corporate Community Council the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra the Indianapolis Museum of Art Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation and Hope For Kids and presently chairs the Foundation for Better Health.
Mr. Lytle is an Adjunct Fellow and a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Enterprise Institute of Washington D.C. and an Executive in Residence at the University of Arizona School of Business. He and his wife Karen have three children—Hugh Larry and Kelley; and six grandchildren—Zachary Justin Emily Lucianna Hanna and Harris. The close-knit family enjoys water sports running horseback riding and traveling together. Mr. Lytle is devoted to physical fitness and loves hiking biking and swimming. He is an avid reader and enjoys movies and plays as well. | 