ADVANCING DIGITAL HEALTH CAPABILITIES

Mr. Palmer, who has over 35 years of healthcare experience, is the founding chief executive officer of Exhale Advisors, focused on strategy, M&A, digital transformation and innovation commercialization. Prior to founding Exhale Advisors, Michael served Aetna as its Chief Innovation and Digital Officer for five years, driving clinical, technology and digital innovations into the healthcare ecosystem serving Aetna’s 37 million members.  He played key roles in envisioning the strategy and launching Aetna's new $1B Consumer Business, and reinvented Aetna's consumer digital capabilities to make healthcare simpler and easier for consumers to navigate.  Prior to Aetna, Mr. Palmer was a Partner/MD at Accenture, where for nearly 20 years he served health clients in information technology strategy, post-merger integration, and global transformation programs. He ran Accenture’s global medical technology practice P&L for five years. Michael led Aetna’s LGBTQ employee resource group and served as faculty and mentor for Aetna’s and Accenture’s many leadership development programs. 

 

Mr. Palmer serves on the Boards of Directors for Newtopia (NEWU), a personalized disease prevention company and Concordance Health Solutions, a medication adherence company.  He is on the Advisory Board for League, Accenture's 2021 "Next HealthTech Unicorn." He is a Venture Partner for MBX Capital, which invests in companies at the leading-edge of the health and life sciences industries.

 

Mr. Palmer earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Maryland and is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors. He resides in Boston and spends significant time with Habitat for Humanity.

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Professional Summary:
Accomplished global C-level executive and Board Member focused on strategy, innovation, digital transformation, technology strategy, consumer experience and P&L operational management

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• Thirty-five years of healthcare leadership in health insurance (national payers, Blues and regional plans), medical technology, provider/hospital systems, care management, pharma distribution and promising healthcare startups

• Board director for multiple organizations with additional roles on governance, nominating and compensation committees as well as Lead Independent Director for a publicly traded company; experience in corporate governance, M&A activity, leading strategic partnership negotiations and CEO coaching

• Led and grew organizations to annual sales of $400M and revenue of $150M at above target margins, managed digital product portfolios of ~$200M and developed leaders and teams of 300+

• Launched new $1B individual insurance exchange plans in 5 states in 14 months; roles included product vision & strategy, board-level approvals, differentiated digital tool strategy and build-out, and launch team

• Created 5 new business offerings among 40 successful customer pilots as innovation head; proved-out clinical/ technology/digital ideas and launched with benefits consultants and payer’s large customers