08 things you should know about Gail Boudreaux, CEO of Anthem

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Gail Boudreaux is the CEO of Anthem, one of the largest insurance companies in the United States. Her position as a female CEO at such a large company gives her a unique perspective on how business works and how businesses interact with their customers. She has spent much of her career advocating for female employees to increase their participation in the workplace, and she has received many awards for her work in diversity and inclusion efforts. Here are 8 things you should know about Gail Boudreaux, CEO of Anthem.

1) She’s an immigrant

Boudreaux was born in Haiti and moved to New York at age 4. Her family eventually settled in North Carolina. And as someone who experienced firsthand how hard it is to adapt to a new culture and establish yourself in a country that isn’t your own, she said that’s made her more empathetic toward others who are trying to do the same. She values diversity: Since taking over as head of Anthem last year, Boudreaux has made it a point to include women and people from different backgrounds and experiences—like immigrants—at all levels of her organization. By embracing diversity at every level, she hopes Anthem will be able to better serve its customers as well as drive innovation across its business lines.

2) Her career path started with an internship in high school

After graduating from high school in 1985, Boudreaux’s mother made her a deal: she could pursue her passion for music by attending Berklee College of Music in Boston. The catch? She needed to earn enough money to pay for tuition and living expenses. An internship at Ernst & Young was her solution and through that experience, she discovered a love for business.

3) She has 17 years experience leading technology companies

Prior to joining Anthem as President and CEO in February 2011, Ms. Boudreaux served as President and Chief Executive Officer of VERITAS Software Corporation. Under her leadership, VERITAS became a leader in providing storage management software and services to enterprise customers around the world. Prior to VERITAS, Ms. Boudreaux held a number of executive positions at Symantec Corporation including Senior Vice President and General Manager of Symantec’s Mail Security group; Senior Vice President and General Manager for Symantec’s Application Intelligence group; Vice President and General Manager for U.S. Public Sector accounts; Business Unit Group Executive for Internet products with responsibility for all U.S.

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4) She was a business owner before joining Anthem

In addition to being an executive at private health insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield in Florida, she was also a business owner. That experience would come in handy later on when she took on her first top executive job as President and CEO of BCBS in Oregon. She's had a hand in big decisions before: As mentioned above, Boudreaux played a key role on healthcare reform efforts during her time with Blue Cross Blue Shield. The way that went down really spoke to how involved she gets in all aspects of her company – as opposed to overseeing from afar like some CEOs do – and showed that she has what it takes to navigate politically sensitive issues for her company.

5) She lived abroad while studying at university

After graduating from Georgetown University in 1982 with a degree in French and international economics, Boudreaux found herself drawn to Paris. She spent five years studying at Sorbonne University while working for a nonprofit organization called Operation Progress. The experience opened her eyes to different cultures and gave her firsthand experience with various financial systems around the world. When she returned to U.S., she moved back into retail as a sales associate before joining JCPenney’s merchandising team. She climbed her way up through that company until its 1999 acquisition by an investment firm led to her moving on once again.

6) She enjoys public speaking and was honored as the top keynote speaker at CES 2018

It’s worth noting that most successful business people—particularly women—become so because they make a point to speak publicly, even if they have to do it outside their comfort zone. Such practice can be enormously beneficial as your experience grows. See how Boudreaux handles speaking in public by watching her full keynote here. She is still close with her parents: During her interview with CNBC she told a story that illustrates just how close she is with her parents. When she was graduating from college, she was looking for internship opportunities but none seemed too promising.

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7) The mission statement of Anthem is to build healthier lives and Healthier Futures.

Anthem is one of America’s leading health benefits companies with more than 60 million customers. Our mission is to build healthier lives and Healthier Futures. We do that by serving our members and communities through exceptional care; transforming our business; and being leaders in corporate responsibility, innovation and industry advocacy. All told, we work to make life better for all those we serve.

8) She loves Motown music

Growing up in Detroit during Motown’s heyday, Boudreaux learned how to sing along with her favorite artists. [Motown] gave me a real passion for music and singing, she says. Her favorite song? It doesn’t get more Motown than Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. That sultry duet is still her go-to karaoke jam today.