CHICAGO – The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) announced today that it has hired Anurag Voleti as its new chief data officer.

Voleti oversees BCBSA’s national data strategy that partners with the 34 Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to analyze data securely and drive targeted solutions to improve the nation’s health and make care more affordable and equitable. In this role, he supports BCBSA’s mission to advance well-being and equity by empowering data to make the health care system work better for everyone.

“We are focused on safely unlocking the power of data and analytics to achieve a more equitable and affordable health care experience for the nearly 115 million people Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies serve,” said Kari Hedges, senior vice president of market solutions. “With Anurag’s leadership, we are better positioned to improve health care, ensure health data is protected, and advance interoperability.”

Voleti has more than two decades of experience helping organizations become more data-driven and designing and delivering on data, analytics and operational platforms, including being a patent holder. Prior to joining BCBSA, he held leadership positions at Boston Scientific and GE Healthcare.

“I’m thrilled to join the BCBSA team and for the opportunity to advance health care transformation through the use of data and analytics,” said Voleti. “I look forward to collaborating with stakeholders across the health care ecosystem as we bring this data vision to life.”

Voleti started on June 27 and is based in BCBSA’s Chicago office. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a degree from Osmania University.