Kaiser Permanente's president and chief operating officer, Bernard Tyson, will take over as CEO and chairman of the health care company, the insurance giant announced Monday.
Tyson will replace retiring CEO and board chair George Halvorson, who last month said he'll retire in December 2013. Halvorson has been CEO since 2002.
"The board made an excellent choice," Halvorson said in a statement. "Bernard has done an extremely good job as president and COO of Kaiser Permanente, and I am confident he will continue to perform at the same level as chairman and CEO."
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The Oakland, Calif.-based company said Tyson will join the board of directors next month and replace Halvorson as CEO after a six-month transition period to "support a seamless transition process." Halvorson will remain chairman through the end of 2013, at which time Tyson will assume the role of chairman and CEO.
Kim Kaiser, a board member and chair of the company's search committee, said the full board conducted an extensive search of internal and external candidates before selecting Tyson.
"He has demonstrated excellent leadership and vision for this organization," she said.
Tyson, 53, has been with Kaiser for 28 years. He previously directed the nonprofit's hospital systems and led development of Kaiser's "Thrive" advertising campaign.
"I am deeply honored to follow George Halvorson's incredible leadership and to serve this great organization as its next chairman and chief executive officer," Tyson said. "As we continue down the path of health care reform and the transformation of the health care industry, I am excited about leading an organization so committed to high-quality and affordable care for everyone."
Under Halvorson's leadership, Kaiser Permanente has grown to serve more than 9 million members, pioneered electronic health records and is often seen as a model for the future of health care.
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