Ben Slocum, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of NorCal, Joins ABL Organization

Santa Ana, CA — January 1, 2010 — Ben Slocum, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Northern California, has joined the Adaptive Business Leaders Organization (ABL). As part of California’s leading vertical-industry Chief Executives’ Organization, ABL Members provide one another with executive leadership coaching through its confidential, professionally-facilitated, peer-CEO Advisory Board Round Tables, executive learning workshops, network of CEO peers, and expert resources.

UnitedHealthcare provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services to individuals, public sector employers and businesses of all sizes, including more than half of the Fortune 100 companies. The company organizes access to quality, affordable healthcare services on behalf of more than 25 million individual consumers, contracting directly with more than 600,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals to offer them broad, convenient access to services nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.

Ben Slocum was named CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Northern California in March 2007. Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare, Ben was an executive officer for six years within the private equity firm of Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe’s (WCAS) portfolio of companies, including President of Beechstreet Corporation, one of the nation’s largest independent PPOs, and Senior VP and Member of the Office of the President at Concentra Inc. In these roles, Ben drove market strategy and played a critical role in multiple acquisitions and subsequent integrations.

In the four years prior to his time with WCAS, Ben held several senior positions within United Payors and United Providers (UP&UP), a highly profitable NASDAQ firm. There, he drove the market development of the core product and service offerings, assisted in the initial development of HealthExtras (a current NASDAQ company), and the subsequent sale of UP&UP to BCE Emergis, the healthcare division of Bell Canada. During the preceding 14 years, Ben held multiple leadership roles in both operations and sales, ranging from Senior VP of Operations for First Health, to sales management and individual sales at John Hancock, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Ben has held numerous board positions, including with The American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations and the Contra Costa Council. In his leisure time, Ben enjoys cycling, mountaineering and golf.

"Our Members work hard to be each others best advisory and sounding board – Ben is going to be a great asset to that end," said Mimi Grant, President of ABL Organization.

About the Adaptive Business Leaders (ABL) Organization
ABL supports the needs of its Member CEOs by providing a place for top-level executives to draw on the experience, knowledge and skill sets of their peers in a vertical industry, personal advisory board – “multi-coach approach” – setting.

The core component of the CEO Membership experience is the group Round Table meeting. Members meet once a month for a half-day with a group of peer CEOs, Presidents, COOs and Division General Managers from non-competing companies, all from the same industry (healthcare, technology or life sciences), in a trusted and confidential board room-like setting, which allows ABL Members to tackle topics and enhance their decision making and business performance. Topics include: developing and honing new business strategies and best practices, new lines of business, “A-players” on the management team, and an effective board of directors, as well as understanding trends in new markets, mergers and acquisitions, compensation, and other “hot” topics brought to the Round Tables by the Members themselves.

ABL Members also gather several times a year at workshops and conferences to exchange ideas and connect with other chief executives beyond their own CEO peer groups. In effect, ABL Members serve as one another’s business coaches within the Round Tables and are encouraged to connect and leverage their co-Member peers’ particular skills and expertise for additional leadership coaching, one-on-one, outside of their monthly group meeting. In addition, each Round Table’s facilitator also serves as an objective business advisor, offering executive and industry insights and advice.

 ABL's Chief Executive Leadership Development Round Table program is currently offered in California's Greater Los Angeles, Orange and San Francisco County areas. More information about the ABL Organization can be found at http://www.abl.org .