Discovery Health CEO Ryan Noach has resigned with effect from 31 December this year, the financial services group said last week, and is to be replaced by his deputy, Ronald Whelan.
Noach has been with the group for 15 years, “and leaves to pursue an entrepreneurial opportunity outside the healthcare and financial services sectors”, the company said in a statement.
“In line with the long-standing tradition of retaining the collective institutional knowledge and expertise of past leadership, he will serve as a non-executive director on the Discovery Health Board with effect from 1 January 2024.”
The group said Whelan was up to the task, reports BusinessLIVE.
Whelan is a medical doctor with an MBA and extensive clinical and commercial healthcare experience, and led Discovery Health’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, working closely with B4SA and the Department of Health in the national vaccination project.
One of the tasks he faces is warding off moves by the Road Accident Fund (RAF) to cut off medical schemes’ right to claim reimbursements for past medical expenses from the fund.
The company is currently in court over the matter, which it says is costing medical aids R2m a day.
In other leadership changes, Nonkululeko Pitje has been appointed as CEO of Discovery Corporate & Employee Benefits.
Pitje, currently the chief growth officer of Discovery Health, joined the group led by Adrian Gore in 2004.
“She has been instrumental in driving the introduction and growth of value-adding solutions such as Flexicare, Healthy Company, Gap Cover, Trauma Cover and Prepaid Health,” said the company.
BusinessLIVE article – Discovery Health CEO Ryan Noach resigns (Restricted access)
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