Humana Appoints Physician Executive Dr. Shantanu Nundy as Chief Medical Officer

Humana has named Dr. Shantanu Nundy as its new chief medical officer (CMO), the Kentucky-based insurer announced Thursday. Nundy will assume the role effective Aug. 31, according to a company release.

Nundy joins Humana from Accolade, a health navigation and care delivery company, where he spent five years as executive vice president of care delivery and chief health officer. In his new role, he will help design Humana's products, platforms, and use of artificial intelligence with a clinical perspective, the release stated.

He succeeds Kate Goodrich, who served as CMO from 2022 until October 2025, when she departed for a position in the health services division of rival insurer UnitedHealth. The CMO post had remained vacant since then.

Nundy brings a diverse background in health policy and clinical innovation. Prior to Accolade, he advised the Food and Drug Administration on artificial intelligence, worked as a senior health specialist at the World Bank, directed the nonprofit Human Diagnosis Project, and managed clinical innovation at Evolent Health. He also teaches at Stanford Healthcare and Johns Hopkins' business school, and practices as a primary care physician at Neighborhood Health, a community health center serving low-income patients in Northern Virginia, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Humana CEO Jim Rechtin said in a statement that Nundy's "experience at the intersection of clinical outcomes, technology, and the consumer experience" will be valuable additions for the company.

The appointment comes as Humana continues to focus on improving margins after several years of elevated medical costs that eroded profits. The company has benefited from higher reimbursement this year, particularly from more generous Medicare Advantage rates, as well as its own cost-containment measures, such as exiting unprofitable markets.

However, more work remains. Humana is revamping its operating model to boost efficiency, including through the use of AI. In July, executives told investors that the company is preparing for another year of reducing its Medicare Advantage plan offerings.

Humana has also undertaken a broader corporate refresh. Recently, it added AI and banking executives to its board of directors and appointed a new president of Medicaid, a key growth area. The latter move is part of the insurance leadership transition Humana outlined last year, when then-president of its insurance division, George Renaudin, announced his retirement. Former Amazon executive Aaron Martin was brought on to succeed Renaudin, and John Barger, Humana's Medicaid president, was promoted to president of Medicare Advantage.