A Conversation on Compassionate Leadership

Jeff Arnold is chairman and chief executive officer of Sharecare, the digital health company he founded to help people manage all their health in one place.

Previously, Jeff was chairman and CEO of HowStuffWorks.com, an award-winning online resource used by millions of people each month, which he sold to Discovery Communications, where he served as chief digital strategy officer and chief architect of The Curiosity Project until December 2011.

In 1998, Jeff founded and served as CEO of WebMD. Prior to WebMD, Jeff founded Quality Diagnostic Services (QDS), a cardiac arrhythmia monitoring company that was one of the first organizations to use the concept of telemedicine over 25 years ago.

Jeff has been widely recognized for his innovative contributions to media, healthcare and technology throughout the years, including EY naming him Entrepreneur Of The Year in the Southeast twice – first in 1999 for WebMD and again in 2019 for Sharecare – making him one of only a handful of winners in history to receive the award for two different companies. Additionally, he was inducted into the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, as an honorary member for his superior contributions to the advancement of nursing and health care on both a national and global level.

Jeff’s achievements and leadership also are widely recognized across his home state of Georgia, where he received the prestigious Phoenix Award, which honors companies and individuals who embody strength, tenacity, and leadership in Georgia’s healthcare information technology industry. Additionally, he has been inducted into the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia; selected as one of Atlanta’s “Most Admired CEOs” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle; and named to the Atlanta 500, Atlanta Magazine’s list of the 500 most powerful people in the city.

A graduate of the University of Georgia, Jeff has been on numerous boards for public, private and charitable organizations over the years, and currently serves as chairman of Forbes Travel Guide and co-chairman of Endeavor Atlanta.

Bruce Broussard is President and Chief Executive Officer of Humana Inc., one of the nation’s leading healthcare companies, responsible for helping improve the quality of life for people with complex health issues, including seniors, individuals with disabilities, and those receiving assistance from government welfare programs. Humana also supports the health needs of military members and their families, as well as individuals who are covered under employer-sponsored health plans. The company provides an array of services ranging from insurance products to healthcare services such as primary care, home health, pharmacy benefits management, home delivery of prescription drugs, combined with solutions that address social determinants of health.

A 10-year veteran of Humana, Bruce was appointed CEO January 1, 2013, bringing to Humana a wide range of executive leadership experience in publicly traded and private organizations within a variety of healthcare sectors, including oncology, pharmaceuticals, assisted living/senior housing, home care, physician practice management, surgical centers and dental networks.

Prior to joining Humana, Bruce was Chief Executive Officer of McKesson Specialty/US Oncology, Inc. US Oncology was purchased by McKesson in December 2010. At US Oncology, Bruce served in a number of senior executive roles, including Chief Financial Officer, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board.

Bruce plays a leadership role in key business advocacy organizations such as the Business Roundtable, the Business Council, and the American Heart Association CEO Roundtable. He is a member of the Board of Directors of HP Inc., and a member and previous chair of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Additionally, Bruce serves on the Board of the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit philanthropic partner of the National Park Service dedicated to restoring and preserving the National Mall.

 My Journey

I was born and raised in Hershey Pennsylvania and from a very early age, I was intrigued with the medical profession. So much so that at age ten, I volunteered as a “candy striper” which led to my becoming a nurse assistant, and part of the ambulance crew, during high school. Soon after, I went on to receive my license as a registered nurse and for 10 years worked in the cardiac unit and operating room at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. 

Volunteer and Land Development projects 

For 7 years, I volunteered and assisted in occupational therapy, speech therapy and neuroscience services, which recaptured my love of the medical profession. From those experiences, I learned many different strategies which I’ve incorporated in the Help US Grow Foundation. 

In addition to the above, during the children’s years in school, I was heavily involved in their school programs and activities, including leading a number of fundraisers. Additionally, I helped form son Clay’s high school’s first sailing team, of which he was captain. Other large scale projects in which I’ve been involved over the years include: land development, property management, and interior design. 

In 2015, I launched Help US Grow Foundation in Louisville, Kentucky, which is a non-profit organization focused on early childhood learning and development. I continue to oversee this organization and to expand its efforts. 

Family Life

With Bruce Broussard, husband of 27 years, I’m the proud mother of two adult children—Clay and Carly Broussard. Over the years, as a family we’ve had the experience of calling a number of communities “home,” though spending a large portion of our time in Houston, Texas where we raised the children. Most recently, our time has been in both Louisville, Kentucky and in Washington, D.C. in support of our professional commitments. 

Sandro Galea, a physician, epidemiologist, and author, is dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at Boston University School of Public Health. He previously held academic and leadership positions at Columbia University, the University of Michigan, and the New York Academy of Medicine. He has published extensively in the peer-reviewed literature, and is a regular contributor to a range of public media, about the social causes of health, mental health, and the consequences of trauma. He has been listed as one of the most widely cited scholars in the social sciences. He is past chair of the board of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health and past president of the Society for Epidemiologic Research and of the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. Galea has received several lifetime achievement awards. Galea holds a medical degree from the University of Toronto, graduate degrees from Harvard University and Columbia University, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow.

As Chairman of Guggenheim Investments and Global Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Minerd guides the Firm’s investment strategies and leads its research on global macroeconomics. Prior to joining Guggenheim Partners, Mr. Minerd was a managing director for Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse. Mr. Minerd recently completed a second term as a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Investor Advisory Committee on Financial Markets. He is a member of the International Monetary Fund’s External Advisory Group, the Asia Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory Panel, the Board of Overseers at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and the board of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Mr. Minerd received a B.S. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and completed graduate work at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Ash Rogers is the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Lwala Community Alliance (Lwala). Lwala’s work in Western Kenya has driven a 300% increase in contraceptive use and 64% decrease in under-5 deaths. Now, Lwala is on an ambitious path to influence how 1 million people access health care and demonstrate that locally-driven solutions are uniquely positioned to transform systems. Ash comes to Lwala from the Segal Family Foundation, where she served as Director of Operations, overseeing a $12m portfolio of 180 grantee organizations across 20 Sub-Saharan African countries. Prior to SFF, Ash was a Global Health Corps Fellow in Uganda. Ash has worked with organizations including U.S. State Department, Komo Learning Centers, and HELP International – the common focus being developing tools to support grassroots innovators. She holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University.

Donato J. Tramuto is the author of THE DOUBLE BOTTOM LINE: How Compassionate Leaders Captivate Hearts and Deliver Results (Fast Company Press, Jan 2022).

He is a global health activist, former CEO of Tivity Health, and founder of the Tramuto Foundation and Health eVillages. He has nearly four decades of business leadership experience and is most notable for his ability to balance transactional and transformational leadership within organizations. He has launched two successful start-ups, successfully lead the turnaround of a public healthcare company, and has executed innovative programs leading to sustainable business results through his Compassionate Leadership approach.

Tramuto was the recipient of the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award in 2014 and the 2017 Robert F. Kennedy Embracing His Legacy Award. The New York Times has recognized Tramuto as “a global health activist.”

His first book, LIFE’S BULLDOZER MOMENTS: How Adversity Leads to Success in Life and Business, was published in 2016.