SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Kim Keck, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI), will receive the 2020 New England Businesswoman of the Year Award at the virtual Bryant University Women’s Summit®, themed “2020: Expand your Vision,” on Wednesday, June 10. This annual award recognizes excellence in leadership by a business or professional woman, and will be presented at the Women’s Summit Awards Ceremony at 12:15 p.m.
A respected leader in the healthcare industry, Keck has devoted her career to addressing major challenges around the delivery, cost, and patient experience of care. As President and CEO of BCBSRI, the state’s largest health insurer, Keck champions the company’s vision of “passionately leading a state of health and well-being across Rhode Island.”
"At this unusual time in our history, Kim’s vision and leadership is critical to ensuring that the highest standards of health care are met."
“We are delighted to present the 2020 New England Businesswoman of the Year award to Kim Keck, a devoted advocate for healthcare policy and women’s leadership,” says Women’s Summit® Director Kati Machtley. “At this unusual time in our history, Kim’s vision and leadership is critical to ensuring that the highest standards of health care are met.”
Keck currently holds leadership positions at a number of organizations at the state and national level. At the state level, Kim is Director of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council; Rhode Island Quality Institute; Community College of Rhode Island Foundation; Rhode Island Community Food Bank; and Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.
Nationally, Keck chairs the Prime Therapeutics, LLC, Board of Directors, and serves as Director of Oak Street Health and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. She is also Co-Chair of the steering committee for the Rhode Island Healthcare Cost Trends Collaborative Project and serves on the Rhode Island Foundation Long Term Health Planning Committee.
Prior to joining BCBSRI in 2016, Keck had a 28-year career at Aetna, where she built a reputation as an engaged, incisive leader, unafraid to challenge assumptions and laser-focused on results. She held a number of complex roles with Aetna, from Head of Enterprise Strategy to Head of Investor Relations, Treasury, Tax, Actuary, Controllers, and Planning.
Keck graduated with honors from Boston College with a degree in mathematics and earned a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of Connecticut.
Previous Women’s Summit® New England Businesswoman Award recipients include:
- 2019: Marie Ghazal, CEO of Rhode Island Free Clinic
- 2018: Suzanne Bates, CEO of Bates, a Wellesley-based global leadership development firm
- 2017: Katryn “Trynka” Shineman, CEO of Vistaprint
- 2016: Colette Smith A. M. Phillips, president and CEO of Colette Phillips Communications
- 2015: Martha Sullivan, president and CEO of Sensata Technologies
- 2014: Cheryl Merchant, president and CEO of Hope Global
- 2013: Karen Kaplan, president and CEO of Hill Holiday
- 2012: Navyn Salem, founder and CEO of Edesia
- 2011: Constance Howes, former president and CEO of Women and Infants Hospital
- 2010: Maryanne Cataldo, former CEO and founder of City Lights Electrical Co.
- 2009: Cheryl Watkins Sneed (1958-2018), president and CEO of Banneker Industries
- 2008: Merrill Sherman, former president and CEO of Bankcorp Rhode Island and Bank Rhode Island
- 2007: Cheryl LaFleur, former Acting CEO for National Grid U.S. Energy Distribution
- 2006: Kathleen Hittner, M.D., former president and CEO of Miriam Hospital, educator and clinician
About Bryant University
For 157 years, Bryant University has been at the forefront of delivering an exceptional education that anticipates the future and prepares students to be innovative leaders of character in a changing world. Bryant delivers an innovative and uniquely integrated business and liberal arts education that inspires students to excel. With approximately 3,800 graduate and undergraduate students from 38 states and 49 countries, Bryant is recognized as a leader in international education and regularly receives top rankings from U.S. News and World Report, Money, Bloomberg Businessweek, Wall Street Journal, and Barron's. Visit www.Bryant.edu.
