May 28–30, 2025
Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa
Atlantic City, NJ
Atlantic City, NJ
We’re thrilled to bring you the 2025 Health Care Forum — IBX, The X-Factor — at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa. Reserve your spot now!
One thing that sets IBX apart is our dedication, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to you and your employees. Every year when we come together at the Forum, you help us elevate our X-Factor in shaping the way we serve you so that we can anticipate your needs and deliver solutions that make health care more accessible and affordable, and keep your workforce and their families healthy.
Keep reading for an initial event schedule. A full agenda will be available in the coming weeks. In the meantime, take a look at our plans for this annual event and secure your spot today.
We look forward to seeing you in Atlantic City!
The Borgata offers unparalleled hotel amenities during your stay.
The following complimentary services are available to you as our guest at the 2025 Health Care Forum:
Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa
One Borgata Way
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Agenda is subject to change.
Andrew Jakubowski
Principal, Health & Life Sciences
Oliver Wyman
Helen Sherman
Chief Transformation Officer
Evio
Mitch Vidovich
VP, Government Affairs
Independence Blue Cross
Registration for the 2025 Health Care Forum is now closed.
Please contact your IBX account executive if you have questions or need additional information about the Forum.
Suneel Gupta is a health care entrepreneur, best-selling author, and Harvard Medical School visiting scholar who has dedicated his career to helping individuals and organizations thrive by fostering the critical connection between energy, well-being, and performance.
As the founding CEO of RISE, a groundbreaking wellness company, Suneel empowered thousands to build healthier habits for life and work. RISE’s innovative approach to personalized physical and mental health journeys earned recognition as “App of the Year” and a partnership with then-First Lady Michelle Obama, before being acquired by One Medical Group (now part of Amazon).
His expertise extends to hosting the award-winning Business Class series on Amazon Prime, where he delves into the resilience and creativity of entrepreneurs like Ben & Jerry’s founders and Martha Stewart. A seasoned investor, Suneel has supported ventures like Impossible Foods, Airbnb, and Calm, a leading mental wellness platform.
Suneel’s bestselling books, Backable and Everyday Dharma, embody his mission to ignite meaning and resilience in individuals. Through his speaking engagements, he inspires audiences to take action through his signature framework, The Game of NowTM. He equips leaders and teams with science-based tools to prevent burnout, sustain energy, and enhance focus — ensuring organizations can excel on the outside without their people being exhausted on the inside. His work delivers a sustainable path to innovation, productivity, and fulfillment.
Gregory E. Deavens, CPA, CGMA assumed his role as president and CEO of one of the nation’s leading health insurers in January 2021. He joined Independence Blue Cross (IBX) in 2017 as executive vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer, leading the company’s financial functions as well as its Actuarial, Underwriting, and Enterprise Risk Management organizations.
Under his leadership, IBX has been committed to advancing equitable, whole-person health care. This includes an emphasis on reducing racial and economic health inequities and integrating physical and behavioral health care. The organization also has focused on partnerships dedicated to reducing the cost of medications for the benefit of members and employer customers.
At Oliver Wyman, Liza Shakhnovich focuses on serving National and regional health plans with a broad range of challenges in the evolving market. She is one of the practice experts on health care payments and revenue cycle management. Between March 2020 and August 2021, Liza was one of the leads of Oliver Wyman’s pandemic response.
Liza has worked closely with multiple large regional Blue plans to develop a strategy refresh driven by changing market landscape and broader competitive dynamics which culminated in a set of refined five-year financial targets for the enterprise. She also performed a full capability assessment of the health plan, a scan of current and emerging market needs, the development of a set of strategic options and business cases, and synthesis into a final set of recommendations.
Liza received her BA in molecular biology with a minor in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania and her Ph.D. in microbiology from Harvard Medical School with a focus on novel antibiotic development. Liza has four years of post-doctoral experience studying infectious disease with a focus on treatment of preventable diseases in the developing world and has spent time as an adjunct professor of microbiology at Ursinus College.
Liza lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two girls and tries to find her way to the mountains as often as possible.
Susan Larkin is executive vice president and President of Core Commercial Markets at Independence Health Group, parent company of Independence Blue Cross (IBX). She leads the sales and marketing strategy for the company’s core commercial markets to develop innovative solutions and deliver an enhanced experience for members, clients, and other stakeholders.
Susan joined IBX in 2010. In her most recent role as Senior Vice President, Health Markets, she leveraged her deep industry experience to drive P&L operating results across all segments by optimizing revenue opportunities and driving administrative and medical cost efficiencies. She also had full accountability for delivering pharmacy services and solutions in her prior role.
Joe Geist is senior vice president and market president of national business for Independence Blue Cross (IBX). In this role, he leads the sales and retention teams for the organization’s national and large group clients. He focuses on solutions that enhance the customer and member experience. He partners with stakeholders across IBX to address marketplace challenges, identify trends, help launch new products, and develop business strategies dedicated to the needs of National and large clients and their employees.
Alexandra Jorgensen is senior vice president of Human Resources for Independence Blue Cross (IBX). In this role, Alex helps the organization attract and develop talent; foster an inclusive, equitable work environment and a culture of engagement and innovation; and prepare for the evolving workplace of the future.
Alex joined IBX in 2024. She has 25 years of experience in human resources, and has worked exclusively in health care organizations for nearly two decades.
Gregory Gambescia is the Director for Specialty Pharmacy at Independence Blue Cross. He has over 15 years of Managed Care experience and specializes in Medical Specialty Pharmacy management. He possesses over 20 years of Managed Care experience and specializes in Medical Specialty Pharmacy management. Greg’s focus is on Medical Specialty drugs (infusions) that are covered under the medical benefit.
In his current role at IBX, Greg develops and implements management strategies to save on the rising drug costs and manages a drug expenditure over $900 million per year for the health plan. Greg has developed programs such as the Most Cost-Effective Setting (MCES) program and Dosage and Frequency program and works directly with manufacturers to develop and negotiate rebate and value-based contacts.
Greg graduated from La Salle University in Philadelphia with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. He also has two master’s degrees from La Salle University — an MSA in nursing administration and an MBA.
Mike Vennera has been with Independence Blue Cross for nearly 25 years. He brings a rare blend of expertise in strategic planning and deep understanding of IT innovation. He has overseen numerous technology initiatives include launching new members, sales, and provider portals; increasing cybersecurity measures; developing new resources to better serve associates’ technology needs; and strengthening the company’s focus on equitable whole-person health by collecting and analyzing data to address algorithmic bias.
Richard Snyder, M.D., is the executive vice president of Health Services and Chief Operating Officer at Independence Blue Cross (IBX). He leads the strategic direction of work IBX does to redefine care delivery and promote equitable, whole-person health. This includes the company’s strategic work with physicians and health systems, as well as innovative provider contracts to drive improvements in health care quality and costs for IBX’s members.
Rich’s team leads the company’s efforts to drive clinical care transformation by bringing vital clinical information to the point of care, integrating and coordinating care management efforts, and more closely aligning financial incentives between Independence and its participating physician and health system partners.
Reetika Kumar, M.D., FACP, joined Independence Health Group in July of 2017 as Medical Director and Vice President of Clinical Services. Most recently, Reetika has taken on an expanded role serving the organization as Vice President Market Clinical Solutions and Pharmacy Services. Within this increased role, Reetika manages full accountability for pharmacy profit and loss, pharmacy clinical programs, and pharmacy sales and product development. This includes oversight of work related to the organization’s partnership with Optum, a health care services provider with services related to technology, pharmacy care, and various direct health care initiatives.
Koleen Cavanaugh is the senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Independence Blue Cross (IBX). She oversees all commercial and consumer marketing activities, including advertising and creative services, and all customer, broker, and member communications. She also oversees ongoing efforts to strengthen the company’s brand in the marketplace. Ms. Cavanaugh directs the member experience strategy, including accountability for Independence LIVE — IBX’s customer experience center *+— and IBX’s consumer-facing digital properties including ibx.com, the IBX mobile application and member portal.
Dean Rosen is one of the nation’s foremost experts on America’s complex health care system and a master of both the politics and policies that shape it. After serving in a series of high-profile roles in the federal government, Rosen founded the health care practice two decades ago at Mehlman Consulting, a leading bipartisan government relations firm. There, Dean advises a wide range of health care stakeholders, from established players to startups trying to gain a foothold in Washington, DC.
Prior to becoming a partner at Mehlman, Dean served as the Chief Healthcare Advisor to former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), Staff Director for the Senate Subcommittee on Public Health, and Majority Counsel for the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, among other senior roles in Congress. In 2023, Dean joined the Distinguished Executive Council of Cressey & Company, providing strategic advice to the leading mid-market health care private equity firm.