Wellmark’s John Forsyth inducted into the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame Wellmark's Chairman and CEO, John Forsyth, was one of five insurance leaders inducted into the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame on May 18, 2017.
DES MOINES, IA — Wellmark's Chairman and CEO, John Forsyth, was one of five insurance leaders inducted into the Iowa Insurance Hall of FameExternal Site on May 18, 2017.
Since joining Wellmark as CEO in 1996, Forsyth has helped position Wellmark as a health improvement company dedicated to serving the people of Iowa and South Dakota. Under his leadership, the company’s medical trend and administrative costs are among the lowest in the nation and Wellmark membership has increased by more than 60 percent.
He also has been an avid champion for diversity and inclusion within Wellmark and within the community. During his tenure, Wellmark received a number of awards including the 2008 Better Business Bureau Integrity Award, the 2009 Sioux Empire Society for Human Resource Management Workplace Excellence Award, the 2010 Greater Des Moines Partnership Diversity Award, and the 2010 NAACP Merit Employer Award, among others. In 2011, Forsyth was a recipient of the Diversity Journal CEO Leadership in Action Award.
Forsyth has been an active member in the community serving as president of the Federation of Iowa Insurers, and a member of the Iowa Business Council, serving as chair of that organization in 2004. He has also chaired the board of directors of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, United Way of Central Iowa, and the Variety Club Annual Telethon.
He is a member of the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) board of directors and currently serves as chairman of that organization. He serves on numerous national committees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, including the board of directors.
The Wellmark Foundation, also under Forsyth's leadership, focuses its philanthropic activities on key areas of health improvement for all Iowans and South Dakotans. The Foundation awards more than $1.5 million annually to fund community-based health initiatives in Iowa and South Dakota.
