James Reid Named CEO of Versant Health

MetLife announced that James Reid has been named CEO of Versant Health, a managed vision care company and wholly owned subsidiary of MetLife. The appointment is effective April 1.

“James brings extensive and varied experience in the Group Benefits market to Versant Health,” Todd Katz, chairman of the Versant Health Board of Directors and executive vice president, Group Benefits at MetLife, said in a company news release. “His dedication to delivering for customers, focus on building talent and background in both sales and general management makes him ideally suited to lead Versant to new levels of growth.”

Mr. Reid brings more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry to the role. Most recently, he held both domestic and international leadership roles at MetLife, leading Global Employee Benefits, broadening relationships and fueling growth across the globe through partnerships with multinational corporations and distribution relationships with financial institutions. Earlier in his career, Mr. Reid spent over 20 years at Aetna where he had responsibility for P&L, sales, underwriting, product strategy, pricing, operations and consumer distribution across a number of senior leadership roles.

“I am looking forward to leading the strong team at Versant Health,” Mr. Reid said. “They have built a tremendous business with strong client relationships and unparalleled products. I am humbled and excited to work with them to continue the growth trajectory.”

Mr. Reid will succeed Kirk Rothrock, who is retiring after 8 years leading the company. During his time with the company, Mr. Rothrock led the consolidation and integration of Superior Vision, Block Vision and Davis Vision to create Versant Health, a leading managed vision care company serving more than 35 million members. He will stay on through March 31 to ensure a smooth transition.