Andrew Witty

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Sir Andrew Philip Witty (born 22Script error: No such module "String".August 1964) is an English businessman who served as the chief executive officer (CEO) of American health insurance company UnitedHealth Group from February 2021 to May 2025.[1][2] He was also the CEO of the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline from 2008 to 2017, and chancellor of the University of Nottingham from 2013 to 2017.[3] He also assisted the World Health Organization in developing a vaccine for COVID-19.

Early life

Andrew Philip Witty was born in Nantwich on 22 August 1964.[4] He attended Nantwich and Acton Grammar School (now Malbank School) before earning a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Nottingham.[4][5]

Career

GSK

Witty joined Glaxo UK in 1985 as a management trainee.[6] He held various positions in the UK, including director of pharmacy and distribution in Glaxo Pharmaceuticals UK.[7]

He was a vice president and general manager of marketing of Glaxo Wellcome Inc., a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline with responsibility for strategy development, marketing execution and new product positioning. He was an economic adviser to the governor of Guangzhou, China, from 2000 to 2002.[8]

He was appointed president, Pharmaceuticals Europe of GlaxoSmithKline plc in January 2003[8] and succeeded Jean-Pierre Garnier as CEO following his retirement in May 2008. He was paid an annual salary of Template:GBP and received bonuses and other compensation amounting to Template:GBP for this role.[9][10]

In February 2009, he pledged to make a major change in the way GSK pharmaceuticals are priced, in an attempt to make vital drugs more affordable in countries with the lowest incomes. At the same time he announced that GSK would place certain patents in a pool so that they were freely available for others in the search for new drugs.[11]

From 2010 until 2015, Witty was on the business advisory board of David Cameron during Cameron's tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.[12]

In October 2012, it was announced that he had been appointed the chancellor of the University of Nottingham with effect from 1 January 2013, having maintained strong ties with the university since graduation.[13] Witty announced his retirement from the role of chancellor in November 2017.[14]

In July 2013, the People's Republic of China announced that they were investigating allegations of fraud perpetrated by GSK going back to 2007 and involving billions of Chinese renminbi.[15] Witty stated "It appears that certain senior executives in the China business have acted outside our processes and controls to both defraud the company and the Chinese health care system. To see these allegations about people working for GSK is shameful. For me personally they are deeply disappointing."[16]

From 2013 to 2015, Witty was on the UNAIDS–Lancet Commission for Defeating AIDS and Advancing Global Health, co-chaired by Joyce Banda, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Peter Piot.[17][18] From 2015 until 2016, he was a member of the UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines, led by Ruth Dreifuss and Festus Mogae.[19]

In November 2015, Witty's leadership of GSK was criticised by Neil Woodford, who said that "he’s not doing a very good job". Woodford called for GSK to be split into four companies.[20] In March 2016, Witty announced that he was to step down as chief executive.[21]

From 2017 until 2018, Witty led the National Health Service’s Accelerated Access Collaborative.[22][23]

In July 2018, Witty became CEO of Optum, a division of UnitedHealth Group.[24] In November 2019, he was named president of UnitedHealth, in addition to his role as CEO of Optum.[25]

From April 2020 to December 2020, Witty took a leave of absence from Optum to assist the World Health Organization in developing a vaccine for COVID-19.[26][27] In May 2020, he was appointed to the expert advisory group for the UK Government's Vaccine Task Force, chaired by Patrick Vallance.[28]

UnitedHealth Group

Witty became CEO of UnitedHealth Group in February 2021.[29]

In April 2021, he was also appointed to the Pandemic Preparedness Partnership (PPP), an expert group chaired by Vallance to advise the G7 presidency held by the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.[30]

In 2023, Witty's total compensation from UnitedHealth Group was $23.5 million, representing a CEO-to-median worker pay ratio of 352-to-1 and making Witty the highest paid CEO of a US-listed health insurance company for that year.[31][32]

On 15 May 2024, a class action lawsuit was brought by the City of Hollywood Firefighters' Pension Fund alleging that Witty and two other UnitedHealth Group executives were involved in insider trading in 2023. The suit alleges that in addition to Witty, Brian Thompson and Stephen Hemsley sold a combined total of $120 million of UHC stock four months before shareholders and the general public were informed that the company was being investigated by the United States Department of Justice in regard to an antitrust suit involving Optum's potential buyout of Change Healthcare.[33]

After the December 2024 murder of the CEO of UnitedHealth's insurance subsidiary, UnitedHealthcare,[34] a video was leaked in which Witty stated, "Our role is a critical role, and we make sure that care is safe, appropriate, and is delivered when people need it." The video also showed him stating that the company would continue to prevent "unnecessary care" and advising that people refrain from discussing anything with the media. Some online commenters responded with death threats,[35] with Fortune pointing out that UnitedHealthcare reported twice the industry average for denied claims and that "their policies contribute to medical bankruptcies and lives lost due to denied care, highlighting widespread anger at systemic issues in U.S. health care".[36]

Witty stepped down as chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group in May 2025.[1]

Corporate membership

Corporate boards

  • G1 Therapeutics, non-executive director (since 2017)[37]
  • Synthego, member of the advisory board (since 2017)[38]
  • Hatteras Venture Partners, advisor[39]

Non-profit organizations

Honours

Witty was knighted in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to the economy and the UK pharmaceutical industry.[42] He was also conferred the Honorary Citizen Award by Singapore in 2018.[43]

Personal life

Witty is married to Caroline Hall.[4] He has two children.[4]

References

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  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Elizabeth Rigby and Sarah Gordon (27 July 2015), David Cameron replaces his entire business advisory board Financial Times.
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Cbignore
  17. ↑ New UNAIDS and Lancet Commission to explore HIV and global health in the Post-2015 debate UNAIDS, press release of 26 May 2013.
  18. ↑ UNAIDS and Lancet Commission address strategic challenges for the future of AIDS and global health UNAIDS, press release of 1 July 2013.
  19. ↑ United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines Calls For New Deal to Close the Health Innovation and Access Gap UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines, press release of 14 September 2016.
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Accelerated access scheme means patients will get new treatments faster Department of Health and Social Care, press release of 3 November 2017.
  23. ↑ New chair appointed to improve patient access to innovation in the NHS Department of Health and Social Care, press release of 19 June 2018.
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Funding and manufacturing boost for UK vaccine programme Government of the United Kingdom, press release of 17 May 2020.
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ New global partnership launched to fight future pandemics Government of the United Kingdom, press release of April 20, 2021.
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ G1 Therapeutics Appoints Sir Andrew Witty to Board of Directors G1 Therapeutics, press release of 13 July 2017.
  38. ↑ Sir Andrew Witty, Former CEO of GSK, Joins Synthego Advisory Board Synthego, press release of 20 September 2017.
  39. ↑ Andrew Witty Hatteras Venture Partners.
  40. ↑ Michael Mills (18 June 2020), WHO COVID-19 vaccine co-lead appointed to head Business School Advisory Board Imperial College Business School.
  41. ↑ Global Advisory Board Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI).
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".Script error: No such module "London Gazette util".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

Business positions
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Chief Executive Officer of GlaxoSmithKline
2008–2017 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Academic offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Chancellor of the University of Nottingham
2013–2017 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by

Template:University of Nottingham Template:GlaxoSmithKline

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