Ronald Allen Williams is an American businessman, entrepreneur and management consultant, and author of Learning to Lead: The Journey to Leading Yourself, Leading Others, and Leading an Organization. He is chairman and CEO of RW2 Enterprises, LLC. He is the former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Aetna Inc., a diversified benefits company. Following his retirement from Aetna, Williams formed RW2 Enterprises, LLC, a consulting firm dedicated to serving American business and society. He coaches and consults with senior corporate executives of Fortune 100 companies on transformational leadership strategy, board preparedness and business strategy. He continues to champion value creation in health care in the US, and works to move the American health care system toward a value-based approach to health care, where physicians, health care providers, insurers, employers and consumers are working together to achieve the best possible health care.
Aetna leadership
Williams served as both chairman and CEO of Aetna until November 2010 and as chairman through April 2011. He also served as chairman of the Aetna Foundation from 2006 to April 2011. During his tenure, Aetna was named Fortune magazine's most admired Company in the Health Care: Insurance and Managed Care category for three consecutive years. Aetna 2011 revenues were $34 billion and the firm ranked 77th on the Fortune 100 list. Joining Aetna in 2001, Williams focused on transforming the company's strategy, culture, operating performance and financial results. In 2002, Williams was named president and joined Aetna's board. He was named CEO in February 2006 and chairman of the board in October 2006. In 2001, Aetna reported a net loss from continuing operations of $292 million and earnings per share loss from continuing operations of $0.46. In 2011, full-year operating earnings were $2.0 billion with operating earnings per share of $5.17 producing a 12.3 percent operating EPS CAGR over the last five years. Under his leadership, Aetna sought to make a positive impact on health care in America by serving as a catalyst for change, focusing the industry, public policy leaders, physicians and employers on issues aimed at increasing access and affordability, and transforming American health care into a more efficient system that delivers greater value to all Americans. He has championed specific reforms in numerous broadcast media interviews and authored or co-authored op-ed articles in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Financial Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Business leadership
Williams serves on the board of directors of American Express, Boeing and Johnson and Johnson. He is also an operating advisor to the private equity firmClayton, Dubilier & Rice, serves on the board of Envision Healthcare, which has 16,000 clinicians in 4,600 facilities in the U.S., and is chairman of the board of agilon health, a company partnering with physicians to create next generation value-based care delivery. agilon health was launched in 2016. Williams is vice chairman of The Conference Board. Williams conceived and co-sponsored TCB's efforts to create the millennial leader report "Divergent Views/Common Ground, the leadership perspective of C-Suite Executives and Millennial Leaders." This report encourages C-Suite executives to better navigate millennial leader talent development and coaching. Williams actively participates with the Committee for Economic Development, and co-chaired two of CED's studies: Adjusting the Prescription and Modernizing Medicare. In January 2010, he co-chaired the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. He also previously served as vice chairman of The Business Council from 2008 to 2010, vice chairman of the Health Leadership Council, and chairman of the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare. He also was an advisor to The Wall Street Journal CEO Council and a former member of the GE Healthymagination Advisory Committee.
Prior to joining Aetna, Williams served as group president, and president of WellPoint, having joined WellPoint's predecessor firm, Blue Cross of California, in 1987. Previously, he was co-founder of Visa Health Corp. and group marketing executive of Control Data Corporation.
Williams is actively engaged in public service and philanthropy. He also appears frequently in the news media. During his career, Williams has received media recognition and other awards including:
