Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Announces Chris Boles as Vice President of Medicare, Melissa Flicek as Chief Information Officer

New leaders bring extensive experience to Government Markets and Operations divisions

EAGAN, Minn., April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) today announced the addition of two executive hires within its government markets and operations divisions. Chris Boles has joined the organization as vice president of Medicare and Individual segments, while Melissa Flicek will serve as chief information officer.

“Chris Boles and Melissa Flicek both bring impressive experience and proven results from their respective fields,” said Dana Erickson, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “They are well-positioned to deliver on our organization’s objectives and strategic priorities and know how to deliver value for members, clients and business partners. I am very pleased to welcome such accomplished leaders to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.”

Chris Boles – Vice President, Medicare and Individual segments

Chris Boles comes to Blue Cross with more than two decades of expertise in leading and advising Medicare health plans and healthcare innovation companies. As leader of Medicare and Individual products, Boles is responsible for developing strategic product direction, sales strategy and distribution channel management for both portfolios. Blue Cross offers individual and family plan options throughout Minnesota, while the Blue Cross Medicare portfolio for the state includes Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplemental Coverage, Group Retiree Products, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans and Special Needs Plans. Additionally, Boles will provide strategic direction and leadership for the Blue Cross Stars and Risk Centers of Excellence.

Boles has held multiple leadership roles at Elevance Health, including vice president of Group Retiree Solutions and regional vice president of Medicare Blue Alliances. In addition to running his own consulting business, he has worked for United HealthGroup, PacifiCare Health Systems and Deloitte Consulting.

Boles reports to Monica Engel, senior vice president of Government Markets and CEO of Blue Plus, the company’s Health Maintenance Organization (HMO).

Melissa Flicek – Vice President, Chief Information Officer

Flicek has more than 20 years of experience in leading technology development and business transformation strategies. As chief information officer at Blue Cross, she has accountability for the strategic direction of business technology, cybersecurity, data and analytics, procurement and vendor management and facilities. Additionally, Flicek oversees the aligned delivery of technological services and solutions across multiple teams in order to maximize the reach and impact of data and insights for individual members, group customers and network providers.

Flicek joins Blue Cross from United HealthGroup, where she served as chief technology officer for Optum, overseeing product and engineering for enterprise initiatives like identity, marketing technology, mobile, improving the user experience and other digital businesses. Flicek’s career also includes long-term leadership roles at Medtronic, where she had global accountability for digital capabilities, including direct sales tools, digital marketing and establishing an eCommerce and inventory management platform; and at Target Corporation, where she served as a director in Technology Services overseeing cross-channel digital experiences for target.com, mobile apps, social media collaboration and in-store digital.

Flicek reports to Carey Smith, senior vice president and chief operating officer.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

For more than 90 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (bluecrossmn.com) has supported the health, wellbeing and peace of mind of our members by striving to ensure equitable access to high quality care at an affordable price. Our more than 2.5 million members can be found in every Minnesota county, all 50 states and on four continents. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:                                                
Mira LaNasa | 651.662.9245
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Mira.LaNasa@bluecrossmn.com