Mark Bertolini is in the process of transforming a once stodgy insurance company into one of the most progressive companies in America, according to a recent New York Times article. Aetna’s Chief is succeeding on all fronts with a foundational approach to implementing programs that offer an unconventional level of employee support.
Bertolini has offered all 50,000 Aetna employees free yoga and mindfulness courses as part of an effort to create a healthier company by creating healthier employees—13,000 have taken advantage of the offer so far. The newsworthy mindfulness program delivers on Aetna’s core mission of “building a healthier world” and demonstrates their values of integrity, excellence, caring, and inspiration.
But that’s just part of the story.
To me the bigger takeaway is the extension of Aetna’s mindful service orientation to all of its constituencies under Chief Bertolini. I share a number of examples here.
For employees Aetna has delivered:
- Increased pay by 33% for the firms lowest paid employees
- Reduced out-of-pocket health care expenses for all employees
For customers and partners Aetna has delivered:
- Leading solutions for—and with—government, employers, providers and individual consumers
For shareowners Aetna has delivered:
- Industry leading revenue growth (14% CAGR) and earnings per share growth (15% CAGR)
- Better total shareowner returns than any competitor with a tripling of the stock price
For the greater communities in which they serve Aetna has delivered:
- Consistent improvement against aggressive targets in areas of land usage, transportation, water efficiency, building efficiency, ozone protection, renewable energy, air quality, and waste management
In short, Aetna’s mindful approach to their employee base is consistent with their service-oriented approach to all involved groups. Chief Bertolini is an unconventional Chief setting the pace for others in his industry, and in many ways, for the many other companies searching for role models who mindfully deliver on their mission.