WPS Health Solutions has announced through a press release that it has promoted Wendy Perkins — its current Chief Management Officer — as their next President and CEO. She will be the first woman to hold the position in the organization’s history.

The not-for-profit health insurer began a nationwide search for a new CEO began after current CEO and President Mike Hamerlik announced his imminent retirement, following 10 years of holding the position.

“During my time at WPS, we’ve accomplished many things, from modernizing our systems and forging new partnerships to changing how we work and finding new ways to make health care easier for the people we serve,” Hamerlik said in a statement. 

She joined the company in 2016, and since then has been granted greater and greater responsibilities in order to prepare her for the role of President and CEO.

“I know Wendy will continue to lead and support our employees as the company enters its next growth phase. Our customers, beneficiaries, business partners, and communities are in trusted hands,” he continued.

The process of selecting the next President and CEO took several months of searching and evaluation, canvassing qualified candidates from across the nation.

“Wendy stood out as the right choice to lead WPS and move the company forward at this time,” said Kristine Euclide, Chair of the WPS Board of Directors, in a statement.

Perkins is experienced in driving strategic growth and leading high-performance teams to achieve desired results. With experience at WPS and other industry leaders, WPS lauds her understanding in how to successfully perform competitively in both health care and government sectors.

“I’m honored to be selected as President and CEO and value the trust the WPS Board and Transition Committee has placed in me,” Perkins said. 

“WPS is in a growth phase with rich opportunities on the horizon. WPS employees are driven to succeed, so I have no doubt we will achieve great things together,” she continued.

Prior to joining WPS, she held leadership positions at Anthem, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Wisconsin.

Perkins earned her bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and has completed the Strategic Leadership Program at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. 

Perkins will begin as President and CEO on April 1, 2023, becoming the fifth person to fill the role.