Stephen Hemsley was CEO of UnitedHealth Group—a top five public company by revenue—from 2006–17. He stepped away from that role to become chairman but added back CEO responsibilities this past May when Andrew Witty abruptly left for “personal reasons.” Now, he’s trying to turn around a company that saw its costs rise rapidly, its stock price plummet, and its billing practices become the subject of a federal investigation. (The company is the parent of UnitedHealthcare, whose CEO, Brian Thompson, was killed on a New York City street about a year ago.) Hemsley told investors in October that the company would see “continued headwinds in 2026 from the third year of nearly $50 billion in industrywide Medicare cuts.” As he finalizes 2026 plans, Hemsley pledged “operational rigor” and “more prudent pricing,” so the company could produce sustainable double-digit growth beginning in 2027.