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Good morning. The hardest decision for a CEO isn\u2019t just knowing what to build. It\u2019s knowing when to stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not so for David Cordani, who grew Cigna from $18 billion in annual revenue to $275 billion over 17 years, in part through the 2018 Express Scripts acquisition that gave rise to the Evernorth health services business. Cordani is stepping down as CEO on July 1, becoming executive chairman. I spoke with him recently about the industry, AI, and what it actually feels like to hand over the keys.<\/p>\n
On the his \u2018leadership moment.\u2019 When COVID-19 hit, Cordani was on the executive committee of the industry\u2019s trade association. The question on the table: would they cover all vaccination costs? \u201cI asserted that we need to,\u201d he told me. Within two hours, they had an agreement and a plan worked out with HHS and the White House. Then he pushed further: would they proactively commit to covering all COVID-related services, regardless? \u201cIt was silent,\u201d he said. \u201cI postulated, if not, if not now, when? The board never said, \u2018Let\u2019s see the business case and the EPS impact.\u2019 We said our mission guides this decision. To me, that is a leadership moment.\u201d Cigna was the first major health insurer to waive patient costs for treatment.<\/p>\n
On AI in health care. Cordani is measured about the impact AI will have. \u201cSometimes we overestimate the impact in the first two years and underestimate the impact over the first 10 years,\u201d he said. He doesn\u2019t believe AI is ready to make clinical decisions but sees real value in curating information to support them. His other concern: \u201cIt makes cyber challenges even more significant.\u201d Worth keeping in mind as your own teams push for faster AI deployment.<\/p>\n
On what leadership actually requires now. \u201cLeadership today is less hierarchical, it\u2019s less authoritative, it\u2019s more coaching and enabling,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has to have authenticity and vulnerability, and it has to have fluidity and dynamism in it.\u201d His biggest regret? Not listening actively enough, early enough. \u201cThe impatience of a type A action orientation gets in the way of truly understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
On letting go. \u201cWhen you\u2019re in the CEO role, you\u2019re in the service of the company,\u201d he said. \u201cI challenge myself not to become too attached to the identity of CEO.\u201d His definition of success: a transition so seamless he\u2019s \u201csomewhat forgotten\u201d because successor Brian Evanko and his team will be so effective. After 25 years in leadership roles, he admits he\u2019s going into an unknown. \u201cI\u2019m trying to be intellectually honest. I\u2019m trying not to lie to myself,\u201d he said. \u201cI will seek to be an active part in helping the health and wellbeing systems evolve, because as a society we\u2019re better off if people have higher levels of vitality.\u201d<\/p>\n
And a proven way to maintain that vitality is to continue to find a sense of purpose in what you do.<\/p>\n
Contact CEO Daily via Diane Brady at diane.brady@fortune.com<\/p>\n
Top leadership news<\/p>\n
The 2026 Southeast Asia 500<\/p>\n
Out today: Fortune\u2019s new 2026 Southeast Asia 500, a ranking of the region\u2019s biggest countries by revenue. Check out the list here as well as features on Vietnam\u2019s fast-growing economy and an analysis of the list\u2019s buzziest trends.<\/p>\n
The executive driving BYD’s global growth<\/p>\n
Stella Li turned BYD into the world\u2019s largest EV maker from its battery roots and is leading the Chinese carmaker’s global expansion. She\u2019s pushing BYD into Europe with local factories and five-minute flash chargers to overcome tariffs and race past rivals. Her mission: scale innovation that cuts greenhouse gases and fossil-fuel dependence while overtaking Toyota within five years.<\/p>\n
Why Patagonia is suing an activist<\/p>\n
Patagonia is embroiled in a trademark lawsuit against drag queen and environmental activist Pattie Gonia that is turning into a reputational problem for the progressive outdoor brand. “We can’t pick and choose,” said Patagonia’s chief communications officer Corley Kenna. “We can’t just go after the organizations and individuals who are not values-aligned. We have to go after all, because that’s how trademark law works.”<\/p>\n
The markets<\/p>\n
S&P 500 futures are down 0.06% this morning. The last session closed up 1.65%. The STOXX Europe 600 was up 0.58% in early trading. The U.K.\u2019s FTSE 100 was up 0.56% in early trading. Japan\u2019s Nikkei 225 was up 0.13%. South Korea\u2019s KOSPI is up 2.11% today. China\u2019s CSI 300 was down 0.15%. Hong Kong\u2019s Hang Seng was down 1.40%. India\u2019s NIFTY 50 was up 0.56%. Bitcoin was up at $67K.<\/p>\n
Around the watercooler<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how SpaceX\u2019s debut stacks up against other major IPOs by Jacqueline Munis<\/p>\n
Iran emerges from war with its economy in free fall and inflation on some food items above 400%. If the regime doesn\u2019t fix it, \u2018there will be trouble\u2019 by Jason Ma<\/p>\n
The billionaire founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners makes plea to businesses adopting AI: \u2018Don\u2019t destroy your intern program\u2019 by Jeff John Roberts<\/p>\n
Silicon Valley legend Vinod Khosla tears into \u2018idiotic, shortsighted, and very selfish\u2019 Gen Z Stanford protests of Google CEO by Nick Lichtenberg<\/p>\n
CEO Daily is curated and edited by Joseph Abrams, Jason Ma, Claire Zillman, and Lee Clifford.<\/p>\n
#CEO #David #CordanibuiltCigna #275B #juggernaut #forgotten<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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