Oliver Wyman appoints Shari Westerfield as Principal in actuarial consulting
Oliver Wyman has expanded its actuarial consulting expertise with the addition of Shari Westerfield, a field veteran who joins from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The hire comes as Oliver Wyman prepares to assist clients with a raft of new regulations in 2018.
Prior to joining Oliver Wyman, Shari Westerfield worked at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association as its Chief Actuary, following more than 12 years at the healthcare sector business strategy, technical support and consulting expert firm. Earlier in her career, she worked at Bankers Life and Casualty as Second Vice President of Valuations for almost four years; as a Manager at Arthur Anderson; and as an Assistant Actuary at Trustmark Insurance. Westerfield holds a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The appointment sees Oliver Wyman gain more than 39 years’ actuarial experience, with much of it in advisory functions. In her new role, she will focus largely on healthcare strategy consulting, in a period of considerable uncertainty around healthcare in the states. Westerfield joins as a Principal, and will report to Beth Fritchen, Partner and Head of the Chicago Actuarial Health office.
Commenting on the appointment, Beth Fritchen said, “We are very excited to have Shari Westerfield join the team. Having worked for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association for 12 years, Shari brings a wealth of experience and knowledge. She will help strengthen our ability to provide high quality and value-added services to our clients, and deepen our relationships with healthcare payers across the industry.”
Westerfield added, “With the uncertainties surrounding healthcare in the US, I am delighted to join Oliver Wyman’s Healthcare team to help our clients navigate the challenges in the industry. Oliver Wyman is leading the way in analysing potential market changes and new strategies, and I’m excited to be part of the team.”
The Actuarial Consulting Practice of Oliver Wyman has property and casualty, life and healthcare actuaries which advise financial institutions, regulators, and self-insured entities across a broad spectrum of risk management issues. With over 250 professionals in 18 offices across North America, the Caribbean, and Germany, the firm’s consulting actuaries provide advice to the firm’s global client base.
