Bernard Tyson is president and chief operating officer of Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest not-for-profit health plan and health care provider, with annual operating revenue in excess of $42 billion. Often referred to as the model for the future of health care, Kaiser Permanente serves more than 8.8 million members, focusing on prevention, and affordable health care for the members and communities it serves through the use of evidence-based medicine and industry-leading technology. (To view the video on iPad or iPhone, click here.)

Event Details

January 26, 2012

Hyatt Regency
5 Embarcadero Center, 2nd Level
Bay View Room
San Francisco, CA
Networking Reception 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Speaker 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Q&A with audience 7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

About the Speaker

Reporting to the chairman and CEO, Tyson as president is responsible for the organization’s operations, and working with his team of executives and vice presidents, oversees all functions of the Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Kaiser Foundation Health Plans. Under his leadership is a workforce of 165,000 employees (95,000 of which are in a unique Labor Management Partnership). Tyson and his team partner with the Permanente Medical Group to deliver on the mission of high quality health care for members and in the communities where they exist.

Tyson and Kaiser Permanente are transforming health care. This is driven by a philosophical belief that health care be safe, affordable, and accessible to everyone, and that the health care industry be held responsible for its performance, especially in the areas of quality, service, and affordability.

Over his 30-year career, Tyson has developed a great understanding of the health care industry and the inner workings of Kaiser Permanente. For the last 26 years, he has served as a respected leader in all areas of the organization, from running individual hospitals to his leadership over the groundbreaking branding effort that resulted in Kaiser Permanente’s Thrive advertising campaign. This award-winning campaign successfully clarified Kaiser Permanente’s position on health: We stand for health.

A strong proponent of inclusive leadership, Tyson serves as an executive sponsor for Kaiser Permanente initiatives focusing on eliminating disparities in health care and promoting diversity in the workplace. His drive to cultivate and develop leadership is exemplified by the time he dedicates for mentoring and counseling, his proven track record of promoting employees to leadership, and the current makeup of his leadership team, which represents the best in health care.

Tyson has both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in health care from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He also earned an advanced leadership certificate from Harvard University. Tyson serves as vice chair for the Executive Leadership Council — a leadership network and advocacy organization whose membership is made up of African-American senior executives from the nation’s Fortune 500 corporations. He also serves on the organization’s board of directors. Tyson has been recognized for his work both within and outside of health care. In 2010 he was named one of the most powerful minorities in health care by Modern Healthcare magazine.