President & CEO, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

Brian D. Pieninck is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit healthcare organizations offering a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products through its affiliates and subsidiaries and administrative services. As President and CEO, Brian embodies CareFirst’s mission while leading over 8,000 individuals dedicated to transforming the healthcare system to be more equitable, affordable and accessible to 3.5 million individuals across Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia.

Brian joined CareFirst in April 2015 as Executive Vice President of the Large Group Strategic Business Unit. He assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer in May 2017, responsible for the organization’s four Strategic Business Units and Technology & Operational Support Services. In May of 2018, Brian was unanimously selected by the CareFirst Boards to become President and CEO, beginning his leadership of the company on July 1, 2018.

Prior to joining CareFirst, Brian was a member of Aetna Inc.’s executive team, where he held key leadership positions during a 19-year tenure, including Director of Professional Employer Organizations, President of Southeast National Accounts, and President of the Americas for Aetna International.

Brian’s community involvement centers on equitably advancing opportunities at the intersection of health and economic wellbeing. He is the Board Chair of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board for the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH). Additionally, he is an active member of several boards, including the Federal Employee Program Board of Managers, the Greater Baltimore Committee, Baltimore’s Promise, BCS Financial Corporation, the Greater Washington Partnership, Synergie Medication Collective, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the United Way of the National Capital Area, and a member of the Morgan State University Board of Regents. In 2022, Brian was named to the Health Committee of Governor-Elect Wes Moore and Lieutenant Governor-Elect Aruna Miller’s transition team, and in 2023, he was named to the Maryland Economic Council and Mayor Brandon Scott’s Business Roundtable. Additionally, he was named a co-chair of the 2023 and 2024 CIAA Tournament, the nation’s oldest historically Black collegiate athletic conference that in 2022 had a positive economic impact of nearly $20 million in Baltimore City.

Brian holds a B.S. in Business Studies and Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and is a graduate of Leadership Maryland’s Class of 2016. A native of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Brian and his family currently reside in Baltimore County, Maryland.