Steven Nelson

Executive Vice President and President, Aetna CVS Health

Last Reviewed: October 1, 2026

Executive Summary

Steven Nelson has run Aetna, CVS Health’s health insurance business, since November 2024. He is a managed care veteran who previously led UnitedHealthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, as chief executive, and has also run care delivery businesses, including the value-based primary care company ChenMed and the physician group Duly Health and Care. CVS Health ranked No. 6 on the 2026 Fortune 500.

Career Highlights

• Executive Vice President of CVS Health and President of Aetna since November 2024.
• Chief Executive Officer of ChenMed, February to August 2024, after serving as its President.
• President of JenCare Senior Medical Center, a ChenMed company, September 2022 to August 2023.
• Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Duly Health and Care, July 2020 to September 2022.
• Former Chief Executive Officer of UnitedHealthcare.

Professional Journey

Nelson held several leadership positions at Henry Ford Health System before joining UnitedHealthcare. There he held several leadership roles, leading its Commercial and Government businesses, and became chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare.

From July 2020 to September 2022 he was Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Duly Health and Care, a large multispecialty independent provider group. He then joined ChenMed, a primary care provider focused on seniors, first as President of its JenCare Senior Medical Center business, then as President of ChenMed from August 2023 and Chief Executive Officer from February to August 2024.

In November 2024 he joined CVS Health as Executive Vice President and President of Aetna.

Education

No first-party source read for this profile states his education.