July 30, 2024 -- Catalyst Solutions, a Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) provider for health insurance plans, has announced today that Jo Abernathy has joined the company as member of the Board of Directors. Abernathy brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in technology, including a distinguished tenure as Chief Information Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC).

Rachel Spilo, CEO of Catalyst, said, "I had the pleasure of meeting Jo over a decade ago and have always been impressed by her ability to drive transformation. I'm thrilled to have her join Catalyst's board as I know she is a powerhouse whose experience will be invaluable in helping us reimagine ways to achieve better outcomes for our health plan clients."

At BCBSNC, Abernathy was responsible for technology strategy and operations, leading an IT team of 900 full-time employees and 800 contractors. She managed a $320 million operating budget and spearheaded initiatives that enhanced productivity through AI, improved customer experience, and advanced health outcomes through predictive analytics. Under her leadership, she transformed BCBSNC's infrastructure, established a hybrid cloud environment, and created an Innovation Garage for rapid prototyping. Her IT organization was named ComputerWorld's 100 Best Places to Work in IT for eight consecutive years, reaching the #1 spot among large companies in 2023. In addition to her professional accomplishments, she has contributed to industry publications and has spoken at technology events. She has served on multiple boards, including the North Carolina Governor's IT Strategy Board and SustainableIT.org, and has been an advisor to the NC Tech Association and Blue Venture Fund.

Added Abernathy, "I have worked with Catalyst as a client and have always been impressed with their domain expertise and willingness to meet clients where they are, to deliver tangible outcomes. I am looking forward to joining Catalyst to provide governance and innovation to help their clients benefit from our combined experience."   

Added Sas Mukherjee, President of Catalyst, "With her extensive experience at BCBSNC, Jo will enhance Catalyst's thought leadership and assist our health plan clients nationwide with best practices. She will also govern Catalyst's AI solutions and collaborate with health plan leaders to leverage proven AI enabled digital transformation."

In her role at Catalyst Solutions, Jo will focus on leveraging her expertise to enhance Catalyst's digital capabilities and foster a culture of technology enabled continuous improvement and excellence. Her appointment is effective immediately.