Former COO of UnitedHealthcare subsidiary Optum Health promoted to CEO

Optum Health’s chief operating officer has stepped up into the chief executive officer role as part of a leadership reshuffling.

Last week, Krista Nelson confirmed in a LinkedIn post that she would be taking the promotion, having served as COO of Optum Health—part of Optum and UnitedHealthcare—since May 2025. Before that, she worked in various leadership roles at UnitedHealthcare, where she’s been employed since 2017.

“I’m honored to share [that] I’ve stepped into the role of leading Optum Health,” Nelson wrote. “I’m continually inspired by the dedication, compassion and excellence of our teams across the country. From clinics and specialty practices to home visits and digital care, I’ve seen firsthand the remarkable ways we show up every day to take care of the millions of patients we’re privileged to serve.”

With the shift, the previous CEO of Optum Health, Patrick Conway, MD, will step down from a role he’s held since June. However, he confirmed in his own LinkedIn message that he’ll remain the CEO of the larger Optum company, having held dual roles for the last few months.

Conway, who has been in executive leadership at Optum since joining the company in 2020, praised the decision to promote Nelson.

“Throughout her career, Krista Nelson has advocated for some of the most vulnerable and complex populations, transformed consumer and provider services, helped scale digital and advanced technology, and continually delivered operational excellence,” he said. “I can’t think of a better leader to write the next chapter of Optum Health and drive better health and wellbeing for everyone we serve.”