Bupa has appointed Iñaki Ereño, the current CEO of Bupa Europe and Latin America (ELA), as Group CEO, to succeed Evelyn Bourke, who has announced she is to retire at the end of the year.
Bourke has been CEO since 2016 and served as Bupa’s Chief Financial Officer from 2012. Ereño (pictured above) joined Bupa in 2005 and has been CEO of Sanitas since 2008 and CEO of ELA since 2016. A Bupa spokesman confirmed that his successor as CEO for ELA will be announced “in due course”.
Bupa Chairman Roger Davis said: “Our deepest thanks go to Evelyn for all that she has contributed to Bupa.
“She leaves the organisation in excellent shape. The hallmark of her leadership has been her systematic focus on Bupa’s customers, putting them front and centre right across the organisation. She has also transformed many of the fundamentals across the Group, investing in technology and operational resilience, and strengthening internal controls and risk management. This has served Bupa incredibly well in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Having delivered substantive change, Evelyn has decided that the time is right for her to move onto the next phase of her career and go plural, developing a portfolio career.”
Iñaki Ereño
* Joined Bupa in 2005
* Held a number of leadership roles
* Became CEO of Sanitas in 2008
* Became CEO of Spain and Latin America (later Europe and Latin America) in 2012
* Has held senior positions at the Telefonica Group and Carrefour
* Holds a degree in law and an MBA from IESE Business School
* Married with three children
Davis added that the board is “delighted” to appoint Ereño as Bourke’s successor.
Davis said: “Iñaki is a long-time member of the Bupa team, with an exemplary track record of leadership, innovation and growth across multiple business lines and geographies.
“His deep knowledge of Bupa and our sectors, his passion for digital and innovation, and his strong drive make him the natural choice to take Bupa forward.”
Bourke said that Bupa is a “wonderful organisation” and it’s been “an absolute privilege” to have led it through a time of “significant transformation, challenge and change”.
Evelyn Bourke
* Joined Bupa as CFO in September 2012
* Previously CEO of the Heritage division at Friends Life
* Former Executive Director responsible for strategy, capital and risk at Friends Provident and, before that, CFO
* Non-Executive Director of London First.
* Non-Executive Director of the Bank of Ireland Group plc
* Holds an MBA from London Business School
She said: “I’ve loved it. This was not an easy decision to make, and in truth it will never feel like the right time to leave an organisation like Bupa. That said, I know that Bupa will go from strength to strength under Iñaki’s leadership, and I’m looking forward to working with him over the coming months as we make the transition.”
Bourke added that she would like to thank Bupa’s 83,000 people around for their work and support during her tenure.
Ereño said: “It’s an honour to be given the opportunity to lead Bupa. Evelyn and I have worked closely together over the years, and I want to thank her and wish her all the very best for the future, both professionally and personally.
“Health could not be more relevant to the world right now, and Bupa has a vital role to play. I know we have what we need to succeed in the future healthcare space. I am delighted to be entrusted with taking us forward and ensuring we rise to this opportunity.”
Ereño’s appointment, which is subject to regulatory approval, means he becomes Group CEO and will join the Bupa Board from 1 January 2021.