Bernard Tyson, CEO of Kaiser Permanente, dies at age 60

admin November 11, 2019

23 17 minutes read

Bernard Tyson, CEO of Kaiser Permanente, dies at age 60

November 10 (UPI) – Bernard J. Tyson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, died unexpectedly Sunday while asleep at the age of 60, the non-commercial health system said.

"On behalf of our board, staff and doctors, we extend our deepest sympathy to the Bernard family during this very difficult time," the company said in a statement. "An outstanding leader, visionary and champion of affordable, high-quality healthcare for all Americans. Bernard was a tireless advocate for Kaiser Permanente, our members and the communities we serve."

Tyson spent more than 30 years with the company, serving in a variety of roles from hospital administrator to division president before being named CEO in 201[ads1]3 and chairman of the board in 2014, according to his bio on the company's website. [19659002] Under his management, health personnel said it expanded from 9.1 million members to 12.3 million members to date, and annual sales grew from $ 53 billion to $ 82.8 billion.

Gregory A. Adams, Executive Vice President and President, has been named interim Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, the company said.

"Bernard was an exceptional colleague, a passionate leader and an honorable man," said board member Edward Pei. "The board has full confidence in Greg Adams & # 39; s ability to lead Kaiser Permanente through this unexpected transition."

The cause of his death was not revealed. The day before his death Tyson attended Afro Tech, a black entrepreneurship event in Oakland, Calif.

"We are honored to have shared his presence and learned about his journey on [Afro Tech]," the event said on Twitter . "We join his loved ones in grieving this loss and celebrating his legacy."

Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, a cloud-based software company, called Tyson one of "the world's largest CEOs."

"A light to this world has gone out. Bernard Tyson, our loving friend and board member, has passed away," the founder said via Twitter . "He always did so much for others and the world."

Tyson is survived by his wife, Denis Bradley-Tyson, and three sons.

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Rep. John Conyers of Michigan speaks at the Denver Democratic National Conference in 2008. Conyers, who served five decades in Congress, died Oct. 27 at the age of 90. File Photo by Brian Kersey / UPI | License Photo