Guzzi Replaced As Blue Cross Board Chairman: Were His Dual Roles A Conflict?

This would hardly be noteworthy, except for the fact that there has been fairly loud grumbling recently about Guzzi's dual, possibly conflicting roles as chairman of the Blue Cross board and president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, as we noted in an earlier post. (One reader commented that Mr. Guzzi's service on two organizationswith competing interests was preventing efforts to reform the medical payment system in the state.)

Jenna McPhee, a spokesperson for Blue Cross, told me by email: "The Board is grateful to Paul for his willingness to help lead the company through this six month interim period in which we were searching for a permanent CEO. That process culminated in the selection last month of Andrew Dreyfus as CEO. Bill’s election as Chairman reflects the strong desire by Andrew and the Board for Bill to continue to play a significant role with BCBSMA given his strong knowledge of our company, our community and the health care industry."

She said it was a fairly straightforward announcement. So, what do you think?