Bupa's former APAC CIO exits insurer

Health insurer Bupa's APAC chief information officer Sami Yalavac will not return to the role after an interim stint leading health services, and will instead leave the company altogether.

Yalavac wrote in a LinkedIn post that he would leave Bupa at the end of the year after 17 years, almost all of it spent in tech. His last day is December 31.

He was the APAC CIO for nearly six-and-a-half years, and also held roles such as director of operations and infrastructure, application development manager and lead developer.

Yalavac took on an interim managing director role back in April; Bupa said last week it had since recruited a permanent managing director, and that Yalavac had elected not to return to the CIO position.

Bupa APAC CEO Hisham El-Ansary said Yalavac had "made an immense contribution during his 17 years at Bupa.”

Yalavac wrote on LinkedIn that he had decided to "open up a new chapter in my career."

"Although I have always been extremely happy at Bupa, I feel that it is now the right time to look for new opportunities rather than to return to my role as the APAC CIO after handing over the managing director health services role," he wrote.

Bupa's interim APAC CIO is Jenny Watson. She has been in the role since April.

Yalavac's departure is not the only executive change at Bupa.

The health insurer said that its chief customer and strategy officer Gerald Marion is also departing.

Marion was appointed the company’s first CCSO in 2019. 

El-Ansary said: “Gerald has been instrumental in growing Bupa’s digital health offer and data capability, as well as supporting the business to improve customer experience”.

A spokesperson told iTnews that while Marion did not hold direct digital executive responsibilities, he oversaw the development of “key customer-centric technologies such as Benefit Pocket”.

Benefit Pocket is a health and wellbeing app that attracts cashback rewards from a range of partners.

It’s been a busy couple of years for Bupa. Last year, its digital director of three years, Nick Park, left to join Altius Digital.

Earlier this year, Bupa created a chief digital and data office role with executive responsibilities, appointing Natalie Field to the post.