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Stephen J. Hemsley has been a key figure at UnitedHealth Group for over 22 years, serving as the CEO for ten of those years. Under his leadership, the company became one of the largest health services firms, impacting millions of...

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Stephen J. Hemsley

Ex-CEO of UnitedHealth Group

Education

B.A. from the University of Minnesota

Field of Expertise

Business & Management - Business Management

Sector of Economy

Healthcare

Born

July 6, 1951 - 73 years ago

CEO of UnitedHealth Group for

10 years 9 months (Dec 2006 - Sep 2017)

Previous Experience

Chief Financial Officer at UnitedHealth Group

Holdings

See how much did Stephen J. Hemsley make over time.

As of early 2024, Stephen Hemsley holds stock in UnitedHealth valued at $489 million. He's seen fluctuations in this wealth but maintained significant ownership throughout his career. During his time as CEO, particularly in 2017, his wealth peaked with total...

Mar 18, 2025

Total Stock Sold

$506.62M

UNH

$506.62M

2,993,925 UNH shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Stephen J. Hemsley didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra UNH2,993,925 shares worth $870.06M.
This is 71.74% and $363.44M more than what they got when they sold the stock.

Charitable Transactions

UNH

2,447,654 shares

UNH

Recent Charitable Transactions

UNH

33,000 shares

UNH

Dec 17, 2024

Charity

UNH

8,000 shares

UNH

Nov 11, 2024

Charity

UNH

9,368 shares

UNH

Sep 16, 2024

Charity

UNH

44,000 shares

UNH

Sep 6, 2024

Charity

UNH

7,850 shares

UNH

Jun 6, 2024

Charity

UNH

18,500 shares

UNH

Nov 22, 2023

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Stephen J. Hemsley.

UNH

283 shares

UNH

Jan 2, 2025

Received

UNH

33,000 shares

UNH

Dec 17, 2024

Charity

UNH

31 shares

UNH

Dec 17, 2024

Received

UNH

8,000 shares

UNH

Nov 11, 2024

Charity

UNH

245 shares

UNH

Oct 1, 2024

Received

UNH

25 shares

UNH

Sep 24, 2024

Received

UNH

9,368 shares

UNH

Sep 16, 2024

Charity

UNH

44,000 shares

UNH

Sep 6, 2024

Charity

UNH

289 shares

UNH

Jul 1, 2024

Received

UNH

28 shares

UNH

Jun 25, 2024

Received

Compensation History

See how much did Stephen J. Hemsley make over time.

Stephen Hemsley's compensation over the years shows a clear pattern of performance-driven rewards. In 2017, he earned more than $18 million, which included salary, bonuses, and stock vesting. His base salary was set at $1.3 million, but bonuses were contingent on meeting specific company performance metrics. The bonus for 2017 particularly stood out at $5 million, twice the target amount due to his successful leadership. The consistent alignment of his pay with company performance metrics like revenue and operating income reflects a philosophy aimed at creating accountability. Even as he transitioned roles, Hemsley’s compensation packages continued to showcase his importance to the company’s direction and stability, including a retirement benefit capped at $10.7 million. His career is a case study in linking pay with results, driving both personal and company success.

Year

2017

Total Compensation

$26.29M

Salary

$1.21M

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy is designed to attract and retain highly qualified executives while linking compensation directly to the achievement of enterprise-wide goals, emphasizing teamwork and collaboration.

Bonus

$5.00M

Board Justification

The actual annual cash incentive award paid to Mr. Hemsley for 2017 was $5,000,000, which represented 192% of his target award value of $2,600,000.

Other

$230.85K

Board Justification

Other compensation includes company matching contributions under the 401(k) savings plan and other benefits.

Restricted Stock

$19.85M(104.74K RSU)

Board Justification

The number of shares acquired upon vesting of restricted stock units (RSUs) granted in prior years, which vested in 2017.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for determining the compensation included revenue, operating income, cash flows from operations, and non-financial measures such as employee engagement and teamwork.