Andrew Witty

Andrew Witty
Born	Andrew Philip Witty 22 08, 1964
Birthplace	Nantwich, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Business executive
Known for	CEO of UnitedHealth Group (2021–2025), CEO of GlaxoSmithKline (2008–2017)
Spouse(s)	Caroline Hall
Children	2
Awards	Knight Bachelor (2012)

Sir Andrew Philip Witty (born 22 August 1964) is an English business executive who served as the chief executive officer (CEO) of UnitedHealth Group, the largest health insurance company in the United States, from February 2021 until his abrupt departure in May 2025. Before leading UnitedHealth, Witty spent nearly three decades at British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), rising through its international operations to become CEO in 2008, a position he held until 2017. During his tenure at GSK, he pursued a strategy of expanding access to medicines in developing countries and restructuring the company's research and commercial operations. Beyond the corporate world, Witty served as chancellor of the University of Nottingham from 2013 to 2017 and took a leave of absence from UnitedHealth's Optum division in 2020 to assist the World Health Organization (WHO) in coordinating the global effort to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. He was knighted in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to the economy and the pharmaceutical industry. His career traversed two of the world's largest healthcare organisations, placing him at the intersection of pharmaceuticals, health insurance, and public health policy for over three decades.

Early Life

Andrew Philip Witty was born on 22 August 1964 in Nantwich, a market town in Cheshire, England. Details about his family background and upbringing have not been widely documented in public sources. He grew up in England during a period of significant economic and industrial change in the United Kingdom, and he went on to pursue higher education before entering the pharmaceutical industry.

Education

Witty studied at the University of Nottingham, where he earned a degree in economics. His connection to the university remained strong throughout his career, and in 2013 he was appointed chancellor of the University of Nottingham, a ceremonial role he held until 2017.

Career

GlaxoSmithKline (1985–2017)

Witty joined Glaxo in 1985, shortly after completing his university studies, and spent the next three decades rising through the ranks of the company and its successor organisations as it underwent a series of mergers that eventually created GlaxoSmithKline. His early career was spent in a variety of international roles. He worked across several markets, gaining extensive experience in the company's global operations. He held positions in Africa and Asia, giving him exposure to healthcare challenges in developing countries, an experience that would later shape his strategic priorities as CEO.

Appointment as CEO

In October 2007, GlaxoSmithKline announced that Witty had been selected to succeed Jean-Pierre Garnier as CEO, effective May 2008. The announcement was covered by the Times, which profiled Witty as an insider who had spent his entire career at the company. At the time of his appointment, Witty was 43 years old and had been serving as president of GSK's European pharmaceuticals business.

Strategic Direction at GSK

Upon taking the helm in 2008, Witty pursued a multi-pronged strategy that included expanding access to medicines in the developing world, restructuring research and development, and diversifying the company's portfolio beyond traditional prescription pharmaceuticals into consumer healthcare and vaccines.

In February 2009, Witty attracted significant attention when he outlined plans to cut the prices of GSK's medicines in the world's poorest countries. In an interview with The Guardian, he described a strategy to make patented drugs more affordable in least developed countries, proposing a tiered pricing system that would cap prices at no more than 25 percent of the levels charged in wealthy nations. He also announced that GSK would place patents for certain compounds into a "patent pool" to allow other researchers to build upon them in the search for treatments for neglected tropical diseases. This initiative represented a notable departure from the stance of many large pharmaceutical companies at the time and drew both praise and scrutiny from public health advocates and industry analysts.

The Times reported on Witty's broader strategic vision for GSK, which included efforts to reposition the company amid shifting dynamics in the pharmaceutical industry, including patent expirations on key drugs and growing pressure on pricing from governments and health systems.

China Bribery Scandal

One of the most significant challenges Witty faced during his tenure at GSK was a bribery scandal involving the company's operations in China. In 2013, Chinese authorities accused GSK employees of funnelling payments worth up to 3 billion yuan (approximately £300 million) to doctors and hospital officials to boost sales. The allegations led to a formal investigation by Chinese police and resulted in the detention of several GSK employees in the country.

Witty responded publicly to the crisis. According to The Independent, he stated that the company's UK headquarters had been unaware of the alleged fraudulent activities in China and that he was "deeply concerned" by the allegations. The Telegraph reported that Witty was prepared to acknowledge that fraud had taken place within the company's Chinese operations, marking an unusual admission for the CEO of a major multinational corporation.

The scandal had lasting repercussions for GSK's operations in China and prompted the company to overhaul its compliance and sales practices in the country and more broadly.

Investor Criticism and Departure

Witty's tenure at GSK was not without criticism from shareholders. Neil Woodford, one of the UK's most prominent fund managers at the time, publicly criticised the company's performance and strategic direction under Witty's leadership.

In March 2016, the BBC reported on developments at GSK under Witty's leadership as the company continued to navigate a changing pharmaceutical landscape. Witty stepped down as CEO of GlaxoSmithKline in 2017, after nearly a decade at the helm. He was succeeded by Emma Walmsley, who became one of the few women to lead a major global pharmaceutical company.

University of Nottingham Chancellor (2013–2017)

In 2013, Witty was appointed chancellor of the University of Nottingham, his alma mater. The role of chancellor is largely ceremonial at British universities, involving duties such as presiding over degree ceremonies and serving as an ambassador for the institution. Witty held the position until 2017, when the university announced that he would be stepping down. His appointment reflected his longstanding ties to the university and his prominence in British business.

UnitedHealth Group (2018–2025)

Appointment to Optum

In 2018, Reuters reported that UnitedHealth Group had appointed Witty as head of Optum, the company's health services and technology division. The appointment marked Witty's entry into the American healthcare market and the health insurance industry, representing a significant shift from his background in pharmaceuticals. Optum, which provides pharmacy benefits, healthcare delivery, and data analytics services, had become an increasingly important part of UnitedHealth Group's overall business.

COVID-19 Vaccine Effort

In April 2020, Witty took a leave of absence from his role at Optum to assist the World Health Organization in its efforts to coordinate the global development of a vaccine for COVID-19. Forbes reported that Witty would serve in an advisory capacity to the WHO, drawing on his extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry and global health. The role placed Witty at the centre of one of the most urgent global health challenges in modern history, as governments, pharmaceutical companies, and international organisations raced to develop, manufacture, and distribute vaccines against the novel coronavirus.

CEO of UnitedHealth Group

In February 2021, Witty was appointed CEO of UnitedHealth Group, succeeding David Wichmann. As CEO, Witty oversaw the largest health insurance company in the United States, a sprawling enterprise with operations spanning health insurance (through UnitedHealthcare), pharmacy benefits management, healthcare delivery, and data analytics (through Optum).

His tenure as CEO of UnitedHealth Group coincided with a period of intense scrutiny of the American health insurance industry. In December 2024, Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare — the insurance division of UnitedHealth Group — was fatally shot in New York City, an event that drew significant public attention to the company and to broader public frustrations with the health insurance industry.

Departure from UnitedHealth Group

On 13 May 2025, UnitedHealth Group announced that Witty was stepping down as CEO, effective immediately, citing "personal reasons." The departure was widely described as abrupt and came during a turbulent period for the company.

Simultaneously with the announcement of Witty's departure, UnitedHealth Group suspended its financial forecast for 2025, a move that sent the company's shares lower. Stephen Hemsley, the chairman of UnitedHealth's board and a former CEO of the company, was named as Witty's replacement.

NPR described the leadership change as deepening "a terrible year" for UnitedHealth Group, noting the cascading challenges the company faced including the aftermath of the Thompson killing, regulatory scrutiny, and financial pressures. Pharmaphorum reported that Witty had resigned and that the company had pulled its financial forecasts for the year.

Compensation

In August 2025, Seeking Alpha reported that Witty had topped the list of executive compensation among US managed care companies for the year 2024, his final full year as CEO of UnitedHealth Group.

Personal Life

Andrew Witty is married to Caroline Hall, and the couple have two children. He maintains a relatively private personal life compared to the public prominence of his professional roles.

Witty received a number of international honours during his career. In 2018, the government of Singapore conferred the Honorary Citizen Award upon him, recognising his contributions to the city-state, where GSK maintained significant operations.

Recognition

Witty was knighted in the 2012 New Year Honours as a Knight Bachelor for services to the UK economy and the pharmaceutical industry. The honour reflected his role in leading one of Britain's largest companies and his efforts to expand access to medicines in developing countries during his time at GlaxoSmithKline.

In 2018, the government of Singapore bestowed the Honorary Citizen Award on Witty, one of the country's highest honours for foreign nationals, in recognition of his contributions to Singapore's pharmaceutical and healthcare sector.

His profile was included in Forbes listings of major business leaders, reflecting his prominence in the global pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Throughout his career, Witty appeared on various lists and rankings of influential business executives, and his strategic decisions at both GSK and UnitedHealth Group attracted sustained media coverage from outlets including the BBC, The Guardian, The Times, Reuters, CNBC, CNN, and NPR.

His involvement with the World Health Organization's COVID-19 vaccine effort in 2020 brought additional public attention to Witty's role in global health, placing him among a small group of private-sector leaders who contributed directly to the international pandemic response.

Legacy

Andrew Witty's career spanned two of the world's largest and most consequential healthcare organisations. At GlaxoSmithKline, he led the company through a period of significant strategic transformation, including initiatives to expand access to medicines in low-income countries that drew attention from public health advocates and the broader pharmaceutical industry. His pricing and patent-sharing proposals represented a departure from prevailing industry norms at the time, although the company also faced significant challenges during his tenure, including the China bribery scandal and criticism from major shareholders.

At UnitedHealth Group, Witty led the company through a period that included the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, growing public debate about the role and practices of health insurance companies in the United States, and the killing of the company's insurance division CEO in 2024. His departure in May 2025 came during what multiple news organisations described as one of the most challenging periods in the company's history.

Witty's transition from British pharmaceuticals to American health insurance illustrated the increasingly globalised nature of healthcare leadership in the 21st century. His willingness to take a leave of absence to assist the WHO during the pandemic reflected a model of public-private cooperation that characterised parts of the global COVID-19 response.