Andrew Witty

Andrew Witty
Born	Andrew Philip Witty 22 8, 1964
Birthplace	Nantwich, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Business executive
Known for	CEO of UnitedHealth Group (2021–2025), CEO of GlaxoSmithKline (2008–2017)
Education	University of Nottingham
Spouse(s)	Caroline Hall
Children	2
Awards	Knight Bachelor (2012), Honorary Citizen of Singapore (2018)

Sir Andrew Philip Witty (born 22 August 1964) is an English business executive who served as chief executive officer 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 company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), rising through its international operations to become CEO from 2008 to 2017. During his tenure at GSK, he pursued a strategy of expanding access to medicines in developing countries and navigated the company through a significant bribery scandal in China. Following his departure from GSK, Witty served as president of UnitedHealth's Optum division before ascending to the top role at the parent company. In 2020, he took a leave of absence from Optum to assist the World Health Organization (WHO) in coordinating efforts to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Witty was knighted in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to the pharmaceutical industry and to the economy, and served as chancellor of the University of Nottingham from 2013 to 2017. His career spanned leadership roles across two of the world's largest healthcare organisations, positioning him as one of the most prominent figures in the global health industry during the early 21st century.

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 are limited in publicly available sources. He attended the University of Nottingham, where he studied economics, graduating in 1985. The University of Nottingham would remain an institution with which Witty maintained close ties throughout his career, eventually serving as its chancellor.

After completing his degree, Witty joined Glaxo plc in 1985, beginning what would become a 32-year career with the company and its successors. He entered the company at a time when the British pharmaceutical industry was undergoing significant consolidation, and Glaxo was emerging as one of the dominant players in the global market.

Education

Witty studied economics at the University of Nottingham, graduating with his degree in 1985. He maintained a strong relationship with the university throughout his career. In 2013, he was appointed chancellor of the University of Nottingham, a largely ceremonial role that he held until 2017. In this capacity, Witty presided over graduation ceremonies and served as an ambassador for the institution.

Career

GlaxoSmithKline (1985–2017)

Witty joined Glaxo plc in 1985 immediately after graduating from the University of Nottingham. Over the following two decades, he held a succession of roles across the company's international operations as Glaxo underwent a series of mergers — first becoming Glaxo Wellcome in 1995 and then GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) following its merger with SmithKline Beecham in 2000. Witty gained extensive experience in emerging markets, serving in various management positions across Africa and Asia. His international postings included a period running GSK's operations in South Africa and later in Asia-Pacific, which gave him a perspective on healthcare access in the developing world that would inform his later strategy as CEO.

Appointment as CEO

In October 2007, GSK announced that Witty had been selected to succeed Jean-Pierre Garnier as chief executive officer, effective from May 2008. At 43, he was considered a relatively young appointment for one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. The Times profiled Witty upon his appointment, noting his extensive experience across GSK's global operations.

Strategy and Global Health Initiatives

Upon taking charge as CEO in 2008, Witty pursued a strategic direction that distinguished him from many of his peers in the pharmaceutical industry. In February 2009, he announced a series of measures aimed at improving access to medicines in developing countries. These included cutting prices of GSK medicines in the poorest countries, reinvesting a proportion of profits made in least-developed countries back into healthcare infrastructure in those nations, and sharing GSK's research into neglected tropical diseases by placing relevant patents into a pool that other researchers could access. The Guardian reported that Witty described the existing system of intellectual property protection in pharmaceuticals as not working effectively for the developing world.

These initiatives attracted attention from global health advocates and policymakers, though some industry analysts questioned whether the approach would affect shareholder returns. Investor Neil Woodford, then one of GSK's largest shareholders, publicly criticised the company's strategic direction under Witty's leadership, arguing that the company needed to deliver stronger financial performance.

China Bribery Scandal

Witty's tenure at GSK was significantly affected by a bribery scandal that emerged in China in 2013. Chinese authorities alleged that GSK employees had funnelled money through travel agencies and other intermediaries to bribe doctors and hospital officials to prescribe GSK products. The scandal resulted in fines and criminal charges against several GSK employees in China.

Witty publicly addressed the crisis, stating that the alleged corrupt practices were a clear breach of GSK's governance and compliance procedures. In an interview with The Independent, he stated that GSK's UK headquarters had no prior knowledge of the fraudulent activities taking place in its Chinese operations. The Daily Telegraph reported that Witty was prepared to acknowledge that a scam had occurred within the company's Chinese operations.

The Chinese authorities ultimately found GSK guilty and imposed a fine of approximately 3 billion yuan (around £300 million). The scandal prompted GSK to overhaul its sales and marketing practices globally, including ending the practice of paying doctors to promote its drugs and delinking sales representative compensation from the number of prescriptions written for GSK products.

Departure from GSK

In March 2016, the BBC reported that Witty would step down as CEO of GSK in 2017, having led the company for nearly a decade. He was succeeded by Emma Walmsley, who became the first woman to lead a major pharmaceutical company. Witty's tenure was characterised by the dual priorities of expanding access to healthcare in developing countries and restructuring GSK's portfolio, including the acquisition of Novartis's vaccines business and the divestiture of GSK's oncology assets to Novartis.

UnitedHealth Group (2018–2025)

Optum Presidency

In March 2018, Reuters reported that UnitedHealth Group had appointed Witty as president of its Optum division, the company's health services arm that encompassed pharmacy benefit management, data analytics, and healthcare delivery. The appointment marked Witty's transition from the pharmaceutical industry to the American health insurance and services sector. Optum was one of the fastest-growing divisions within UnitedHealth Group, and Witty was charged with continuing its expansion.

COVID-19 Vaccine Work with the WHO

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Witty took a temporary leave of absence from his role at Optum to assist the World Health Organization. Forbes reported that Witty would work with the WHO to help coordinate global efforts to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. In this capacity, Witty served as a special envoy, working to ensure equitable access to vaccines across both developed and developing nations. The appointment drew upon his longstanding involvement in global health issues, particularly his work at GSK on expanding access to medicines in lower-income countries.

CEO of UnitedHealth Group

In February 2021, Witty was appointed chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group, succeeding David Wichmann in the role. UnitedHealth Group was the largest health insurance company in the United States by revenue, operating through its UnitedHealthcare insurance division and the Optum health services segment. Under Witty's leadership, the company continued to expand its integrated model of insurance and healthcare delivery, with Optum's physician practices, ambulatory surgery centres, and home health operations growing significantly.

Witty's tenure as CEO was marked by several challenges. The company faced increasing scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers, and the public regarding its dual role as both an insurer and a provider of healthcare services, which critics argued created conflicts of interest. The company also contended with rising concerns about prior authorisation practices and claim denials across the health insurance industry.

In December 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed in a targeted shooting in New York City, an event that sent shockwaves through the company and the broader healthcare industry. The incident intensified public debate about the health insurance industry and focused renewed attention on UnitedHealth Group.

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 by media outlets. Simultaneously, the company suspended its financial outlook for 2025, further unsettling investors.

Witty was replaced by Stephen Hemsley, the chairman of UnitedHealth's board and a former chief executive of the company, who returned to the CEO role on an interim basis. NPR described the leadership transition as deepening what had already been a difficult period for the company, which was contending with multiple operational, regulatory, and reputational challenges.

Pharmaphorum reported that Witty resigned as the company pulled its financial forecasts, linking the leadership change to a period of broader instability at UnitedHealth Group.

Following his departure, reporting by Seeking Alpha indicated that Witty's compensation in 2024 had placed him at the top of the pay list among US managed care executives.

Personal Life

Witty is married to Caroline Hall, and the couple have two children. He has maintained a relatively private personal life throughout his career.

Witty has been associated with several non-profit and academic institutions beyond his corporate roles. His appointment as chancellor of the University of Nottingham reflected his long-standing connection to the institution where he studied. He stepped down from the chancellorship in 2017, coinciding with his departure from GSK.

In 2018, Witty was conferred the Honorary Citizen Award by the Government of Singapore, in recognition of his contributions to the country during his time leading GSK's operations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Recognition

Witty received a knighthood in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to the UK economy and the pharmaceutical industry, entitling him to use the title "Sir." The honour recognised his leadership of GSK and his work on expanding access to medicines in developing countries.

In 2018, the Government of Singapore conferred upon Witty the Honorary Citizen Award, one of Singapore's highest distinctions for foreign nationals. The award recognised his significant contributions to Singapore during his career, particularly through GSK's operations and investments in the country.

Throughout his career at GSK, Witty was profiled by Forbes as one of the notable executives in the global pharmaceutical industry. His initiatives on drug pricing in developing countries attracted attention from global health organisations and media outlets, including The Guardian.

His role in assisting the WHO during the COVID-19 pandemic brought additional public recognition, particularly for his work in coordinating vaccine development and distribution efforts at a time of global crisis.

Legacy

Witty's career encompassed leadership of two of the largest organisations in the global healthcare sector — GlaxoSmithKline and UnitedHealth Group — over a period spanning four decades. His tenure at GSK was notable for the introduction of policies aimed at improving access to medicines in developing countries, including tiered pricing structures and patent-sharing initiatives for neglected tropical diseases. These measures represented a departure from prevailing industry norms at the time and influenced subsequent debates about pharmaceutical pricing and intellectual property in global health.

The China bribery scandal, however, represented a significant challenge to GSK's reputation during Witty's tenure, and led to fundamental changes in how the company approached sales and marketing practices worldwide. The reforms GSK implemented in response — including ending payments to physicians for promoting products — were subsequently adopted or considered by other pharmaceutical companies.

At UnitedHealth Group, Witty oversaw a period of continued growth for the company, which expanded its Optum health services division under his leadership. His departure in May 2025 came during a period of intense scrutiny for the American health insurance industry, following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024 and mounting regulatory and public pressure on insurers regarding their business practices.

Witty's temporary assignment with the WHO during the COVID-19 pandemic marked an unusual step for a sitting corporate executive, reflecting his long-standing engagement with global health policy issues that had characterised his career since his early years managing GSK's operations in Africa and other developing regions.