The Board of Directors of Delta Dental of Illinois announced that Praveen Thadani has been appointed as its new president and chief executive officer, effective Monday, June 30.
In a news release Tuesday, July 1, from the Naperville, Illinois -based organization, Dr. Gene Romo, chairman of the Delta Dental of Illinois Board of Directors, lauded Mr. Thadani’s qualifications for his new role.
“Mr. Thadani’s deep experience, keen strategic vision, strong industry ties and proven ability to deliver desired business and health outcomes make him extremely well suited for this role,” Mr. Romo said. “The entire board has great confidence in his leadership and ability to position Delta Dental of Illinois for future success.”
Mr. Thadani brings more than 25 years of experience in the health care and insurance sectors. It includes leadership roles at Priority Health, Humana, Optum and UnitedHealth. He was recognized as one of Becker’s “Great Leaders in Health Care.” And he is a 2024 Diversity Leader by Modern Healthcare.
“I’m honored to step into this role at Delta Dental of Illinois,” Mr. Thadani said in the release. “The dental landscape is ripe with innovation and I am extremely excited about the many opportunities ahead. I look forward to building on Delta Dental of Illinois’ strong foundation with a fresh perspective to enable transformative differentiation while continuing to deliver on our mission to improve health and well-being.”
Strong community ties
Mr. Thadani raised his family in Lisle, Illinois. He returns to Illinois with strong community ties. Mr. Thadani succeeds John Maples, who is retiring after nearly seven years as president and CEO.
The insurer is the the national dental benefits leader covering one in three Americans who have dental coverage. Delta Dental of Illinois is one of 39 member companies that make up the national Delta Dental system. It provides benefit programs to more than 6,500 Illinois companies and covers 2 million individuals, employees and family members nationwide.
