Paul Sanford

Paul Sanford serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Acceleration Officer, a newly created role focused on bridging strategy and execution. He leads the company’s change agenda, strengthening coordination across the organization and advancing key priorities. In this role, Sanford works closely with business and functional leaders to translate strategy into measurable outcomes—enabling faster decision-making, connecting capabilities across the enterprise, and reducing complexity to deliver sustained value for customers, clients, and shareholders.

After leaving the company in 2024, Sanford remained closely connected to the health care landscape through advisory work and industry engagement before rejoining in 2026. Prior to his departure, he served as Executive Vice President, Operations, where he led critical initiatives across growth, talent, and governance. His work included the creation of the Enterprise Shared Services Organization and other initiatives that drove significant operational efficiencies.

Sanford began his career with The Cigna Group^® in 2001 as Assistant Vice President, Program Management Office, and later served in leadership roles across Provider Contracting, Network Management, and Information Technology. Throughout his tenure with the company, he led multiple large-scale improvement initiatives, including implementing foundational changes and product roadmaps following the company’s 2018 combination with Express Scripts.

Prior to joining The Cigna Group, Sanford held key network operations and managed care roles at Prudential Healthcare, Aetna, and Scripps Health.

Throughout his career, Sanford has been a results-driven leader who develops compelling strategies and multi-year operating plans. He maintains a strong commitment to board and professional service. He currently serves on the Finance Committee as a member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Independent Living, and is a past Executive Committee and Board member of the Council for Affordable Healthcare Inc. As a member of the Enterprise Leadership Team at The Cigna Group, he also served on the Board of Directors of The Cigna Foundation.

Sanford has an MBA from the University of Connecticut School of Business and a BA in Economics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.