Colleen Van Ham

Colleen Van Ham is Chief Executive Officer for UnitedHealthcare Dental and a member of the Specialty Benefits Leadership team. Directly supporting the Dental team, Colleen plays a vital role in overseeing operations, network, product, pricing, customer experience and strategic growth objectives for the multi-billion dollar business serving commercial and government customers. Colleen is involved with the National Association of Dental Plans and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine Dental-Medical Integration Initiative Council.

Since joining UnitedHealthcare in 2004, Colleen has served in a variety of roles on the commercial health plan, ranging from Vice President of Account Management to Sales Vice President. Most recently, as President and CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Illinois from 2013 to 2019, she was responsible for leading UnitedHealthcare’ s employer group insurance operation in Illinois and Northwest Indiana. She had overall responsibility for the growth and retention of small to jumbo organizations with medical and ancillary products serving 1.6 million Illinoisans.

Colleen has over 25 years of industry experience with a decade spent working in Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle as a senior consultant with Mercer on large-employer benefit plan and cost management strategies.

She holds degrees in economics and international studies from Northwestern University and is Masters of Health Care Delivery Design candidate at Dartmouth College. Colleen is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and a Board member of The Executives Club of Chicago.