John Kao
Founder and CEO
John Kao is founder and chief executive officer for Alignment Health.
Prior to his current venture, he was president of CareMore Medical Enterprises, Inc., the management company that oversaw the CareMore group of companies. Mr. Kao and his partners acquired CareMore in 2006 with CCMP Capital Partners. In August 2011, Wellpoint, Inc., acquired CareMore.
Mr. Kao has enjoyed a long career, committed to the health care industry and enriching the lives of the individuals it serves. As president of CareMore, Mr. Kao was the executive responsible for leading the growth, development and management of CareMore’s population health infrastructure, which included corporate finance, corporate development, new market development, information technology, real estate, physician practice management, health plan operations, human resources, and the institutional special needs plans business.
Prior to acquiring CareMore, Mr. Kao served as executive vice president at The TriZetto Group, an information technology company serving the health insurance market with over 125 health plans and 250 third-party administrator customers. He has also served as president and CEO of the Ventures Division of PacifiCare Health Systems. He led the growth of PacifiCare’s specialty business units including PacifiCare Behavioral Health, PacifiCare Dental, and Prescription Solutions, the company’s prescription benefit management company. While at PacifiCare, he was the chief financial officer at Secure Horizons USA. His earlier work included mergers and acquisitions with FHP International and investment banking with BancAmerica Securities, Inc.
His personal endeavors included service to the Board of Directors at Gerinet Health Services, one of California’s largest hospices and the Board of Directors of Preferred Diagnostic Imaging, Inc., a state-of-the-art imaging center joint venture between leading Southern California health care providers. Mr. Kao is committed to serving a variety of community non-profit organizations. In 2011, the American Diabetes Association honored Mr. Kao as their Father of the Year in Los Angeles County. Most recently, he served two years as chairman of the Board of Elders at Mariners Church in Irvine, California, and currently serves on the Board of Advisors for UCLA Anderson School of Management.