HARTFORD, CT, April 22, 2004
— Aetna (NYSE: ΑET) today announced the appointment of Louis J. Briskman, 55, as senior vice president and general counsel of the company, reporting to Chairman and CEO John W. Rowe, M.D., effective April 26.
Briskman was formerly executive vice president and general counsel of CBS Television. He replaces L. Edward Shaw, Jr., who retired, and joins the Office of the Chairman, Aetna’s most senior management group.
"With Aetna’s transformation shifting into a new phase of profitable growth," Dr. Rowe said, "Lou brings a wealth of experience as general counsel and senior adviser to a major firm in transition. His deep legal experience and sound business judgment make him an excellent choice which complements our senior team at this critical moment in Aetna’s return to leadership."
"Aetna’s rapid turnaround, the quality of its leadership and the talent of its people have the company poised for success," Briskman said. "I’ve had an opportunity to review the company’s strategy and believe we are well positioned to succeed in the marketplace by giving people the information they need to make better decisions about their health and financial security. I have had the good fortune of working with exceptional management teams at Westinghouse, CBS and Viacom and I now have that same privilege at Aetna."
Briskman joined Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1975, became general counsel of the Group W Broadcasting subsidiary in 1983 and rose to the position of Westinghouse’s general counsel in 1993. He served in that role through the company’s transformation into a media powerhouse, culminating in the acquisition of CBS and the name change to CBS Corporation, where he continued his service as general counsel.
Briskman has a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, is a member of the Board of Regents of Georgetown University and holds a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading providers of health care, dental, pharmacy, group life, disability and long-term care benefits, serving approximately 13.0 million medical members, 10.9 million dental members, 7.4 million pharmacy members and 12.3 million group insurance customers, as of December 31, 2003. The company has expansive nationwide networks of more than 600,000 health care service providers, including over 362,000 primary care and specialist physicians and 3,626 hospitals. For more information about Aetna, please visit the company’s web site at www.aetna.com.
