David Hakanson, MBA, is President and CEO of Government Employees Health Association, Inc. (G.E.H.A.), a nonprofit member association that has provided health and dental benefits to federal employees, retirees, military retirees, and their families since 1937.

A proven operator and transformational healthcare executive, David brings more than two decades of experience leading complex organizations through modernization, operational redesign, and sustained performance improvement.

As President and CEO of G.E.H.A. and President of G.E.H.A. Solutions, Inc. (GSI), David holds full accountability for G.E.H.A.’s business operations, including oversight of the dental product portfolio, proprietary network, and Network Leasing P&L, which supports access for more than 60 million covered lives nationwide.

Passionate about growth and building secure, modern, customer-focused organizations, David combines strategic vision with technology execution to drive performance and organizational resilience. His leadership is grounded in operational discipline, data-driven decision-making, and a strong focus on delivering measurable results.

Throughout his career, David has successfully translated strategy into action, strengthened financial performance, and enhanced member and customer experiences. At G.E.H.A., he helped lead a multiyear transformation to modernize core platforms, improve operational efficiency, and position the organization for long-term success.

Previously, David served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Southern Illinois Healthcare, where he spearheaded several critical digital transformation initiatives. These included implementing an AI-powered case management system (XSOLIS) to support admissions, discharges, and transfers, as well as launching an enterprise telehealth platform and remote patient monitoring system during the COVID-19 pandemic. These initiatives reduced operating costs, improved the end-user experience, and strengthened employee morale.

David holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Missouri–Columbia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri–Kansas City.

David Hakanson, MBA, is President and CEO of Government Employees Health Association, Inc. (G.E.H.A.), a nonprofit member association that has provided health and dental benefits to federal employees, retirees, military retirees, and their families since 1937.
A proven operator and transformational healthcare executive, David brings more than two decades of experience leading complex organizations through modernization, operational redesign, and sustained performance improvement.
As President and CEO of G.E.H.A. and President of G.E.H.A. Solutions, Inc. (GSI), David holds full accountability for G.E.H.A.&rsquo;s business operations, including oversight of the dental product portfolio, proprietary network, and Network Leasing P&amp;L, which supports access for more than 60 million covered lives nationwide.
Passionate about growth and building secure, modern, customer-focused organizations, David combines strategic vision with technology execution to drive performance and organizational resilience. His leadership is grounded in operational discipline, data-driven decision-making, and a strong focus on delivering measurable results.
Throughout his career, David has successfully translated strategy into action, strengthened financial performance, and enhanced member and customer experiences. At G.E.H.A., he helped lead a multiyear transformation to modernize core platforms, improve operational efficiency, and position the organization for long-term success.
Previously, David served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Southern Illinois Healthcare, where he spearheaded several critical digital transformation initiatives. These included implementing an AI-powered case management system (XSOLIS) to support admissions, discharges, and transfers, as well as launching an enterprise telehealth platform and remote patient monitoring system during the COVID-19 pandemic. These initiatives reduced operating costs, improved the end-user experience, and strengthened employee morale.
David holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Missouri&ndash;Columbia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri&ndash;Kansas City.

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CEOs You Should Know

David Hakanson, CEO & President, Government Employees Health Association (G.E.H.A)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/98a2599f-cd9b-4f2a-9be4-b22c00e585f2/clips/b0f27218-dcea-4120-91c3-b4e500daf429/transcript