A top executive at the healthcare joint venture between Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase––Haven––has stepped down, according to CNBC. Chief operating officer Jack Stoddard, formerly general manager for digital health at Comcast, is reportedly leaving his position for personal reasons after just nine months at the company.
Haven, which was originally created by the three conglomerates in 2018 to address the healthcare needs of its combined 1.1 million employees, ramped up hiring over the last year and has been a venture to watch in the healthcare space. While the company's actions are somewhat opaque, they become more transparent in court documents. Stoddard was embroiled in a lawsuit from UnitedHealth Group, which claimed Stoddard violated a noncompete clause by taking a role with Haven after having worked on the executive team of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum.
Stoddard left his position at Haven, in part, due to a long commute from his home in Philadelphia to Boston, where Haven is headquartered, according to CNBC. He was the venture’s second hire, after CEO Atul Gawande, and the loss of the high-profile executive could signal a “setback” for the young, ambitious healthcare company.
No replacement has been named yet.
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Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."