LAURA S. KAISER

Director Since: May 2022

Committees: Governance and Sustainability; Operating

Other Public Boards: None

Education: B.S. (health sciences management), University of Missouri; M.B.A., Saint Louis University; Masters of Health Administration, Saint Louis University

Career Highlights
– President and Chief Executive Officer of SSM Health, an integrated multi-state health system with more than 40,000 employees and 23 hospitals, 2017 to present
– Chairperson, Catholic Health Association of the United States, representing more than 600 hospitals and 1,600 long-term care and other health facilities in all 50 states, 2018 – present
– Board Director and Vice Chair, Enterprise Strategy Committee for Joint Commission Resources, an international accrediting and consulting organization, 2021 – present
– Served on the Board of Directors for Nuance Communications, a multinational computer technology company acquired by Microsoft Corporation, 2017-2022
– Previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of Intermountain Health, an integrated multi-state health system with 24 hospitals
– Named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare for the past five years

Qualifications of Particular Relevance to Merit
Ms. Kaiser is a seasoned executive with more than 35 years of experience in the healthcare industry. The Board believes her senior leadership experience in healthcare and her consistent delivery of operational results, strategic expertise, market growth and innovative partnerships with organizations such as Stanford University, United Health Group/Optum and Costco, will enable her to provide valuable industry and organizational perspective to the Board and the Company’s management team. The Board also believes Ms. Kaiser’s deep industry experience will allow her to provide insight regarding merger and acquisition opportunities and transactions, regulatory initiatives and compliance, and governmental policies.