Patty Horoho is a globally recognized executive and strategic trailblazer whose career is defined by breaking barriers, driving innovation, and delivering extraordinary results across diverse sectors. She is renowned for guiding both large-scale organizations and high-growth startups to multi-billion-dollar success.
With a distinguished 33-year military career culminating as the first woman, nurse, and non-physician to serve as Army Surgeon General, Patty led the world’s third-largest health system, overseeing global operations, logistics, and research networks spanning five continents, and managing a workforce of 156,000 with a multi-billion-dollar budget. Her military career and leadership are a testament to her unwavering resolve, strategic and operational mastery, and ability to lead through complexity and crisis.
Joining UnitedHealth Group in 2017, Patty held pivotal leadership roles across UnitedHealth Group, Optum, Optum Health, and Optum Serve. As the founding CEO of Optum Serve, she united legacy businesses and forged a high-impact leadership team, transforming Optum Serve into a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse and a cornerstone of federal healthcare. Her strategic vision and innovative approach propelled rapid growth, expanded market reach, and built enduring partnerships across government and industry. As CEO of Optum Health Solutions and later Chief Strategy, Innovation, and Transformation Officer for Optum Health, Patty led enterprise-wide transformations. She shaped the future of healthcare delivery and strategy, revolutionizing care for over 100 million consumers nationwide and relentlessly pushing the boundaries of healthcare innovation, whole-person care, and health equity.
Patty’s commitment to transformative excellence extends far beyond healthcare. She has held senior executive roles at Accenture Federal Services, served on boards and advisory councils for leading nonprofits and academic institutions, and has played critical roles in national crisis response—from leading emergency operations at the Pentagon on 9/11 to spearheading innovation across the public and private sectors. As the visionary founder of the 2Serve Together Foundation, Patty works domestically and globally to empower women veterans, active servicewomen, and their supporters ensuring that their vital contributions are honored and recognized.
A sought-after speaker and advisor, Patty is revered for her clarity of mission, transparent leadership, strategic vision, and ability to inspire and accelerate high-performing teams. Her leadership is anchored in humility, innovation, and a relentless drive to serve others and deliver lasting change. From hands-on crisis management to transformative, servant leadership, Patty Horoho’s legacy is one of exemplary achievement, operational excellence, and a profound, lasting impact on organizations, communities, and the nation.