Karen S. Lynch is the CEO of CVS Health, taking the helm in 2021 after her role as President of Aetna. With over 30 years of experience in healthcare, she leads one of the nation's largest health companies, driving CVS's...

Karen S. Lynch is the CEO of CVS Health, taking the helm in 2021 after her role as President of Aetna. With over 30 years of experience in healthcare, she leads one of the nation's largest health companies, driving CVS's vision to integrate health services across the nation. Her strategy includes expanding into primary care slots by acquiring companies like Signify Health and Oak Street Health. Lynch's performance-driven approach in 2023 earned her a total compensation of $15 million, including a base salary of $1.5 million and a bonus linked to key performance metrics. Under her guidance, CVS has enhanced its digital health solutions, reaching 55 million customers online, while also pushing for transparency in healthcare costs through innovative drug pricing models. Lynch’s vested stocks were worth over $15 million in 2023, showing her investment in the company’s future. She holds a nursing degree and an MBA, giving her a solid foundation to tackle the complex healthcare challenges today.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

5. Other CVS Health CEOs

C

Karen S. Lynch

Ex-CEO of CVS Health

Education

Bachelor's degree in Nursing from Boston College, MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst

Field of Expertise

Healthcare & Life Sciences - Healthcare

Sector of Economy

Healthcare

Born

December 30, 1965 - 59 years ago

CEO of CVS Health for

3 years 5 months (May 2021 - Oct 2024)

Previous Experience

President of Aetna, various leadership roles at Cigna

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Karen S. Lynch

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Timothy Charles Wentworth

CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.50M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$34.03M

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C. Douglas McMillon

CEO of Walmart

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.47M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$199.58K

Total Holdings

$433.19M

A

Andrew R. Jassy

CEO of Amazon

2023 Compensation

Stock

$27.83M

Salary

$365.00K

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$992.76K

Total Holdings

$19.04M

U

Sir Andrew P. Witty

CEO of UnitedHealth Group

2023 Compensation

Stock

$1.00M

Salary

$1.50M

Bonus

$1.80M

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$49.01M

Holdings

See how much did Karen S. Lynch make over time.

In 2023, Karen S. Lynch's holdings highlighted her strong commitment to CVS Health. She had vested stocks valued over $15 million that year, a notable reflection of her investment in the company’s future. This signifies trust in her leadership and...

In 2023, Karen S. Lynch's holdings highlighted her strong commitment to CVS Health. She had vested stocks valued over $15 million that year, a notable reflection of her investment in the company’s future. This signifies trust in her leadership and the company's direction. Lynch's revenue-driven focus led CVS to significant digital growth, gaining about 55 million digital customers. The stock options from her annual grant in 2023, which was around 245,000 shares, have a current exercise price of $74.31. As the healthcare market shifts, Lynch's holdings continue to adapt and reflect CVS Health's evolving strategy, particularly with major acquisitions that broaden the company's reach into primary care.

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Total Stock Sold

$6.02M

CVS

$6.02M

80,143 CVS shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Karen S. Lynch didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra CVS80,143 shares worth $5.09M.
This is -15.51% and $933.67K less than what they got when they sold the stock.

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Karen S. Lynch.

TMO

95 shares

TMO

Feb 19, 2025

Received

CVS

$3.60M

CVS at $79.56/share

Apr 1, 2024

Received

CVS

136,640 shares

CVS

Feb 12, 2024

Received

CVS

$976.57K

CVS at $69.75/share

May 3, 2023

Purchase

CVS

206,610 shares

CVS

Feb 2, 2023

Received

CVS

257,916 shares

CVS

Feb 21, 2022

Received

CVS

95,302 shares

CVS

Feb 1, 2021

Received

CVS

$6.01M

CVS at $75.00/share

Nov 18, 2019

Sale

CVS

62,747 shares

CVS

Nov 28, 2018

Received

Compensation History

See how much did Karen S. Lynch make over time.

Karen S. Lynch’s compensation in 2023 amounted to around $15 million, including a base salary of $1.5 million and a cash bonus of nearly $2.99 million, reflecting her achievement of 99.7% of set performance targets. These exercises highlight her focus on operational efficiency and customer satisfaction with a remarkable 83.1% performance result. Additionally, stocks worth over $15 million vested in 2023, showcasing her strong long-term commitment to CVS Health. Lynch's structured compensation strategy aligns her performance directly with the company's success, incentivizing results that drive CVS towards its healthcare integration goals. Previous years also saw significant earnings, underpinning her role in leading CVS through various transformations.

Year

2023

Total Compensation

$20.47M

Salary

$1.50M

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy emphasizes pay-for-performance, aligning executive compensation with company performance, peer benchmarking, and retention strategies.

Bonus

$2.99M

Board Justification

The annual cash incentive award is based on the achievement of pre-established financial, operating, and individual performance objectives, with a final payout of 99.7% of target due to corporate performance results of 83.1% and an individual performance modifier of 120%.

Other

$623.07K

Board Justification

Other compensation includes perquisites such as personal use of corporate aircraft, a corporate driver, and contributions to defined contribution plans.

Restricted Stock

$15.35M(206.61K RSU)

Board Justification

The stock awards that vested in 2023 include RSUs and PSUs, with a total value realized upon vesting of $15,353,189.

Performance Metrics

Performance metrics for 2023 included MIP Adjusted Operating Income (80% weighting) and Net Promoter Score (20% weighting).

Other CVS Health CEOs

Here are other CEOs of CVS Health

Larry J. Merlo

Ex-CEO of CVS Health

May 2011 - May 2021

J. David Joyner

CEO of CVS Health

October 2024 - Present