Sarah London

Company: Centene
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Industry: Health care
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Notable in 2023: Won key contracts to insure seniors, disabled individuals, and people with low incomes in Texas and Oklahoma.

When it comes to disrupting the health insurance marketplace, Centene turns to Sarah London to lead its shakeup of how low-income Americans access affordable coverage.

While the national uninsured rate is declining, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said 7.7% of Americans still didn't have health coverage as of early 2023. Even those working don't have a reprieve: Employees covered by workplace plans paid over $6,500, on average, for health insurance last year, according to healthcare data provider KFF.

Leveraging London's extensive experience in the health-care industry, and partnering with local health-care groups and non-profits, the company served roughly 27.9 million people as of September 2023 — that's nearly one in 15 individuals across the U.S.

"The company had worked one way for a long time, and until the past couple of years, it was incredibly successful doing that," London, who was named CEO in 2022, told the Chicago Booth School of Business magazine. "But I don't think that will get us where we need to go in the next decade."

London, who is the youngest CEO in the Fortune 500, has made it easier to join Centene's health care plans through government-sponsored programs, helping people find cheaper alternatives. Centene has also worked with groups like Little Bit Foundations, City of Refuge, and Buffalo Urban League to promote physical and mental well-being in the areas it serves.

Centene employees live and work in its communities, which London told CNBC gives the company access to information about the people who make up the localities. The ability to think of the "whole health" of the community leads to better outcomes in the long run, she says.

"You actually can understand the factors in the community, because 80% of health outcomes are driven by what happens outside of the doctor's office, what happens in the community," London explained to CNBC. "So, we understand what are the resources we can activate."