A series of senior leadership moves in the US health and benefits sector has seen Blue Shield of California strengthen its board with a veteran corporate finance executive, while Alliant Insurance Services continues to build out its regional employee benefits capabilities with an experienced consultant hire in the Southeast.
Blue Shield of California adds former Clorox CFO to board
Blue Shield of California has appointed former Clorox chief financial officer Kevin Jacobsen (pictured) to its board of directors.
Jacobsen spent seven years as CFO of The Clorox Company, where he oversaw financial reporting and controls, enterprise risk management, tax, treasury, internal audit, investor relations, global business services and M&A. He was a co‑architect of Clorox’s multi‑year IGNITE strategy, which focused on strengthening operations, advancing digital capabilities, reshaping the portfolio and expanding innovation.
Jacobsen also brings notable governance and risk experience. He serves on the board of Avista Corporation, where he sits on the audit, operations and technology committees, and previously chaired the board of the Clorox Captive Insurance Company from 2021 to 2025. He was also a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Economic Advisory Council from 2022 to 2024.
Alliant hires Byrd as SVP to bolster Southeast employee benefits expansion
Alliant Insurance Services has added Steve Byrd as senior vice president in its employee benefits group.
Based in North Carolina, Byrd will design and deliver benefits strategies aimed at reducing administrative burden, managing risk and supporting long‑term corporate objectives. He joins Alliant with more than 25 years’ experience, most recently as area vice president for health and welfare consulting at Gallagher.
The hire comes shortly after Alliant restructured its employee benefits group into three formal regions - Eastern; South and Southwest; and Northwest and Midwest - as it targets faster growth and more locally tailored support. The division is investing heavily in analytics and client‑experience initiatives, with regional leaders tasked with driving performance and expansion in their territories.
