Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Welcomes Two New Executives

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Welcomes Two New Executives

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) has announced the joining of two new executives to their senior leadership team in marketing and sales, as well as human resources.

Melissa Cummings has joined BCBSRI to become the new Chief Marketing and Sales Officer and Richard “Dick” Kropp, EdD, has assumed the role of Chief Human Resources Officer.

“At a time when it is more important than ever to educate and engage our members and the larger Rhode Island community around healthcare issues, we are confident that Melissa, with her strong experience in the healthcare field, will bring the creativity, savvy and marketplace knowledge necessary to succeed in this role,” said Peter Andruszkiewicz, President and Chief Executive Officer at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island.

Ms. Cummings is a native Rhode Islander and joins the staff from Aetna, where she most recently lead their national product organization supporting individual, small group, and middle market businesses.

Ms. Cummings currently serves on the Board of Directors for the University of Connecticut’s Center for Healthcare and Insurance Studies, and serves as an alumni representative for the College of the Holy Cross. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Holy Cross and an MBA in Health Care Management from the University of Connecticut. 

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“As one of the largest employers in Rhode Island, we are enormously proud of both our culture and the role our employees play in supporting member healthcare needs,” said Andruszkiewicz. “Dick recognizes the importance of cultivating and retaining talented team members and we look forward to his leadership in this area.” 

Dr. Kropp’s human resources career spans three decades and he most recently served as Head of Human Resources for Lourdes Health System in Camden, New Jersey where he lead all HR functions including talent management and succession planning, compensation and benefits, employee health, labor and employee relations, and workers compensation. 

Dr. Kropp has a Master’s Degree in Human Resources from Boston University, and Doctoral Degree in Humanistic Psychology from Boston University. He has also co-authored several books on human resource including Human Resource Planning and Development in Healthcare, Performance Management and Collaborative Leadership and Communicating in the Business Environment.