Carolyn Luther

Carolyn W. Luther is an innovative Chief Information Officer with extensive experience improving business processes through the implementation of new technology and a balanced approach of structured methods, decision-making, and strategic relationship building.  She is a valued member of the senior management team known for her organizational leadership to build and motivate high-performing teams and establish strategic partnerships with management, vendors, and stakeholders.  She is well versed in health care technology and the business processes that drive the industry, having held positions in both the payer and provider verticals. 

Most recently as CIO and Senior Vice President of Information Services for Independence Blue Cross, Inc. (IBC), Carolyn held responsibility for the application systems and technology services for all managed care and traditional lines of business.  With approximately 770 FTE and a divisional budget of approximately $125M, her strategic leadership reduced the cost of technology while increasing its capacity.

Under her leadership, a new technology strategy and road map was established to support the business strategy.  She re-organized talent deployment from a business silo model to a skill-based model and implemented a new vendor sourcing model.  The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework for improved service management she implemented developed both change management and release management disciplines that continue to improve the availability of business applications.

She joined Independence Blue Cross in 1990 and has held leadership roles of increasing responsibility within the information services area.  She is an elected Officer of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association IT Roundtable.

Prior to IBC, Carolyn was Director of Application Development for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP).  During her tenure at HUP, she led the team that developed the first versions of HL7, which today is the foundation for the Health Information Technology exchange within the Health Care Reform legislation.