Laura Czelada, CPA, currently chief operating officer of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, will succeed Dr. Thomas Fleszar as president and chief executive officer of the company upon his upcoming retirement.
Fleszar announced his retirement in March 2011, and Czelada was selected as his successor by the board in May 2011. She will assume her new post on April 7.
“Laura has provided exceptional leadership as chief operating officer for Delta Dental,” said Dr. Terence Comar, Delta Dental of Michigan board chair. “Her diverse background, which has encompassed oversight of key areas including information technology, quality management, administration, sales, and finance, makes her the ideal choice to lead Delta Dental into the future.”
In addition to serving as president and CEO of Delta Dental, Czelada will also assume the role of president and CEO of Delta Dental’s parent corporation.
Under Fleszar’s leadership since 2002, the organization has seen unprecedented growth, with the number of people covered by the company’s dental plans increasing by 30 percent to a record high of 6.1 million. In addition, total equity has more than doubled, and operating costs have been reduced. Other major achievements during his tenure have been advances in technology and infrastructure, as well as process improvements that led Delta Dental to become the first major health benefit administrator in the world to achieve ISO 9001 quality certification.
“Through Dr. Flezar’s visionary leadership, the organization has been transformed for even greater success in the future, and we appreciate his many contributions to advancing our corporate mission of improving oral health, “said Dr. Comar.
Czelada has been with Delta Dental since 1992. Since that time, she has served as executive vice president, chief financial officer, and chief information officer for Delta Dental where she led the effort to advance the organization in the areas of finance, information technology, quality management, fraud detection, sales, and informatics. She has also held various other posts in the corporate audit, quality assurance, and accounting departments.
In addition to her current responsibilities with Delta Dental, Czelada serves on the board of C3 Jian, a research and development company focusing on creating unique products to prevent and/or treat dental disease. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants.
Prior to joining Delta Dental, Czelada served as a certified public accountant with KPMG Peat Marwick.
Czelada holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Michigan State University.
Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, with its affiliates in Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina and Tennessee collectively are among the largest dental plan administrators in the nation. In 2011, the enterprise paid out $2.2 billion for dental treatment for 8.6 million enrollees. Offices are located in Okemos and Farmington Hills, Mich.; Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio; Indianapolis and Greenwood, Ind.; Louisville, Ky.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C.; and Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis, Tenn.