Michael Neidorff Biography and Net Worth

Michael Neidorff is Centene Corporation's chairman and chief executive officer. A recognized leader in the industry, he is committed to building a multi-national healthcare enterprise while upholding Centene's local approach to healthcare. Mr. Neidorff demonstrates a history of successfully implementing programs and services under Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial managed care. Under his leadership, Centene has grown from a $40 million corporation to a publicly traded (NYSE: CNC), FORTUNE® 25, diversified, healthcare enterprise.

Michael Neidorff became president and chief executive officer of Centene Corporation in 1996. In the decades since, the company has established operations in all 50 states to become the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the U.S. and the top insurer on the Health Insurance Marketplace. Centene now delivers high-quality and accessible healthcare to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation.

Centene provides accessible, cost-effective coverage to the rising number of under-insured and uninsured people in communities across the U.S. Under Mr. Neidorff's leadership, Centene has expanded from operating Medicaid health plans solely in Wisconsin and Indiana, to operating in every state, serving more than 26 million managed care and TRICARE eligible individuals.

Mr. Neidorff's record of transformative leadership is proven in the healthcare industry. In 1985, he started Physicians Health Plan of Greater St. Louis, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. He served as the president and chief executive officer from 1985-1995, and grew the plan to be one of UnitedHealth Group's most successful and profitable plans in the country. From 1995-1996, he served as the regional vice president of Coventry Health Care, Inc., a publicly traded managed care organization, and as the president and chief executive officer of one of its subsidiaries, Group Health Plan Inc. in St. Louis. He also served in international senior executive positions at Miles Laboratories/Bayer AG.

As the longest-tenured CEO among the major managed care companies, Mr. Neidorff shares the expertise he’s acquired through decades of entrepreneurship. He is involved with many nonprofit associations dedicated to improving business and public policies across the U.S. and worldwide. Mr. Neidorff is a member of the World Economic Forum and a trustee of the Committee for Economic Development, working to promote economic development.

Michael Neidorff dedicates significant time to civic causes. At Centene, he has continuously expanded equitable principles throughout the enterprise, and he was one of the first industry leaders to sign the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion Pledge. In 2020, he joined business leaders across the U.S. in signing the CEO Letter on Disability Inclusion as part of Disability:IN’s "Are You IN?" campaign, an initiative focused on further advancing inclusive practices for individuals with disabilities.

Mr. Neidorff is a board member of the National Urban League and served as its chairman from 2014-2019. In 2015, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis. He’s been a member of the board of directors for the Greater St. Louis Boy Scouts of America since 1990, serving as Pathfinder district chair, vice chairman and chairman of the Special Needs Committee, vice president of Finance, and council president. Mr. Neidorff is a member of the board of trustees for Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, his alma mater, and previously served as chairman of the board. The university’s on-campus art gallery is named in honor of him and his wife, Noémi.