AmeriHealth Caritas Appoints Adrian Mebane, Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer; and Topper Ray, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs

AmeriHealth Caritas, a national leader in Medicaid managed care and other health care solutions for those most in need, announced appointments to two newly created roles on its executive leadership team: Adrian Mebane has been named executive vice president and chief risk officer; and Topper Ray has been named executive vice president, public affairs. Both roles report to AmeriHealth Caritas Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paul A. Tufano.

“As we advance our mission to help people get care, stay well, and build healthy communities, the continued development of our leadership team is critical,” said Tufano. “The addition of Adrian and Topper to our team will strengthen our capabilities in the key areas of public affairs and risk management. They both bring unique and strategic skill sets to our organization, and will be invaluable as we continue working to help our members achieve wellness and resiliency so they can reach their American Dream.”

As chief risk officer, Mebane will oversee AmeriHealth Caritas’ risk and compliance function, including enterprise risk management, corporate compliance, internal audit, privacy, and payment integrity.

“To be exceptional stewards of our commitments to our state customers and, ultimately, to our members requires us to anticipate and mitigate potential and inherent risks in our industry, as well as emerging threats and regulatory exposures,” said Mebane. “Managing those collective risks is a priority to ensure we continue to be productive and are able to enhance — with fewer obstacles — our strategy to support the health and well-being of the people we serve.”

Mebane’s exceptional career includes roles as a consultant, a corporate counsel and executive, and a state and federal prosecutor. He received his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and his law degree from Howard University. He served in general counsel and chief compliance officer roles for publicly traded Fortune 500 companies, and has extensive experience developing compliance strategies and programs, and overseeing the activities of global compliance and regulatory departments.

Most recently, Mebane was a principal in PwC’s Cyber and Forensic Services Practice, where he helped clients develop and implement global risk programs, and identify best practices for managing critical functions, including cybersecurity, data privacy, and regulatory compliance.

Previously, he served as the primary legal and compliance advisor to the Board of Directors and executive leadership team at The Hershey Company. While at Hershey, Mebane had the responsibility to ensure governance requirements were met by the Board, and that the company complied with all applicable U.S. and international regulatory requirements. He also was accountable to the company’s CEO for the day-to-day operations of the Legal, Global Government Relations, Compliance, and Corporate Security departments.

Earlier in his career, Mebane practiced corporate law in Washington, D.C., representing clients in highly regulated industries. He also spent five years with the U.S. Department of Justice, Fraud Section as a trial lawyer prosecuting fraud and corruption, among other criminal offenses. While serving as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney Office in Chicago, Mebane prosecuted hate crimes and worked with community leaders and the Chicago Police Department to promote safety awareness in some of the city’s more impoverished neighborhoods.

Ray will lead AmeriHealth Caritas’ Public Affairs area, which includes Corporate Communications, Government and External Affairs, and AmeriHealth Caritas’ corporate foundation.

“By bringing together communications, government relations, and community affairs, we have created an even more unified Public Affairs team to advance our company’s purpose-driven mission,” said Ray. “Today’s rapidly shifting media landscape and policy environment require both more proactive dialogue and new ways of engagement with the key audiences and decision makers that shape our health care ecosystem, with the member at the center. I’m excited to join AmeriHealth Caritas to help lead this effort.”

An expert in building and guiding brands, Ray has an extensive record of leadership in community, media, and government relations — both nationally and globally. Most recently, Ray served as president of Communications at Bravo Group, a strategic communications consulting firm focused on regulated industries, with clients across the United States and in the United Kingdom. At Bravo, Topper led the development and execution of integrated digital advocacy campaigns and established the firms ESG communications practice.

Prior to joining Bravo in 2011, Ray served as chief communications officer at Blank Rome LLP, where he led a team responsible for building the international law firm’s brand across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. He was also a founding principal of Blank Rome Government Relations LLC in Washington, D.C., where he guided public affairs marketing efforts and counseled CEOs and civic leaders in media strategy, community engagement, and policy communications.

Ray has held additional strategic communications agency leadership roles in Philadelphia and began his career in Washington, DC as a press aide and advance representative for former President George H.W. Bush working for the White House Office of Presidential Advance and the Republican National Committee.

Ray graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.