West Hartford Volunteer Named Chairman of the Board of Hartford Symphony Orchestra

Jeff Verney, President of Group Retiree Products and Services, which is part of UnitedHealthcare’s United Retiree Solutions division, was recently named Chairman of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors.

Verney succeeds James Remis, who served as Chair from 2011-2015.

Verney has been a member of the HSO Board of Directors since 2012. He is also Chairman of the Board of Renbrook School, an independent day school in West Hartford, and a Warden of St. John’s Episcopal Church in West Hartford. A musician himself, Verney writes and records rock music with his band.

“I am humbled to have the privilege to serve as Board Chair of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, one of the country’s most esteemed regional orchestras,” said Verney. “I look forward to working closely with the Board, the HSO artistic and management team, and especially our world-class musicians to bring orchestral music to ever-expanding audiences.

“This is an exciting time for the HSO with Carolyn Kuan on board for the next six years as our Music Director, incredible programming and performances for this season and beyond, and passionately loyal patrons,” he continued. “We are focused on transforming lives and enriching our community through the performance of great orchestral music, and I encourage everyone to see the HSO perform – you truly will be transformed!”

“I am thrilled to have Jeff assume the role of Chairman of the Board,” said HSO President & CEO, David Fay. “He is a committed and compassionate leader who was integral in shaping the HSO’s new Strategic Framework, which was adopted by the Board last June. Jeff’s business acumen, combined with an enormous passion for music, not to mention his boundless energy, makes him the perfect person to lead our efforts to bring the classical and modern symphony music experience into the 21st century, while, at the same time, placing the patron and community at the center of all we do.”

At United Retiree Solutions, Verney is responsible for product growth in the employer retiree space with a specific focus on supporting UnitedHealthcare’s mission to help retirees live healthier lives. Verney has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare and insurance industry, primarily with UnitedHealthcare and CIGNA where he has held various group employer-based sales, client management, and operations leadership positions. A pioneer in the healthcare ecommerce field, Verney also held senior management positions with Healtheon/WebMD.

Verney received his BS in Economics from Williams College and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School. He lives in West Simsbury with his wife Pam and his son Sam, who is a sophomore at Princeton University.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Verney