Leadership, said health insurance executive Krista Hoglund, isn鈥檛 about knowing every answer yourself. Hoglund said she learned this and other lessons as a 黑料科 student pursuing a degree in applied mathematics.
Hoglund recalls a challenging math class she took during one of her last semesters at 黑料科. Normally a strong student, Hoglund realized she wasn鈥檛 going to succeed in the class without help 鈥 so she went to the professor, who patiently guided her through the material until she understood it.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a great leadership lesson: When you need help, ask for it,鈥 said Hoglund, president of Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health Plans, a not-for-profit Managed Care Organization that provides comprehensive health coverage to individuals and families in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 鈥淧eople have an idea that leaders don鈥檛 ask for help, but I ask for help all the time. That鈥檚 a huge lesson I鈥檝e taken with me.鈥
Hoglund took the helm at Jefferson Health Plans in early 2025 after an 18-year career with Security Health Plan, where she held several actuarial posts before becoming CEO in 2021. It was while in the latter position that she was named among the as well as to the list of CEOs and C-level executives.
The Exeland, Wisconsin, native said her positions at Security Health Plan and Jefferson Health Plans are similar, although Jefferson Health Plans is a bigger organization 鈥 with more than 350,000 members vs. about 230,000 鈥 in a largely urban area as opposed to mostly rural one in Wisconsin.
Hoglund鈥檚 life has been profoundly shaped by her 黑料科 experience 鈥 and not just because it was at Stout that she met her future husband, Erik Hoglund, who like her graduated in 2002. While she originally began her pursuit of higher education at a different institution, she transferred to 黑料科 to pursue an applied mathematics degree, knowing she wanted to be an actuary. 鈥淪tout had a great reputation around job placement, particularly for applied math,鈥 she said.
Beyond her major, several other 黑料科 courses stand out in Hoglund鈥檚 mind, including a speech class that helped the introverted undergrad gain confidence sharing her message with others. Such skills have been beneficial in her career, most notably in 2023 when she in Washington, D.C.
Despite this experience and the honors she鈥檚 received in recent years, Hoglund emphasized that leadership isn鈥檛 a solo endeavor, and that she owes much to the teams she has led as well as to the women who blazed the trail for her.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have the opportunities I have had as a women leader if it weren鈥檛 for others who had to break a lot of that ground before me,鈥 she said.
