The board of directors and associates of Anthem extend their sincere appreciation and thanks to L. Ben Lytle for his unwavering commitment and dedication to Anthem, its nearly 12 million members and the health care industry.

Ben Lytle began his career with the company in 1977 as a director of Information Systems for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana. During the next 26 years he held a number of positions including chief operating officer, president, chairman and chief executive officer. He retired as chairman of the board of directors on May 12, 2003. Ben’s retirement as chairman does not end his service to the company, however. He continues to serve on the board as presiding director and chairman emeritus.

Throughout his career, Ben has been a leader and a visionary. He was among the first to see dramatic changes that would take place in the health care industry and to develop a plan to ensure the company could meet its customers’ needs and that the company would emerge from changing times as a leader.

Under Ben’s leadership, the company has grown from a single-state health insurer with about 1 million members in Indiana to one of the nation’s most admired health benefits companies focused on meeting the needs and improving the health of nearly 12 million members in nine states. Among the many high points is October 30, 2001, when Ben and current Chairman, President and CEO Larry Glasscock rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on the day Anthem, Inc. became a public company. Today, with its pending merger with WellPoint Health Networks Inc., Anthem is poised to become the nation’s leading health benefits company.

Ben Lytle’s legacy goes beyond Anthem. Deeply committed to the company’s mission—“To improve the health of the people we serve”—Ben provides his vision and expertise to the broader issues of health care in the United States. He testified frequently before Congressional and legislative committees; chaired a health care commission appointed by then-Indiana Governor Evan Bayh, and served on President Bill Clinton’s Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry. He remains personally involved in the challenges facing health care today through his work with several organizations including the Foundation for Better Health, which he chairs, the American Enterprise Institute and the Hudson Institute.

Ben is also a well-respected community leader, known for service to numerous civic, charitable and cultural organizations.