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Anthem’s chief strategy officer Silverstein leaves

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Anthem Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Martin Silverstein has left the health insurer after less than two years on the job.

A spokeswoman for the Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer said Monday that Silverstein left Dec. 11. She declined to detail why he left.

His departure came about a week after the company touted Silverstein’s appearance in a panel discussion about consumers during the Forbes Healthcare Summit in New York.

Silverstein came to Anthem in April 2014 after spending more than 25 years with The Boston Consulting Group, where he was a senior partner and managing director. Anthem, which was known as WellPoint at the time, said that its new executive’s responsibilities would include short and long-term strategic planning to ensure that the company is “maximizing the value of its assets and capturing growth across its geographies and businesses.”

Spokeswoman Jill Becher said Monday that the departure of Silverstein, who also served as an executive vice president, won’t affect the Indianapolis company’s planned $48-billion acquisition of rival insurer Cigna Corp. She also said the departure wasn’t related to the Cigna deal.

The companies expect that deal to close in the second half of next year. It’s still being reviewed by state and federal regulators.

Shares of Anthem Inc. climbed 94 cents to $138.69, while broader indexes also rose slightly Monday afternoon.