Cheri Gianakos

I am a seasoned leader with deep expertise in Network Development, Strategic Contracting and Pharmacy Benefit Management. My strengths include team leadership, stakeholder engagement, and data visualization, which I leverage to drive innovation and consistently surpass organizational objectives. With a robust background in provider network contracting, healthcare networks, and managing complex projects, I have a proven track record of delivering impactful results. Recognized for my adaptability, strategic planning, and collaborative problem-solving, I excel in achieving high-quality outcomes and ensuring timely resolutions.

• 2009 - 2023, 7 time 5 star employee review recognition.
• 2009 - 2014 Aetna Market NNAC Representative, representing the Work at Home employees for state of Indiana.
• 2014 - 2024, National NNAC Representative , representing the National Network Ancillary Contracting department.
• 2015, Legacy House Recognition for Life Group Service Work
• 2015, PROPs (Peer Recognition Of Praise) Nominee for outstanding leadership with Aetna's collaboration with the National Kidney Foundation and World Kidney Day.
• 2019, Carmel Indiana Community Service Award , group recipient.Tri-Kappa week awarded by Mayor Brainard

REFERENCES   

Troy Pelfrey
Anthem
Product Director, Small Group, IN and CA
TPelfrey63@gmail.com

Stephanie Kessler
Lead Director of Project and Program Management
Aetna, a CVS Healthcare Co.,
smkessler@me.com

Steve Twinam,
Lead Director Aetna Network Management,
TwinamS@aetna.com
1-614-598-0309

Patty Grady
Co-lead of Committees for Tri Kappa Carmel Indiana
PGrady@indy.rr.com
317-513-8234

Kevin Mahan
Vice President of Security and Safety, Community Health Network
765-499-0415
mahan_kevin@comcast.net

Senior Product Development Manager, 01/2022 - 07/2024

AETNA HEALTHCARE, A CVS HEALTHCARE COMPANY – Indianapolis, IN

· Managed the regulatory approval process for Middle Market Aetna Funding Advantage group health insurance products, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations.

· Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including marketing, engineering, design, and sales, to develop and approve compliant materials. Assure all product regulatory and compliance needs are met and aligned with the company's strategic objectives

· Redesigned nationwide standard provider on-boarding and education materials development strategy

· Set up meetings, tracking and formalized minutes and notes for compliance, legal and regulatory reference

· Implement business development that encouraged ongoing improvement and foster innovation in project management processes

· Developed product dashboards to improve data visualization and support informed decision-making within the commercial segment

· Enhanced team collaboration by introducing cross-functional communication channels and conducting regular progress meetings

Product/ Project Manager, Pharmacy, 01/2014 - 12/2022

AETNA HEALTHCARE, A CVS HEALTHCARE COMPANY – Indianapolis, IN

· · Collaborated with internal partners across service operations, provider contracting, and member advisement

· Managed Rx network filings, including preparing and submitting documents, managing the submission process, and collaborating with regulators and internal teams to resolve issues or make corrections.

· Led internal and external state regulatory compliance, providing strategic and tactical support to matrix partners while advancing provider experience and driving network development improvements

· Directed compliance with state regulatory requirements by providing strategic and tactical support to regional partners, streamlining processes to enhance provider experience and advance network development initiatives

· Effectively lead cross-functional teams through the project development cycle, guiding projects and teams to successful completion, particularly in achieving successful pharmacy network implementations

· Managed internal departments and all stakeholders throughout the client project life cycle, including status of reports on project milestones, project documentation, meeting minutes, scope changes, risks, actions, and requirements gathering

· Incorporated cross-functional thinking through all projects creating visibility to additional issues and corporate engagement for improvements

· Oversaw the creation, management, leadership, and ongoing supervision of Ernst & Young's dual system provider load accuracy, validation processes, and cleanup initiatives

· Collaborated with cross-functional teams to refine workflow processes and support the development of commercial pharmacy products within regulatory frameworks

Tri Kappa, Epsilon Mu Carmel Indiana

  First Responders Appreciation Day Chairman (1997 – current)

  Bingo fundraiser Chairman (2021-2023)

  Membership Lead (2024-2025)

  Carmel Arts Festival, Booth volunteer (2014 – current)

  Carmel Marathon, runners support volunteer (2016-2019)

  Butter Braid Fund Raiser Committee Member (2019 – current)

  Food Insecurities Committee Member (2021 – current)

  Senior Living Committee (2024) Member (2025)

Additional Contributions: Throughout the years with Tri Kappa, I have actively participated in and contributed to all aspects of its work (within a 2-year period)

  Assisted with special events and programs.

  Maintained clean, neat, and operational facilities to serve program needs.

  Supported engaging, fun, and smooth-running events by helping with organization and planning.

  Enhanced community engagement by organizing and leading local clean-up events.

  Boosted donations to organizations by strategizing and executing fundraising events.

  Strengthened volunteer team effectiveness by providing training sessions.

  Supported efficient operations at homeless shelter, preparing meals and organizing supplies.

  Assisted in disaster relief efforts, ensuring timely distribution of aid and supplies.

  Increased cultural awareness with organization of multicultural festivals.

  Enhanced educational opportunities by volunteering as teaching assistant in underprivileged areas.

  Coordinated food drives for improved local food bank stock levels.

Northview Christian Church (2006 – 2020)

  Lead Usher for 3rd Sunday of the month

  Lead Usher for holidays and special Sundays

  Concert volunteer for live concerts

  Meals Ministry

  Site Leader Good Neighbor weekend’s

Northview Christian Church (2015)

  Recipient of the City of Indianapolis, Legacy House, Life Group Service Work

Program Lead, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Program, 01/2011 - 12/2014

AETNA HEALTHCARE, A CVS HEALTHCARE COMPANY – Indianapolis, Indiana

· Led the Aetna Chronic Kidney Disease program which partnered with two national dialysis facilities to identify pre-diabetes CKD stage 3 and 4 members

· The aim was to enroll these members into a pre-CKD program to prevent progression to dialysis at CKD stage 5

· Developed and executed performance metrics and incentives, improving KPI (Key Program Indicators) program management alignment with strategic objectives

· Maintained budget management and industry compliance while enhancing service quality and operational efficiency

· Oversaw strategic vendor relationships, fostering collaboration to expand service capabilities

· Delivered service operations oversight to East Region provider relations and engagement teams

· Partnered in implementation of provider risk contracts and facilitated resolution for subsequent operational challenges of existing risk partners

· Update existing project workflows and communication process improvement opportunities

· Responsible for process development, resolution of escalated issues and claim disputes

· Preserving provider relationships and network stability within assigned region

· Further all parties understand of and commitment to Aetna's service model by serving as an advisor

· Coordinated all aspects of internal and partner-related program materials, reporting, meetings, collaborations, and training related to external client-facing activities

· Directed a team of interdepartmental applications and management leads, overseeing the daily operations and serving as the primary manager for the team

· Activities through weekly one-on-ones, monthly staff meetings, and relevant training and development opportunities

· Evaluated performance, trends, and incentive reimbursement of value-based care providers, allowing provider engagement teams to identify patterns in quality results and executed plans for improvement

Accomplishment Outline

As the lead I was able to continue looking for means to increase enrollment and improve outreach   to our members. As an ongoing responsibility for the CKD Program, I continue to develop CKD   training materials/ process is and procedures.

• CKD CM training material
• Learning Center maintenance
• Creating and maintaining CKD P/P
• Creating additional workflows and documents (CMA and CM workflows) 40 in total
• Re-engaging the Aetna Strategic Desktop (ASD) outreach.
• Creating and maintaining reporting related to the CKD Program.
• Monthly report card (numbers for all aspects of program - enrollment, CM activity, Sales and ACO interest and checklist of all monthly responsibilities for
• CKD program)
• Creating outreach workbooks for DaVita Village Health and their CM team (Customer Service and member benefit
• questions). My thorough documentation and retention of reporting will make the transition to a new Lead easy and understandable

Aetna Co-chair for the relationship with the National Kidney Foundation.

Bringing Aetna and Awareness to Kidney Disease

I was able to bring Aetna to the NKF All Payer Conference in Washington D.C. This will allow Aetna to be involved in the industry changes and trends. As well as being seen as an industry partner and collaborator. I lead monthly calls with the NKF to continue with any projects or initiatives in development.

• Jan 2013 - Present Lead for Aetna and National Kidney Foundation World Kidney Day National Lead for Aetna and National Kidney Foundation World Kidney Day- On World Kidney Day (WKD) coordinated with National Kidney Foundation (NKF) for promotion of kidney health for all Aetna offices and employees.
  - Coordinated/ Managed 40 office for screenings, materials and presentations
  - Secured WKD promotions internally via; company announcements, emails and presentations

Lead seat with the Aetna Volunteer Council

Building a Community to  Aetna's Work at Home/Work Day Structure

 Working to bring a broader presence to Aetna through attending and holding the Lead seat with the Aetna Volunteer Council, now known as the Culture Committee. This involved revamping the Culture Committee and working with ACS executives to ensure we are addressing Aetna employee's concerns. There were numerous hours spent to generate a survey via the National Ancillary Teams Share Point site. The results will allow the executive leadership to see the employees’ thoughts and concerns

• The Aetna Volunteer Council Cheri provided meaningful change leadership so that this committee was positioned to address employee concerns. Cheri received thank you from Medical Policy associate for the time spent sharing knowledge of work performed on Gold Card initiative.

 NNCS (National Network Contracting Committee) EAC (Employee Action Council) NNCS (National Network Contracting Committee) 

July 2014 - July 2024

• NNCS EAC collaborates with the Aetna Culture Community and represents each National Network Contracting Strategy area for support, ideas and improvements to todays organization.NNCS (National Network Contracting Committee) EAC (Employee Action Council) Committee Member NNCS EAC collaborates with the Aetna Culture Community and represents each National Network Contracting Strategy area for support, ideas and improvements to today's organization.

Community Impact

Tri Kappa, Epsilon Mu Carmel Indiana

First Responders Appreciation Day Chairman (1997 – current)

Bingo fundraiser Chairman (2021-2023)

Membership Lead (2024-2025)

Carmel Arts Festival, Booth volunteer (2014 – current)

Carmel Marathon, runners support volunteer (2016-2019)

Butter Braid Fund Raiser Committee Member (2019 – current)

Food Insecurities Committee Member (2021 – current)

Senior Living Committee (2024) Member (2025)

Additional Contributions: Throughout the years with Tri Kappa, I have actively participated in and contributed to all aspects of its work (within a 2-year period)

Assisted with special events and programs.

Maintained clean, neat, and operational facilities to serve program needs.

Supported engaging, fun, and smooth-running events by helping with organization and planning.

Enhanced community engagement by organizing and leading local clean-up events.

Boosted donations to organizations by strategizing and executing fundraising events.

Strengthened volunteer team effectiveness by providing training sessions.

Supported efficient operations at homeless shelter, preparing meals and organizing supplies.

Assisted in disaster relief efforts, ensuring timely distribution of aid and supplies.

Increased cultural awareness with organization of multicultural festivals.

Enhanced educational opportunities by volunteering as teaching assistant in underprivileged areas.

Coordinated food drives for improved local food bank stock levels.

Carmel Christkindlmarkt, Inc. Dec 2023 - Present · 2 years

Volunteer for greeter, special events worker and information hut support.Volunteer for greeter, special events worker and information hut support.

· Using net promoter scores, satisfaction surveys, and internal service data, collaborated with corporate teams on companywide initiatives

· Modeled and measured baseline metrics analyzing success for large-scale role reorganization initiative

· Redesigned nationwide standard provider on-boarding and education materials development strategy

· Analyzed and reported on KPIs to validate and demonstrate success of marketing campaigns.

· Bypassing the annual enrollment goal for the new product by 50% within the first quarter

· Project Management skills in coordinating project execution that ensure strategic alignment and execution across multidisciplinary teams

· Implement business development that encouraged ongoing improvement and foster innovation in project management processes

· Developed product dashboards to improve data visualization and support informed decision-making within the commercial segment

· Collaborated closely with middle market marketing teams to develop cohesive go-to-market strategies that maximize brand exposure upon each new product launch.

· Enhanced team collaboration by introducing cross-functional communication channels and conducting regular progress meetings.

· Further, all parties understand the Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) contract between Aetna and Caremark (a CVS Healthcare Company) while merging the two organizations and maintaining commitment to Aetna's service model

· Serving as an advisor and collaborating with internal partners across service operations, provider contracting, and member advisement

· Accountable for all aspects of Corporate Project Management including strategic and tactical support of matrix partners within assigned regions, identifying process improvement opportunities for advancing provider experience and supporting network development strategies

· Effectively lead cross-functional teams through the project development cycle, guiding projects and teams to successful completion, particularly in achieving successful pharmacy network implementations

· Ability to engage, lead and manage the completion and oversight of network development projects, resolving over $30 million in claims

· Using benefit experience and pharmacy experience to oversee PBM relationship regarding client onboarding and internal standards and system cohesiveness

· Lead for network development projects of clients based on their utilization and needs keeping both client and supplier in key focus

· Managed internal departments and all stakeholders throughout the client project life cycle, including status of reports on project milestones, project documentation, meeting minutes, scope changes, risks, actions and requirements gathering

· Enhancing executive reporting through practical completion and monitoring, claims data analysis and resolution of over $30 million dollars, and creation of visibility in a 7-year period

· Incorporated cross-functional thinking through all projects, ultimately, creating visibility to additional issues and corporate engagement for improvements

· Served as Department Lead for PBM related issues, enhancing meeting documentation and issue resolution processes

· Department Lead for all internal and external pharmacy contractual audits related to all things PBM/ Rx claim issues, including information technology, provider data and customer service protocols

· Conduct document research to achieve passing score for Network portion of URAC re- accreditation

· Oversaw the creation, management, leadership, and ongoing supervision of Ernst & Young's dual system provider load accuracy, validation processes, and cleanup initiatives

· Assessed initial claim data test results and identified valid audit samples for PBM review and response Primary liaison for PBM vendor relations, assessing network performance and ensuring compliance with contractual terms and quality standards Collaborated with cross-functional teams to refine workflow processes and support the development of commercial pharmacy products within regulatory frameworks