Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota has fired its president and chief executive officer after coming under fire for a Caribbean retreat attended by more than 30 sales employees and guests.
Mike Unhjem has been the Blues’ top executive since 1991.
The insurer said in a statement that its 13-member board voted to fire Unhjem on Monday. The company said Tim Huckle, executive vice president of health operations, will serve as interim president and CEO.
Blues Chairman Dennis Elbert said the decision to fire Unhjem was necessary to move forward and to rebuild public trust. He called it “a necessary first step in that process.”
Unhjem was hired by the insurer in 1986 as its attorney and vice president of corporate affairs. Earlier, Unhjem worked as a lawyer in Jamestown and served 12 years in the North Dakota state House.
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