Fearer will join four others to lead the implementation of new state insurance exchange

California State Assembly Speaker John Pérez (D-Los Angeles) named Paul Fearer, Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Human Resources of UnionBanCal Corporation and Union Bank, and Chairman of the Board at the Pacific Business Group on Health* (PBGH), to the California Health Benefit Exchange Board. The board will be responsible for implementing what will likely become the largest health insurance exchange in the nation and the first of its kind, created under the health care reform law of 2010.

Paul Fearer has served as Director of Human Resources of UnionBanCal Corporation and Union Bank, N.A. since April 1996. Prior to joining Union Bank in 1990, Mr. Fearer spent 14 years in human resources at Stanford University, including service as Deputy Director of Human Resources Services. He is Chairman of the Board for the Pacific Business Group on Health, where he has played a leadership role for over 13 years. For six years, Fearer also served on the Board of Pacific Health Advantage, a statewide health insurance purchasing pool for small businesses in California that was operated by PBGH.

"Given his long-time strategic roles with Pacific Health Advantage and PBGH, Paul understands the real world challenges of improving the quality and affordability of health care," says David Lansky, President and CEO of PBGH. "He has governance experience with an insurance exchange and a longstanding commitment to improving health care for the people of California."

Other exchange board members include: former Schwarzenegger Chief of Staff, Susan Kennedy; former Secretary of Health and Human Services Kim Belshé; and current head of California Health and Human Services Diana Dooley.

"This is an important opportunity to take what we know about improving quality and moderating costs, and make higher quality, affordable health care a reality for more Californians, " says Fearer. "I am excited to begin this new role."

* About the Pacific Business Group on Health

Founded in 1989, Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) is one of the nation's leading non-profit business coalitions focused on health care. PBGH helps leverage the power of its 50 large purchaser members who spend 12 billion dollars annually to provide health care coverage to more than 3 million employees, retirees and dependents in California alone.