MEMPHIS, Tenn. — BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee announces the hire of Mike Watson as regional sales director. Watson will be accountable for the overall management of sales operations in West Tennessee. 

“Mike’s 26 years of experience has given him a firm handle on the employee benefit service industry,” said John Maki, vice president of regional sales for BlueCross. “The entire Memphis team will greatly benefit from the skills he will contribute to our ongoing efforts to bring value to our customers. I am confident he will be able to further build client relationships between BlueCross and the broker and business community in the Memphis area.”

Watson has extensive experience in both small and large group medical, dental and ancillary products. He has previous success in sales with Aetna where he developed a market group from 1,500 members to more than 40,000 throughout the course of eight years. Prior to that position, he worked at Humana, where his position focused on large group sales and support.

Watson formerly held the position of President for Mid-South Association of Health Underwriters and served on the board for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors – Memphis. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Memphis.

About BlueCross

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee's mission is to provide its customers and communities with peace of mind through affordable solutions for health and healing, life and living. Founded in 1945, the Chattanooga-based company is focused on reinventing the health plan for its 3 million members in Tennessee and across the country. Through its integrated health management approach, BlueCross provides patient-centric products and services that drive health improvement and positively impact health care quality and value. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company's website at www.bcbst.com.