Chris Gray is Vice President Sustainability/ ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) at UnitedHealth Group. In this newly established role, Chris reports into the Chief Sustainability Officer and is responsible for designing UHG’s strategies for a sustainable and modern health system, as we as partnering across the enterprise to help drive those strategies and report on the impact and outcomes to internal and external stakeholders.

UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone through two distinct and complementary businesses. Optum delivers care aided by technology and data, empowering people, partners and providers with the guidance and tools they need to achieve better health. UnitedHealthcare offers a full range of health benefits, enabling affordable coverage, simplifying the health care experience and delivering access to high-quality care.

Chris joined the Sustainability Team at UHG in October 2022 after 15 years at Pfizer, where he established the ESG function and advanced sustainability strategy and operations, public affairs and partnerships. He co-chaired Pfizer’s Sustainability Steering Committee, and lead efforts to embed the ESG discipline into Pfizer business strategies. Chris also served in roles supporting the Chairman & CEO in global public health forums, and managed relationships with key partners, for example the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Prior to joining Pfizer, Chris served in a variety of roles at Ernst & Young, including Markets Leader for the EY Biopharmaceutical Center of Excellence. He partnered with advisory services across the organization to address the needs of life sciences, medical technology, and hospital organizations.

Chris began his career in the healthcare field by covering US healthcare policy, regulations, business and technology issues as a reporter, business editor and managing editor at FDC Reports, a Reed Elsevier Company. Based in Washington DC, his covered included developments at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food & Drug Administration, on Capitol Hill.

Chris served as the Board Chair and Treasurer of the Global Compact Network USA, a non-profit 501c3 organization supporting US businesses and subsidiaries of multinational corporations in implementing the UN Global Compact Ten Principles and meeting the ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals.

He holds degrees from The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Tufts University.