Dirk McMahon, the president and chief operating officer at UnitedHealth Group, is retiring effective April 1 after more than 20 years in leadership positions with the Minnetonka-based health care giant.
McMahon, 64, was named chief operating officer in 2021 when the company announced that Andrew Witty would succeed David Wichmann as CEO.
Witty, McMahon and chief financial officer John Rex have been the primary voices on UnitedHealth Group's quarterly calls with investors, often describing the company's investments in digital technology.
"In his three years as president and chief operating officer, McMahon helped the people of UnitedHealthcare and Optum consistently deliver strong, market-leading growth and performance," the company said in a statement.
UnitedHealthcare is one of the nation's largest health insurers; Optum is the company's fast-growing division for health care services. At different times in his career, McMahon held leadership positions at both business units in addition to the parent company.
Before joining UnitedHealth Group, McMahon spent more than 17 years at Eagan-based Northwest Airlines, including time as the company's senior vice president of airline operations.
UnitedHealth Group is Minnesota's largest company by revenue, which in 2023 was just more than $370 billion.
