Delta Dental Names Makkala VP Enterprise IT

Delta Dental of California, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and their affiliates (San Francisco, Calif.) have named Hari Makkala vice president, enterprise IT, head of applications delivery and enterprise architecture. He will oversee implementation of new applications and enterprise architecture for the holding company that operates in 15 states plus the District of Columbia and covers about 23 million enrollees, according to a press release by the affiliated companies.

Makkala has nearly two decades of experience in IT, principally in healthcare, insurance and financial services, according to the release. He was most recently vice president and chief technology officer for People's United Financial (Bridgeport, Conn.), a position he held since 2003. Makkala has held several IT leadership roles at CIGNA Corp. (Philadelphia) and has also held positions at Aetna (Hartford) and petroleum reservoir development solutions company GeoTrace Technologies (Houston).

"We are fortunate to have someone of Hari's caliber and experience to oversee improvements to our IT effectiveness and replacement of key operating and processing systems, which is a top priority for our organization," says Patrick Steele, executive vice president and CIO. "As we move into the critical stages of a multi-year project, his role will be vital in successful and timely rollout of key applications."

Delta Dental of California, Pennsylvania and its affiliated companies within its holding company system, are a part of the Delta Dental Plans Association (DDPA), based in Oak Brook, Ill. DDPA consists of 39 Delta Dental member companies licensed in all 50 states.

Anthony O'Donnell has covered technology in the insurance industry since 2000, when he joined the editorial staff of Insurance & Technology. As an editor and reporter for I&T and the InformationWeek Financial Services of TechWeb he has written on all areas of information ... View Full Bio