Executive Team

As chief executive officer for Peoples Health, Suzi Swoop O’Brien is the creative vision behind the Peoples Health business model. She guides the company’s strategic plan for continued growth and steers the development and enhancement of the its Medicare Advantage plans. She also leads the company in establishing its medical home model to improve the health outcomes of plan members.

O’Brien has devoted her career almost exclusively to the local health care market, affording her the in-depth knowledge and unique perspective that she brings to her position. She has been an employee of Peoples Health for 25 years and has held several managerial roles within the company. Her most recent role was chief operating officer. In this position, O’Brien was responsible for directing the activities of various departments—including claims, systems operations, appeals and grievances, provider affiliations, and customer service—to streamline technologically-advanced processes while exceeding regulatory mandates.

O’Brien earned a Bachelor of Science in commerce and business from the University of Alabama, where she majored in health care management. She currently represents Peoples Health as a member of the Louisiana Association of Health Plans and America’s Health Insurance Plans. She also serves on the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce Executive Board and dedicates additional time to serving local nonprofit organizations.

As controller and vice president of finance for Peoples Health, Emmet Geary oversees the company’s accounting and finance functions, including financial statements, regulatory reporting, internal controls and related financial analysis.

Before joining Peoples Health, Geary practiced as a certified public accountant and held managerial roles in accounting and finance. He joined Peoples Health in 1999 as senior accountant and has since held several positions within the company. As part of the senior management team, Geary plays an integral role in the company’s financial affairs and overall management.

Geary earned a Bachelor of Science in management from Tulane University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and sits on the board of directors for the New Orleans Opera Association.

As vice president of network development for Peoples Health, Thomas Gennaro is responsible for leading development of the company’s provider network and supervising all provider contracting, credentialing, education and reimbursement operations.

Gennaro brings to his role more than 30 years of experience utilizing strong business relationships and financial fundamentals to drive operational objectives. He provides oversight and support for strategic planning activities, ensuring alignment with company goals. He has served in several leadership positions since joining Peoples Health in 2010, including senior executive director for the company’s Eastbank market. Prior to joining the company, he served as senior vice president of professional development for OrthoSynetics, where he spearheaded business development and strategic planning.

Gennaro earned a Bachelor of Science in finance and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from The University of New Orleans. He serves as commissioner on the board of the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission and serves several local nonprofit organizations.

As senior vice president of internal audit and compliance for Peoples Health, Michael J. Robért is responsible for implementing comprehensive internal control and reporting systems, as well as regularly monitoring and evaluating those systems. He is also responsible for coordinating regulatory and financial reviews with outside agencies and auditors. A key participant in Peoples Health strategic planning activities, Robért also coordinates the development of all plan cost projections and Medicare Advantage bids.

Robért began his financial career as controller for Browns Velvet Dairy in New Orleans and served on the Louisiana Dairy Association Finance Committee. Robért was promoted to chief financial officer and was instrumental to the dairy’s favorable sale to a national chain. Robért then joined the newly established MedFirst Health Plans in New Orleans as controller and served as part of the management team in acquiring an HMO license, developing a business plan and designing competitive health insurance products.

Robért joined Peoples Health in 1995 as the company’s privacy officer. In this position, he ensured the company’s health plans remained compliant with all state and federal regulations and directed the development and implementation of the Peoples Health HIPAA compliance program.

Robért holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Southeastern Louisiana University and a master’s degree in health management and policy from the University of Miami. He is a member of America’s Health Insurance Plans and the Louisiana Association of Health Plans. He is also an active member of the Knights of Columbus and a past member of the St. Peter’s School Finance Committee and former chair of the school’s Building and Maintenance Committee.

As chief medical officer for Peoples Health, Dr. J. Brent Wallis is responsible for developing, executing and sustaining initiatives and goals related to the company’s clinical business plan. He facilitates a collaborative environment between Peoples Health and its network providers to ensure cost-effective, quality health outcomes for members of the company’s health plans.

Wallis brings more than 20 years of experience in the medical field to his position. He previously served as the Peoples Health vice president of clinical integration and the market medical director. In these positions, Wallis educated providers on company resources, directed performance management strategies related to the company’s provider network, and offered clinical oversight for the optimization of medical management and quality-of-care programs.

Prior to joining Peoples Health, Wallis served as market medical director for JenCare Neighborhood Medical Centers and practiced as a primary care physician in private, group, academic and value-based practices. He has held several academic appointments throughout his career, including assistant professor of clinical medicine at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans and medical director of the resident clinic for the university’s internal medicine-pediatrics program.

Wallis earned a medical degree from Medical College of Georgia and completed his residency in the internal medicine-pediatrics program at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans. He is board-eligible in pediatrics and holds a certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine. Wallis is also the medical director and a volunteer physician at Luke’s House, a nonprofit, free local clinic that provides a doorway to long-term health care solutions for uninsured patients.

As senior associate general counsel for Peoples Health, Alden Kellogg oversees the company’s legal department. Kellogg’s responsibilities include managed care transactions, risk management, Medicare compliance, contract negotiations, litigation management and health care provider compliance, as well as executive staff advisement.

Kellogg has served as counsel for Peoples Health since 2005. Prior to joining the company, he worked for a New Orleans law firm, where he focused on representing physicians, hospitals and other health care providers in litigation, regulatory compliance and transactional matters.

Kellogg earned a Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana State University and a Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center. He is certified as a Health Law Specialist by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization.