GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Former UnitedHealth senior leader, and operating partner at Chicago Pacific Founders, Mark Smith, joins Nexben as CEO to put health benefits back into the hands of consumers. Positioned at the intersection of healthcare and fintech, the organization’s ICHRA solution enables employers to provide benefits with predictable spend while offering customizable plans for employees. Nexben’s unique technology also serves brokers, carriers, and enterprise partners.

“Joining Nexben during such a critical time for the healthcare industry as a whole is a meaningful challenge that our leadership team has fully embraced,” said Smith. “Nexben is leading the charge in redefining the health benefits landscape by serving as the off-ramp for employers for runaway medical costs. While impactful at every level, I’m most proud of the freedom and flexibility Nexben provides the consumer by delivering precisely what they want, not just what they need.”

As part of his first order of business, Smith has selected several new senior executives to work alongside him in driving this strategic shift. Lauren Sweda, Nexben’s new chief growth officer will play a pivotal role in unlocking new opportunities. “I’m here because Nexben has skin in the game. We don’t just talk about our solutions; we’re actively using them,” said Sweda.

“All of our employees, myself included, rely on the same solutions we provide our customers for their healthcare needs and overall wellbeing,” Sweda added. “Mark’s passion for disrupting the healthcare status quo is rare in our industry, and it’s exactly the kind of excitement we need to unlock new markets, strengthen partnerships, and create the same kind of value for our customers that we do for ourselves.”

In addition to Smith and Sweda, Nexben welcomes Mark Peterson, Chief Actuary, previously with Optum Labs. Mark Pontliana, Chief Fintech Operations Officer and Matthew Darragh, Chief Financial Officer, have been with Nexben for 6 and 7 years, respectively, and will continue in their roles. The team’s collective experience across healthcare and fintech aligns with the company’s renewed focus on innovation, customer impact, and operational excellence. Together, they will spearhead Nexben’s mission to lead the healthcare revolution in making benefits affordable and available to everyone.

Nexben’s new and continued leadership:

• Mark Smith, Chief Executive Officer: Smith has experience as an operating partner at Chicago Pacific Founders and has served as a senior leader for UnitedHealth Group. He brings extensive industry insight to Nexben and will lead the organization with a clear strategic vision, driving growth, innovation, and long-term success.
• Lauren Sweda, Chief Growth Officer: For 15 years, Sweda has driven strategic growth for health-focused organizations, including her most recent role as chief growth officer for Magellan Healthcare’s employer division and director of strategic markets for Careington International Inc.
• Mark Peterson, Chief Actuary: Peterson is a fellow with the Society of Actuaries, and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. His experience as Chief Actuary of Optum Labs, and most recently a generative AI startup positions him to drive innovation at Nexben.
• Mark Pontliana, Chief Fintech Operations Officer: Pontliana helped make Nexben the first tech-driven change agent in the ICHRA market and oversees the design, build, launch, and support of Nexben products.
• Matthew Darragh, Chief Financial Officer: Experienced in public accounting, agriculture, and health insurance, Darragh brings a rare cross‑industry perspective to Nexben. With expertise in risk management and data analysis, he has a reputation for bridging financial rigor with practical, field‑level insight.

About Nexben
Nexben is a leading end-to-end benefits utility hub powering up defined contribution and ICHRA strategies. The organization’s turnkey enrollment and marketplace solution provides a seamless experience in administration, payments, and reconciliation, supporting the broker’s critical role throughout the entire consultative process.

For more information about Nexben, please visit nexben.com.

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SOURCE Nexben